Tyler Stinson Contributing Writer
There are many ways people can enjoy the cold weather, by ice fishing, snowshoeing, or even staying inside bundled up next to the heater, but shooting down a mountain with a board or a pair of skis on your feet is a considerably more fun activity to many people in the Farmington area. Farmington has always had a huge skiing presence, and winter sports are beloved here, both in town, and at UMF.
As students at UMF, there are a plethora of opportunities to get involved in this exciting winter sport, but even so, a majority of the UMF population has no idea about it. The first benefit students have is the local mountain, Titcomb. This mountain is incredibly close by, about five minutes out of town, and students only need to show their student ID to get a free pass for the season. With this pass, they can come and go as frequently as they want. Another great opportunity that students can take advantage of, is the lessons and rentals through the Mainely Outdoors building located near the Fitness and Recreation Center. This allows students to start skiing at Titcomb even if they’ve never invested the money to purchase their own pair of skis.
Those who are aware of these benefits for students love that the university is as involved as it is, however, with more exposure, and a better knowledge of the opportunities that are provided, the relationship between skiing and the Farmington community can only continue to grow.
Passionate and practiced instructors work 4 to 5 days a week teaching kids, college students and even adults how to ski over at Titcomb. These instructors have been skiing for years, and want to pass their love and knowledge of the sport down to students, so as to keep the popularity of it alive. One of these instructors states, “We’ve all spent the majority of our lives skiing. It’s something we are all extremely passionate about, and we wish more kids took advantage of the opportunities through the university.”
A UMF student, who had managed to figure out about the free season pass and the rentals through the school added, “I had always been interested in skiing, and I found out that [at UMF] it costs me nothing, or next to nothing. I also don’t have to attend a gym class, because it can be used as a PHE credit.” Another student talked about how they just wanted to learn to ski because their older siblings did it, and though they never got into it when they were younger, once they realized how easy to access it was in this area, they decided to give it a try. They found the relevant information through UMF’s Mainely Outdoors and took full advantage.
If you also think you would love to be skiing down a mountain, or just love to be outside and try new things, Farmington is one of the best places you can be. Skiing is something that can be super fun for everyone, and if you are a UMF student looking to be involved in this wonderful winter activity, check out your options on campus for learning how and where you can ski for free. You won’t regret it.