Ramapo Ski Club: The Snow Must Go On

Ramapo High School offers a myriad of sports and extracurricular activities to its students including over 35 clubs! To slope enthusiasts, however, none are more appealing than Ski Club, run by Dr. Kanefke. Mr. Wadhams is also an advisor. Open to skiers of all skill and experience levels, the Ramapo Ski Club is a great opportunity for students to ski at the advantage of discounted rental fees/lift tickets. Members must provide their own skis and skiing gear. 

Ski Club goes on trips to Mountain Creek Ski Resort in Vernon, New Jersey after school on most Thursdays through January and February. Mountain Creek Resort is one of the most popular ski mountains in New Jersey, offering a wide range of winter activities including beginner ski and snowboarding lessons, an extensive terrain park, and an all-ages snow tubing area. The mountain is composed of a variety of greens and blues (green meaning the easiest trails blue meaning intermediate trails) but is no short of black diamonds (indicating more difficult trails), satisfying the snow desires of all skiers and snowboarders. Students like Junior John Henninger, a known Mountain Creek connoisseur, laud the resort’s accessibility. “It’s a good place to go on a weekend or after school to have fun with your friends,” he said. “It has two peaks: the north which is good for beginners and the south which is geared more towards intermediate riders,” John’s twin brother Chase added. “The terrain park is also a great place to try out new tricks with your friends!” The club arrives at “Creek” by bus at around 4:30 and they are allowed to go off on their own as long as they are back to the bus by 9:00 pm. 

“I’ve been skiing for a long time and I thought it would be nice to be able to ski with people from school. Skiing is a unique sport. There is truly nothing like it,” Timur Gleybman articulated when asked why he joined the Ski Club. Junior Griffin Eisele also has had a similar experience with the club. “I joined the Ski Club because I grew up skiing and it’s a winter hobby of mine. The club gives me more time to go skiing and practice tricks. I like that I can ski with my friends and the mountain is pretty nice. Overall, the club is a very fun experience.” Mr. Wadhams had this to say, “Ski Club is just like any other club, a way for students to enjoy the thing they love or a chance to try something new. The difference is the club advisor, Dr. Kanefke, is someone who cares about the student’s enjoyment and well-being. He’s willing to change the date based on the weather, not schedule trips during quarterlies, and even add an additional trip at the end of the season if the conditions are still good. A club is only as good as its advisor, and Dr. K is the type of person who makes Ski Club great.”