Timothy Edwards Middle School will be entering its 58th year of having the Ski and Snowboarding club. True to its name, this club visits Mount Southington 6 nights out of the year for a night of memories and skiing that friends at any and all skill levels can participate in.
Originally founded by Bill Hankison (who was once a science teacher at TE) in 1968, the club has undergone many changes. Among those are changing the name from TEMS Ski Club to what it is today, along with merging with the SWHS Ski and snowboarding club in 2021.
Currently, the club is run by Jennifer Baker through South Windsor’s Recreation Department. Ms. Baker has run the club for the past 20 years, and is a teacher at Timothy Edwards and was once a club member herself when she was in high school.
“I consider it an honor to be able to share my love of winter sports with students!” said club advisor Jennifer Baker.
Originally, the club took weekend trips to mountains in Vermont, sharpening and waxing their skis in Mr. Hankinson’s classroom Friday before taking the hours-long bus rides up North.
At one point, trips ranged from anywhere out west to even mountains in Europe, with costs being subsidized then by fundraisers such as the TEMS ski swap and sale along with a school dance.
Today, the hill that the club visits on Wednesday nights is Mount Southington in Southington, CT. The hill is approximately 40 minutes away from SWHS.
Students from both the middle school and high school load up their respective coach buses to the brim with skis, poles, and warm winter wear to go to and from the hill. Students then leave the high school around 3pm and return around 9pm.
After arriving around 4, the students will boot up and hit the slopes for a few hours, eating dinner in their time there as well whether that be packed or bought from the lodge’s cafeteria. This year, the program has a total of 3 buses to bring 135 participants to and from the hill, along with 12 chaperons to supervise.
Although small, Southington has a variety of trails with varying difficulty levels to choose from, including 4 green trails, 6 blue trails, 2 black trails and even a terrain park with jumps, rails, and occasionally even a half pipe. Even if you have never skied, Southington offers skiing lessons on a tucked away part of the hill along with a magic carpet.
“I would definitely recommend joining the Ski and Snowboarding club,” South Windsor High School senior Jordin Foran comments. “It is an amazing experience to learn new skills and build memories with your friends in high school.”
Overall, the ski club, although a pricier club to join, provides an opportunity to students to be able to participate in an activity not easily accessible to all due to both location, skill, and convenience. This club is special for the memories and change of scenery it creates, cool snowy nights spent with friends and fun.
