Zach Petersen had never skied before joining the ski club last year. Many of his friends were involved and he wanted to try. Fortunately for him, the club requires no experience to join.
“Overall, ski club has been a great opportunity to spend more time with my friends while also improving as a skier,” said Zach.
There are many students like Petersen who have joined the club to spend time with friends and fell in love skiing as a result.
Two Friday nights a month, the Wauwatosa Ski Club rents Badger Buses to take students 40 miles south to Alpine Valley. Students from East and West high school meet after school in the Tosa West Trojan Room for check in and bus loading.
The club is currently sponsored and overseen by Polly Sackett and Kevin Williams, parents of two West students. They volunteered to take over after Joe Makhouf, the previous sponsor, had his children graduate.
“I love volunteer opportunities at the school and this is a really unique one. It is mixing the opportunity to teach kids and have some real fun with a winter activity,” said Sackett
Currently, there is no one set to take over the club, and Sackett’s and Williams’ children will be graduating soon.
“Once we find a new sponsor and a leadership team that is as pumped about the club as we are, we are happy to hand over the reins. Until then I am prepared to continue on as club sponsor until a very interested family/parent/guardian comes along,” said Sackett.
The club is also run in part by a student leadership team, including presidents Mikayla Timmers, Evan Timmers, Ben Westmont
“Skiing is such a fun sport and I love the ability to give students at both East and West the opportunity to participate in a club that combines both their personal interests and social opportunities. By having a space where anyone can participate students get the ability to grow as individuals and have fun with their classmates,” said Mikayla.
The student team does not run the club outright, but they do handle a majority of the club’s tasks.
“We have many responsibilities like organizing transportation and outings, keeping track of members, and participating in events that work to bring in new members. All of the leaders work to make sure that each member gets the best experience possible,” said Timmers.
Ski Club runs from December-March, and caps the season off with an overnight trip to Granite Peak in Wausau, WI.
The club is the third largest group that goes to Alpine Valley and as a result they have secured good pricing on lift tickets and equipment rentals.
Before the season begins the club hosts informational meetings at East and West that prospective members can attend to learn about the club. The cost of the club varies, but usually ranges from $200-300.
“The affordable cost of the club makes it easier to get to go skiing, especially because the sport is typically pretty expensive. It also helps increase the number of participants therefore making it more accessible to Tosa kids,” said Petersen.
