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College Scholarships For Skiing

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ABalls
Posts: 2091 - Karma: 3,754
I just saw a thread about skiing colleges in Cali and I was wondering, do any colleges give scholarships for skiing and or have a freestyle ski team? They can be located anywhere I was just wondering how many of them are out there.
Oct 1 2013 1:43PM
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CaptainObvious.
Posts: 5712 - Karma: 20,639
Just for racing. As far as I know there are no NCAA division Freestyle Ski teams that compete at an intercollegiate level. Clubs and teams, yes, but there is no system in place that would enable scholarships to be in place.

I could be wrong.
Oct 1 2013 1:48PM
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Download-My-Apps
Posts: 5069 - Karma: 1,017
Exactly, from an athletic perspective there are no freestyle team in any of the athletic leagues be that NCAA, NAIA, CIS, whatever else there is, so there would be no point for most institutions to fund skiers.

Although I feel like Tom Wallisch or Steve Stepp should have gotten scholarships for making U of U such a high profile school for ski bums.
Oct 1 2013 4:01PM
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Wizerd
Posts: 908 - Karma: 6,695
There should be something like the NCAA for free skiing
Oct 1 2013 4:17PM
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polmei
Posts: 410 - Karma: 1,463
are u fucking retarded?
Oct 1 2013 4:28PM
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alden.
Posts: 855 - Karma: 360
There are collegiate free ski teams,
competing in slope, pipe, skiercross
Sierra Nevada College is one college with those teams,
they do offer scholarships for skiing,
I go there,
It's pretty cool, come check it out sometime
Oct 1 2013 6:33PM
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Caleb.E
Posts: 3556 - Karma: 1,015
haha, yes!
Oct 1 2013 6:34PM
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Download-My-Apps
Posts: 5069 - Karma: 1,017
I stand corrected.
Oct 1 2013 7:41PM
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.MASSHOLE.
Posts: 7504 - Karma: 11,659
I imagine in 10-15 years there MAY be. Its all about funding. People outside the ski world need to know there are competitions so it can possibly generate revenue.
Oct 1 2013 7:59PM
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TopherRitz
Posts: 239 - Karma: 1,322
I know up in Vermont at UVM, Middlebury, etc. they have comps at the club level. Varsity sports could be in the near future hopefully.
Oct 1 2013 8:41PM
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Download-My-Apps
Posts: 5069 - Karma: 1,017
The thing is, I really don't see enough revenue for them to justify it, look how much money they make on a basketball or football game, I really dont see 50, 000 people standing on the side of the mountain watching a slopestyle event.

Even the x-games is pennies compared to march madness, the average person does not have the opportunity to freestyle ski, therefore, I doubt would take much interest in the sport.
Oct 1 2013 9:22PM
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STAUSS
Posts: 8232 - Karma: 3,311
are you fuckin retarded?  Do you realize where the money is in our sport?  You can't compare skiing to the NBA, they're not the same thing at all.  Skiing is a niche sport, but that doesn't mean there isn't interest in it.   you can't say just cause we dont have march madness makes competitive freeskiing not a lucrative business.  it's in the Olympics... we're not talking about some small fuckin pastime. 

several colleges have competitive skiing and snowboarding teams.  There are high schools that are designed to produce high end park and pipe athletes.  do some research before you try to call the x-games "pennies."  I'm sure the organizers of events like that would have some words for you. 
not all areas in the country have skiing, but in the places that there are strong ski communities there are enough people to generate interest, build teams, and make money off of it.


Oct 1 2013 9:37PM
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YoungJ
Posts: 447 - Karma: 883
Calm down. Im pretty sure what he meant was that there are way more people that play basketball, therefore watch match madness so in turn make money. Skiing is very popular to people that live near mountains or had parents that wanted them to do it. Basketball can happen almost anywhere. ... I dont play basketball nor do i watch march madness just pointing out logistics
Oct 1 2013 9:55PM
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50Kal
Posts: 2835 - Karma: 5,534
As someone who works X games the last three year this makes me laugh.
The main difference between these two events is ratings on TV.
 Yes March Madness makes more money because of commercials. But by no means is it "pennies".
For fuck sake they start building the massive camera tower in December. That means every worker who sets up scaflding needs to be housed in town at Aspen prices. Thats just one group of workers.
Oct 1 2013 10:06PM
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alden.
Posts: 855 - Karma: 360

http://www.uscsa.com/member-schools/member-schools

here's a list of colleges that offer freeski programs, keep in mind these vary in level of support and development by college,

In my opinion Sierra Nevada College and Westminister College have the two best programs and are the only ones i know of that grant scholarships.

Oct 1 2013 11:32PM
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ABalls
Posts: 2091 - Karma: 3,754
Definitely will sometime. I'm excited that at least one college does this but I'm surprised that like U of U wouldn't offer anything.
Oct 2 2013 8:19AM
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k2andcannoli
Posts: 644 - Karma: -36
Just look at njcaa (junior college), my fianceis a womens bball coach. Her program has only 5 fulls or about $75,000 in scholarships. Not to mention her operating, travel, recuitment, ect budgets. Collegiate sports cost a ton, yet most schools have them and only the best divisions of ncaa return a profit.

It is definitely possible to fund a freeski, as long as you can join some sort of officiating organization. Community support is not an issue.
Oct 2 2013 8:34AM
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MilaKunis
Posts: 1480 - Karma: 3,646
Also march madness has a shit more people attending it and makes a ton more money.
Oct 2 2013 9:33AM
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Download-My-Apps
Posts: 5069 - Karma: 1,017
I'm not saying the x-games are not profitable, but march madness is a college tournament for one sport and has more total revenue that what is at than what is now the biggest competition for all winter sports. All I'm saying is I really doubt a college freeskiing evening would generate much, if any income.
Oct 2 2013 10:40AM
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Download-My-Apps
Posts: 5069 - Karma: 1,017
No I get that, but if the community does not have the sport I don't see many school wanting to make a team. Not to mention most schools don't have the access to a mountain to train on. I know a lot do, but compared to basketball, skiing is really expensive.
Oct 2 2013 10:42AM
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Download-My-Apps
Posts: 5069 - Karma: 1,017
OK maybe the x-games aren't pennies, my bad.. For the record, march madness is a college tournament, not the NBA so it is applicable.

But I think its you that needs to do the research. I get it, I coach skiing, I love the sport, I want its recognition as well. I'm just saying, at a collegiate level its not really that profitable. Archery is in the Olympics, I don't think that would make much money either. You think that just because a sport is in the olympics the entire system is going to be like, 'hey I like watching skiing, lets take some money off our magic money tree and make it NCAA!' WHen most sports in it already are looking for more funding, when realistically basketball and football are the only ones that generate income.
Oct 2 2013 10:48AM
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