Attending the University of Utah provides students with vast opportunities outside of the classroom. Each season brings a new flavor to indulge in. For a lot of us, winter is the chocolate ice cream (cookies and cream, perhaps). Credited with the best snow on Earth, the Wasatch mountains are a luscious waffle cone dipped in fudge and covered with decadent sprinkles. Mouthwatering powder is less than an hour away from campus, and the OneLove Ski and Snowboard Club, run by University of Utah students, makes hitting the slopes even more accessible.
Back in 2007, OneLove was founded at the U and has grown exponentially since. Now the largest club on campus, OneLove provides a platform for all skiing and snowboarding lovers to share their passion. There is no skill threshold preventing anyone from joining: whether you are chasing sponsorships or pizza-ing down the hill, OneLove is open to all full-time students. For a 10-dollar membership fee, you can save hundreds of dollars at resorts throughout the Wasatch front.
OneLove is unique in many ways, but one sticks out in particular. Even though it is predominantly run in Salt Lake City and around campus, anyone who is a full-time student has the ability to join. From the U to SLCC, UVU, or even BYU, a diverse array of students make up the club. While the student pass discounts are nice, there is so much more to the club. Before the ski season even starts, OneLove hosts tailgates, a wax night, movie premiers, rail jams and more. “These events enable people to meet likeminded individuals and plan ahead for their upcoming adventures once the snow starts falling,” says Miles Heath, a OneLove member.
When deciding to attend the University of Utah, many people (myself included) highly value the outdoor recreational opportunities that Salt Lake City caters and choose Utah with the expectation of finding new passions that lie in the outdoors. However, finding new passions is far more difficult when doing so alone; and the difference in skill level of a skier who grew up in Kansas is inevitably going to be different than a kid who grew up in Tahoe. It may be nerve racking for beginners to get their foot in the door knowing that some people in OneLove are doing double backflips in the backcountry. But therein lies the beauty of snow sports: there is no looking down upon people, because everyone is simply trying to share their love for skiing and snowboarding. Heath says, “OneLove provides the opportunity to meet new people and build a community of snow enthusiasts at the University of Utah. OneLove creates a space where people of all abilities are welcomed and encouraged.”
Sarah Kilroy, another member of the club, reflects on what her time with OneLove has done for her student experience: “OneLove has enhanced my time at the U by not only allowing me to discover my passion for skiing, but further giving me a platform to share this thrill with others. It’s pretty special being able to share something you cherish with hundreds of other people who also find great joy in such an amazing sport.” Skiing is fun, but compounded with the ability to share the chairlift, burgers in the lodge, and even the notorious Red Snake with people who you have gotten to know, skiing becomes surprisingly fulfilling.
Sharing the Wasatch with others is what OneLove is all about, but the opportunities don’t end there. In the beginning of 2024, members had the opportunity to ride Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming. While Utah may have deemed its snow as the best on Earth, Jackson is no slouch. With over 4,100 vertical feet, Jackson Hole challenges even the most talented skiers and snowboarders. In addition to the ridiculous terrain, the town of Jackson is vibrant and gives those with sore legs an escape with its rich nightlife and culture. Heath says, “Some of my favorite parts of the Jackson trip were the Tram and gondola group rides we did with all the OneLovers. It was so awesome to see the presence and community that we have been able to foster through OneLove. The energy was high, and the smiles were out!” Their “aprés ski” events (which simply translates to “after skiing”) included hanging out at the Mangy Moose Restaurant and Saloon in the Teton Village with all the members, and also exploring everything that the town of Jackson has to offer. While the skiing was undoubtedly epic, what members took away most from the trip was their time together and hanging out, more so than the skiing itself. This encapsulates what OneLove and the beauty of skiing and snowboarding is all about: it is more than simply a sport, but a lively culture.
Sarah Kilroy sums up why OneLove is so wonderful perfectly:
“The coolest part of OneLove is the opportunity it provides to meet new people and build a community of snow enthusiasts at the U. OneLove creates a space where people of all abilities are welcomed and encouraged. Another awesome thing about the club is that we provide opportunities for people to meet before the ski season starts. These events enable people to meet likeminded individuals and plan ahead for their upcoming adventures once the snow starts falling.”
Join the club. Get the discounts. Share the stoke!
