Oldest club has big plans

Attention skiers! The oldest club on campus will be entertaining its 33rd annual ski swap on October 25th in the South Gym of Yosemite Hall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The CSUS Ski Club, which was founded in 1943, is hosting a swap for the entire Sacramento area to buy and sell new and used ski equipment. Over 30 ski shops will participate in the event.

"The event is a great way for skiers to buy equipment cheap," said Ski Club secretary Kristi Bielski. "The sport has become so expensive that this gives students a chance to invest in the equipment without going broke."

The event had 3,000 people participate last year and Bielski expects 5,000 this year.

There will also be a canned food drive and raffle.

Anyone who brings a canned food item will receive a raffle ticket for the chance to win two free lift tickets to Jackson Hole, Wyo.

The club will provide a public registration for anyone who would like to sell their equipment.

The registration will also be held in Yosemite Hall.

Registration costs between $1 and $15. Prices depend on how much sellers are charging for their items.

Registration will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the day before the ski swap and from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. on the day of the event.

The entrance fee for the event is $2 for students, seniors and children under five and $3 for everyone else.

The annual ski swap provides the club with money to pay for a year-round cabin in Truckee.

The cabin is always open to both members and non-members of the CSUS club. The fee to stay at the cabin is $5 for members and $15 for non-members.

"Usually people have a place to sleep except when we have our monthly bashes, and then people are sleeping on the floor," said Bielski.

The monthly bashes are get togethers the club has.

For a discounted price, which always varies, people get one lift ticket, one lunch at the resort of their choice and one night stay at the cabin, according to Kevin Reining, vice-president of the Ski Club.

There are 120 members currently involved in the Ski Club.

Besides visiting the cabin to ski, the members of the club meet every Thursday in the University Union at 7:30 p.m., where prizes can be won.

"We usually have a sponsor who comes out, and they give away T-shirts and other items," said Bielski. "Sometimes representatives from the resorts come out, and it's a good time to win free lift tickets."

The only other time the club obtains discounts is when its members hit the slopes together.

Another big event for the club this year will be a trip to Canada in January. The rendezvous will cost $525 for members and $575 for non-members. The price includes airfare, lodging and lift tickets for four days.

The 80 spots originally available filled so quickly that the club arranged to open 40 more, according to Bielski.

The ski club welcomes all students, so the next time you consider swooshing down the slopes, keep the ski club in mind.