All Photos by Claire Hassett

Well above sea level, well below freezing

On a frigid Friday night in the northeast, members from three east coast Surfrider Foundation chapters braved the elements and ventured north to Vermont for the 2007 Snowrider Project. Held at Sugarbush Resort, the weekend-long event on January 26th and 27th brought activists together to educate mountain-goers about the hydrological cycle and to enjoy some quality slope riding themselves. In temperatures well below freezing, Surfrider members from Massachusetts, New York City and Central Long Island gathered outside the Sugarbush lodge, next to the homemade waffle stand, and greeted a steady stream of snowboarders and skiers interested in learning more about our environmental mission.
The Snowrider Project seeks to inform people about watershed from higher elevations on toward the oceans, and teach about the effects of pollutants traveling through streams and rivers. The negative environmental impact of polluted watershed is especially harsh in the northwest, where chemical and biological pollutants from several large cities accumulate and drain into a relatively compact ocean area. It is therefore extremely important for the Snowrider message to resonate with as many people in the region as possible, and our weekend in Vermont was an incredible opportunity to make so many more people aware of the watershed issues in their communities.

Mountain mavens of Massachusetts Carol Tobian & Marc Angelillo

After a day of promoting Snowrider and shredding in a surreal white landscape of gnarly and snow-shrouded bare tree branches, Surfrider members from all three chapters wound down with a party in Sugarbush’s Castle Rock Pub. Complete with a silent auction benefiting the Surfrider Foundation, the evening was an excellent opportunity for members to mingle with fellow activists. Sunday brought more terrific Vermont slope riding and bonding between east coast Surfrider members, a perfect end to this very successful adventure in extreme conditions, environmental awareness and true camaraderie.

~Adriana Jovanovic
Vice Chair, Surfrider NYC


Three Chapters, one great event