Western’s Freeride hosts fundraiser for upcoming season

On Nov. 6, Western Colorado University’s Freeride team held a fundraising event at Western’s Mountaineer Cinema to raise money for their upcoming competitive season.

​Freeride is one of the largest and strongest collegiate programs in Western’s Mountain Sports lineup with around 45 members. The team gets to practice up to four days a week at Crested Butte Mountain Resort. The team travels for competitions such as International Freeskiers and Snowboarders Association (IFSA) qualifiers and Freeride World Qualifier. Though the team is flexible and accommodating towards student goals, former Freeride athletes have qualified for the Freeride Challenger series and a few have even secured a spot on the Freeride World Tour.

The fundraiser included a showing of Matchstick Productions’ film “The Way Out”, movie snacks, a beer garden with drinks from Zuni West Brewing in Crested Butte, ski waxing, and a ticketed giveaway. The event was hosted by Director of Mountain Sports Kieran Nay, Head Coach Andrew Kunze, and the students on the Freeride team.

“The Way Out” is Matchstick Productions' 34th annual ski film serving as a tribute to the culture and lifestyle of skiing. In the past, this event was held by Western’s Foundation Team, who approached Freeride about hosting the film night as a fundraiser earlier this year.

“One of my biggest goals this season is growing our fundraising efforts, so when the Foundation brought the film night idea to us, it felt like a natural fit,” said Kunze, who is heading into his 10th season of coaching. “Ski movies bring our whole community together, and we wanted to build on that and make it a fun night for all.”

The team decided to make the most out of this event. They added ski waxing as a service where skiers could drop off their equipment to be waxed by the Freeride team, providing a convenient option for the community and a great learning opportunity for the students.

“Gear maintenance is a huge part of winter sports, and it’s something we really emphasize as coaches,” said Kunze. “Knowing how to wax and tune your own equipment means you can dial in your setup for changing conditions on competition day, especially when we’re on the road and away from a shop. The wax fundraiser lets our athletes put those skills to work for the community.”

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On top of it all, Freeride put on a ticketed giveaway. Each movie ticket purchase included one giveaway ticket entry, but three, ten, an arm’s length, or a wingspan’s worth of tickets could also be purchased. Some of the giveaway items included gift cards, hats, goggles, boots, and back protectors.

All proceeds from the Ski Waxing Fundraiser, movie ticket sales, snack and beverage sales, and the ticketed giveaway support the Freeride team’s upcoming season

“These funds directly support student travel,” said Nay. “Sending our athletes to competitions across the country represents a significant expense. Any donations to our program help us to maximize the competitive opportunities for as many of our athletes as possible.”

The fundraiser was so well attended that more chairs had to be brought into the theater, exceeding the team's expectations. Nay, Kunze, and the Freeride team express their gratitude to the community.

“As a coach, it was special watching our athletes see that kind of support firsthand,” said Kunze. “A packed theater cheering on our team is a big confidence boost heading into the season, and a reminder that they’re representing a lot more than themselves when they drop in. Thank you to everyone who came out to support our team, and our volunteers and partners for making it happen.”