For Ohio University students who love winter sports, the Ski and Snow Sports Club is for students of all skill levels to enjoy trips with fellow members and socialize throughout the year. Club members can enjoy zooming through snowy resorts and improving their skills with the help of fellow Bobcats.
The club was created in the spring of 2024 by Laila Talley-Muhammad, a senior studying environmental science and sustainability, who wanted a space for Bobcats who have a love for skiing and snowboarding. She said she wanted people to have a ski club that takes multiple trips a year, and is not so much focused on being a party club.
“Our plan with creating (the club) was to kind of create a community where people who have an interest in skiing and snowboarding but maybe don't want to … just do one trip and have it be party focused,” Talley-Muhammad said. “We were like, ‘Okay, we want to not just be a party club. We want to just be a club where people can get in a group, carpool, get a house together, go do a ski trip for a weekend and make it as affordable and accessible as possible.”
Talley-Muhammad said she grew up in Northern Ohio and attended snowboarding school when she was younger.
At OU, she had a class with Edie McMillion, a senior studying environmental science and sustainability, and the two bonded over their love for skiing and snowboarding. McMillion said she started skiing when she was three years old.
The pair had no place to practice their skills or meet fellow skiers. Talley-Muhammad came up with the idea to simply organize a club themselves and make it as accessible as possible for Bobcats.
“We both had a lot of the same interests and didn't have a common ground for where we could hang out, do recreation, mainly skiing and snowboarding,” Talley-Muhammad said. “But then, everyone around us also skied and snowboarded. We were all like, ‘We should just make our own club if we want to do it.’”
The club strives to ensure it is saving its members as much money as possible and works to find affordable Airbnbs as well as making sure members can carpool down to trip destinations, to save money on gas and lodging.
The club has three trips scheduled for the 2026 spring semester, including a trip to Boston Mills Brandywine in Peninsula, Ohio, occurring Jan. 24 and one to Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Champion, Pennsylvania Feb. 28. Talley-Muhammad and McMillion said they like to frequent Boston Mills Brandywine because a lot of members are local to that area, so they can stay at their house or a friend's house instead of pitching in for an Airbnb.
The cost for a student to attend a ski trip can be around $210. McMillion said because Boston Mills Brandywine and Seven Springs are both owned by the same company, skiers can purchase an “epic pass” during preseason sale that can be used at both locations.
“You can buy a pass for cheaper, and you can just buy a three-day pass,” McMillion said. “We use two of those days at Seven Springs and one at Brandywine. That pass is $160 for three days of skiing, so divided out, that's a lot cheaper than just buying a lift ticket the day you get there. We try to keep costs low.”
Lodging is an additional cost, and McMillion said the club was able to charge each person $50 for its Airbnb last year.
The first time the club skied at Boston Mills, some members were able to stay in treasurer Andrew Champagne’s house, which Talley-Muhammad said was a relief for her.
“I was so worried. I was like, ‘We're gonna have to buy an Airbnb in Cleveland, that’s crazy,’” Talley-Muhammad said. “And then his parents reached out, and were like, ‘We're more than happy to host.’ They even got food catered for the night.”
Champagne, a senior studying wildlife and conservation biology, has been involved in the club since the very beginning. He said Talley-Muhammad gave him a call when she was organizing the club and asked him to join. He said he has been skiing since he was four years old and loved the idea of making skiing more accessible for students.
“I love to ski,” Champagne said. “I would say it's probably my favorite thing to do.”
Champagne said he has seen a lot of improvement with members' skiing and snowboarding abilities. He said experienced members often take the time to teach newer skiers and build positive relationships.
“I think (the club) provides students with a great atmosphere to meet new people and either try something new or continue to ski like they have,” Champagne said. “It's a good group of people, and it makes skiing, which isn't super easy to do around Athens, a lot more accessible.”
The February trip to Seven Springs will mark a return to the resort for many ski club members. McMillion said the club’s first trip down was a highlight of her time in the club and said that was the first time the members shared an Airbnb.
“Getting everybody in one Airbnb for Seven Springs, we got to get to know people a lot better,” McMillion said. “Everybody was able to get in their niches. Some people were watching a movie and being all snuggly, and some people were listening to music.”
Talley-Muhammad and McMillion said they are sad to be leaving the club when they graduate in the spring. Talley-Muhammad said she and McMillion are leaving the club in good hands with their new executive members and are excited to see what they do to improve the community.
“The ski club is like my brainchild,” Talley-Muhammad said. “I was thinking, this time two years ago, this club was just a concept in my head.”
For Bobcats interested in spending time with other students who enjoy skiing and snowboarding, make sure to check out the club on Bobcat Connect, and follow their Instagram for updates on upcoming trips and meetings.
