Ride and Recover

One of the greatest things you will quickly learn about college is access to discounted and free stuff. The free gum, energy drinks, and burrito gift certificates being passed out on Comm. Ave aren’t too good to be true – they are completely free! Local businesses in and around Boston are always trying to market products, services, and events to college students by appealing to our very small bank accounts. One of the easiest ways to experience social activities in Boston is taking advantage of these deals.

Last night I had the opportunity to go night skiing at Gunstock Mountain in Gilford, NH thanks to one of these awesome college deals. An e-mail was sent to BU Ski Club members informing us about an event Muscle Milk and Steez Magazine were hosting. The Ride and Recover trip included a lift ticket, transportation from BU, and an $8 food voucher for Gunstock Mountain. All I had to do was become a fan of the Muscle Milk and Steez Magazine Facebook groups and be one of the first 55 students to respond to the e-mail. Since I haven’t had the opportunity to ski all season due to pricy lift tickets, I quickly jumped on the opportunity. A week later I received an exciting, screeching phone call from my friend Ashley informing me we had won spots on the trip!

An abundance of Muscle Milk, 11 runs, two beers, and a free tee shirt later qualify as a successful ski trip. As much as I love Boston, it was nice to escape from the city lights for a night to gaze at the stars on a chair lift. And 11 runs was a nice substitute from a FitRec workout. I also got to spend time with one of my close friends from home who goes to college near the mountain who met us there.

The BU Ski Club offers several other trips throughout the academic year giving students a chance to hit the slopes. Each year the club sponsors weekend trips to Killington, Vermont; Quebec City, Quebec; and Sugarloaf, Maine. There are also several day trips sponsored by the club as well. Although these trips aren’t free, they are a great chance to experience a change of scenery, spend the weekend in a hotel with your friends, and of course ski or board! My freshman year I went on the Quebec trip with two girls who lived on my floor. We had a great weekend skiing, getting to know some of our other BU classmates, and experiencing the Quebec nightlife.

So if you love to ski or snowboard make sure you sign up for the BU Ski and Snowbaord Club mailing list so you can get all the info on all these great trips as well as some free deals!  And check out the BU Ski and Snowboard Club website here.