The University of Lincoln Snow Sports Team had a successful year in 2011-2012 and have even bigger plans for the future. The Linc caught up with the president of the team, Nick Gardiner.
Who are you?
We are the University of Lincoln Snow Sports Team- LUSST for short. We’re a bunch of adrenaline junkies who love to go play in the snow.
We ski and snowboard recreationally once a fortnight at Castleford Xscape and compete at the British Universities Indoor Snowsports Championships in both slalom and freestyle on a yearly basis. We’re all like-minded people with a common interest in snow sports and, because we spend so much time in the snow, we know how to make a mean snowman.
We boast a large social group with guaranteed socials every week and two incredible week-long trips to ski resorts in Europe. This year we’re heading out to Pas de la Casa, Andorra and have big plans for a trip at Easter.
What is Snow Sports?
The team mainly focuses around skiing and snowboarding, but we also have a keen interest in wake. We host a yearly summer trip to Grendon Lakes, Northamptonshire, for a weekend of camping, wakeboarding, BBQs and music.
How old are you?
LUSST was founded in 2003 and has grown massively every year since then, becoming one of the biggest and most active teams within the university. We’ll be celebrating our ten year anniversary next year.
How did last year go?
Last year was a huge year for the team, despite being unable to compete at the BUISC (British Universities Snowsports Council). We almost doubled in size and had many ‘firsts’ for the team, including first ever holiday sell out, first ever two coach trip to Xscape and first ever ‘On The Pond’ summer reunion.
We also picked up a couple of awards at the Sports & Societies awards evening at the end of the year, winning “Event of the Year” for our New Year’s trip to Tignes.
What does this year hold for you?
This year we hope to compete in BUISC and hopefully pick up some podium places. We hope to smash last year’s achievements and create more. You can expect big things for socials this year, with more variation and bigger and better themes.
Who to watch this year?
We’re expecting a high standard this year. Progression is quick and we have some very talented skiers and snowboarders, especially from a freestyle perspective.
Skiers to watch this year are Tom Holwill, Greg Thomas and Bruce Bavin, who all bring a high level of skill to the table in both racing and freestyle.
Snowboarders to watch this year are Sam Mitchell, Nick Paley and Nick Springham, who all have a great talent for freestyle and some might say they all possess some real balls of steel when it comes to trying new tricks.
More details about the University of Lincoln Snow Sports Team, including how to join, are available on the Lincoln SU website.