College snow sports often fly under the scholarship radar for all but those who form part of what is an extremely competitive scene across North America.
Dozens of top US institution offer sports scholarships in snow sports – we’ve narrowed it down to give you a flavour of four of the best.
Sierra Nevada University at Lake Tahoe
Teams
Men’s - Alpine skiing and snowboarding
Women’s - Alpine skiing and snowboarding
Sierra Nevada University aka SNU has more than 15 resorts within driving distance and the annual snowfall in the area can exceed 400 inches. The SNU Alpine skiing men’s and women’s teams picked up seven USCSA National Championships in total in 2019, also placing first in NSCA snowboarding in 2016. Diamond Peak is the most local resort to the university and is very popular with students, being ideally situated less than two miles from campus.
Dartmouth College
Teams
Men’s - skiing
Women’s - skiing
Dartmouth College is one of the prestigious Ivy League schools and one of the very few universities to own its very own ski resort - the Dartmouth skyway. The resort is about a 20-minute journey from the college, offering 30 trails and more than 100 skiable acres.
Dartmouth hosts a Winter Carnival every year - an event which started in 1911. The college has a men and women’s skiing team and placed third in the 2018 NCAA Skiing Championships.
University of Vermont
Teams
Men’s - skiing
Women’s - skiing
Vermont University boasts six National Championships and has won 36 EISA titles. Teams compete in both alpine and Nordic skiing, while Vermont also has a very successful club team for snowboarding who train with a professional coach seven days a week in halfpipe and slopestyle. Vermont also competes in the USASA Northern Vermont Series, and they’ve sent riders to the US Open, USASA National, Jeep King of the Hill and more.
Westminster College
Teams
Men’s - Alpine skiing and snowboarding
Women’s - Alpine skiing and snowboarding
Located in Salt Lake City, Westminster College features both skiing and snowboarding teams. The men’s snowboard team won the National Championship in 2019, but they need a few more wins to catch up with the women, who have claimed the National Championship title four years in a row. A number of Westminster College riders have made it into the pro ranks, professional filming, pro competitions and coaching. Salt Lake City enjoys an average of 54 inches of snowfall a year and is often credited with having the greatest snow on earth. Not surprisingly there are 11 ski resorts in Salt Lake City.
