Here at IHS, we have many clubs but some are not as well known as others. One such less popular club has a few “signs around the school, and people talk about it sometimes,” said IHS senior Lacie Greenwood. This club is Ski Club! After interviewing the club supervisor, Mr. Shippen, and a few students, we discovered that the IHS Ski Club is a place to have fun, learn about the sport of skiing, and be spontaneous. All are welcome!
Reed Soininen, an IHS sophomore who restarted Ski Club, started the club this year after it kind of slowed down. Reed said, “I started the ski club without knowing that one previously existed. I was interested in a ski club as I had heard of other schools having one. I went to Mr. Shippen and asked him if he would be my supervisor.” As he started the club back up on his own, he was amazed when 20 more people joined. Reed mentioned how the “Ski club is a fun club meant for people who want to ski or snowboard recreationally and not take it seriously like in a ski team. I think the ski club is a nice addition to the school because it fills the gap for those who ski for fun rather than competitively.” Even if they have a small group and take a van, or if it’s a large group and they go on a bus, they always go to their mountain destination together.
Mr. Shippen is the IHS Ski Club advisor. Shippen’s passion for skiing and snowboarding has really had an impact on students here at Ipswich. He started skiing at a young age and learned how to snowboard years later. “I started skiing when I was 12 and started snowboarding when I was 25.” When he taught at Hamilton-Wenham for 14 years, he decided to start the Ski Club with another teacher. After coming to Ipswich, Shippen said, “Everyone really loved it at Hamilton-Wenham, so I thought I would bring it here.” The Ski Club doesn’t meet but they use Google Classroom for updates of upcoming events and updates on future trips. That is their key source of communication. The group will most likely bring their own ski gear, but if not they can rent some equipment at the location they go to. “We often go to Gunstock and Sunday River, but I am looking into going on a trip somewhere farther this year,” says Shippen.
Despite the fact that it is not talked abundantly about like some other clubs, Ski Club is a way for you to ski without having to compete as if you were on a Ski team! If you have ever even thought about joining I suggest you do. The trips cost only around $75 plus, if you need to rent out materials, $45. There is no official date yet on the next trip but “I’m aiming for late January or early February for the first trip. I’m working on getting access to the school vans first since transportation is the biggest issue and expense for us,” says Mr.Shippen. I know this article excites you because you want to join, so I suggest you contact Mr. Shippen or Reed Soininen.
