Students dive into winter activities

Freshman John Soranno trains at Echo Mountain Park, Colorado. “My favorite thing about skiing is the feeling [going down slopes] in a course and feeling all the things that I have been working on in skiing over the past year come together,” Soranno said.

John Soranno (submitted)

Freshman John Soranno trains at Echo Mountain Park, Colorado. “My favorite thing about skiing is the feeling [going down slopes] in a course and feeling all the things that I have been working on in skiing over the past year come together,” Soranno said.

As the snow starts to fall, Minnesotans everywhere strap on their skates, skis, and snowshoes as they head out for the beginning of winter sports. A variety of winter activities are played at St. Paul Academy and Summit School, and for many students, the coming of the cold means the start of fast-paced hockey games, skiing competitions, and even activities like snowshoeing, sledding or building a snowman.

“I love winter because the snow appeals to me. I don’t like warm weather,” freshman Elena Macomber said. She loves sledding and comes to SPA every winter to sled on the upper field hills. “I come to school with my sister and sled on the SPA hill. I like going fast; it’s like a winter rollercoaster,” Macomber said. The upper field hill is the best place to go sledding at SPA because it is the biggest and steepest hill on campus. There are a variety of location to go sledding in St. Paul, depending on the steepness of the hills. For fast-paced rides, the best places are parks such as Baker, Hillcrest and Battle Creek Recreational Centers.

“I ski at Buck Hill every night in the week except Friday and am usually at a race on Saturday and Sunday,” freshman skier John Soranno said. Soranno has been skiing since he was two and a half and started competitions at age seven. “My favorite thing about skiing is the feeling [going down slopes] in a course and feeling all the things that I have been working on in skiing over the past year come together,” Soranno said.

“Two to three years ago, we slept outside shelters we built out of snow at at Tomahawks Camp in Wisconsin,” said Sophomore Tommy Monserud. Monserud explained the procedure of getting ready for winter camping. “First, you have to get your gear right. We changed out of all cotton clothes. After that, we head out in the morning and find a spot. I’ve only ever gone hard-core camping for two days, but I’m going on winter odyssey, which is for a week,” said Monserud.

The best part of winter activities are the many fun (and sometimes terrifying) memories that are accumulated over the years. “My favorite memory of sledding was when I went over a big bump, turned backwards and flew off. It was really scary,” Macomber said.

“My most memorable moment was skiing at Piste in Val d’Isere,” Soranno said. Val d’Isere is a ski park in France with 158 slopes and 94 ski lifts.”

In Minnesota, the most popular places to Alpine ski are Buck Hill and Afton Alps, where the cost of skiing is 27 to 40 dollars for an all day chairlift pass. Skiers and snowboarders can choose between three different skill levels, the hardest and most intense being the black diamond. At Afton Alps, there are 300 skiable acres, 50 trails, 18 lifts and 4 terrain parks where skiers and snowboarders can test their skills even further.

However, for Monserud, winter camping isn’t about making memories. “It’s not really about remembering memories, it’s that you’ve done it. It’s a serious thing, and the achievements are the main thing. Thats what I love about winter camping.”