Courtesy photoThe unofficial Cal Poly ski and snowboarding team is faring well in this season’s Southern California Collegiate Ski & Snowboard Conference competitions, despite a lack of funding from the university.
“We’re getting more recognition,” said team member and materials engineering junior Stefen Grandi. “We have a lot of really dedicated people on our team right now.”
The 15-person team competes in men’s and women’s events including giant slalom, skier and boarder-cross, slope style and half pipe.
All the competitions take place on Mammoth Mountain, but the team also finds time to get together and make its own trips to practice.
For the past three years, the team has been competing as part of the Cal Poly Pomona joint team, ever since the San Luis Obispo campus’ official ski and snowboarding team was discontinued in 2004 for raucous behavior.
Since then, re-establishing the local team has been an uphill battle.
“It’s been tough because the school is skeptical and doesn’t have the trust for the new team,” Grandi said.
The new team emphasizes it is not associated with the Central Pacific Ski Club, which focuses more on social events than competition.
This season Cal Poly Pomona placed first in its league in the giant slalom event, and third overall in the regional competition.
In March, Grandi even went on to compete in nationals in Maine.
However, members don’t have to be of pro caliber to belong to