In a ski season when winter waited until the end of March to arrive full-force, Colorado College students gung-ho for another day of skiing showed up dressed up in flair to FUCC’s last event, Burgers on the Beach, this past Sunday.
Burgers on the Beach is a coveted CC tradition and occurs at Arapahoe Basin each spring once the other Summit County ski resorts have closed their doors for the season. Aptly named, Burgers on the Beach takes place at the base of A-Basin at the edge of the parking lot that native Coloradans have long called “The Beach.”
FUCC reserves a spot along the Beach complete with one or two picnic tables, busses students up from campus and brings along a day’s-worth of bratwursts, hamburgers, hot dogs, and all the fixings.
“In years past we have reserved our space as early as December to assure that we would get a spot,” junior Andrew Gregovich, who helped coordinate the event, said. “We waited until April this year and as a result the event had to be pushed to the first Sunday of this block (it is usually held on the first Saturday).”
About 60 CC students attended the event—the vast majority decked out in neon windbreakers, spandex, fur coats, CC jerseys, or patriotic garb. Each year, there are students who don’t even ski and instead spend the day soaking up the sun at the base and grilling food.
The weather did not disappoint this year with temperatures hovering in the 50s, and many attendees could be seen sunbathing in tank tops. However, due to the multiple feet of snow that fell a week prior, the snow was present albeit slushy after 11 a.m.
“The weather was amazing. It was by far the warmest skiing I’ve ever had in my life,” senior Robin Gleason said.
CC students weren’t the only people lounging on the snowy beach on Sunday—the zaniness of spring skiing thrives at the laid-back A-Basin and all the picnic tables were filled with similarly costumed skiers. Several dogs roamed between the tables including a pudgy pug named Jarvis who quickly became a favorite with CC students.
“Weather, good snow conditions, and a decent job of advertising played a role in getting so many people to come,” Gregovich said. “While there will always be that ‘core’ group of burgers enthusiasts, we hope to have more people attend in the future.”
For seniors thinking about the imminence of graduation, this event really felt like a closing of four years of skiing shenanigans. Many came together 10 minutes before the lifts closed to join in “one last run.”
“My favorite moment of the day was the last run with all of CC together cruising down the mountain with the backdrop of A-Basin and the glorious sunshine,” said Gleason.
Gregovich spoke of joining forces with Colorado State University’s snow rider club next year to make the event even bigger.
“CSU has connections with Odell’s Brewery,” Gregovich said. “This, combined with our grilling expertise, will create the ideal tailgating scenario.”
Kate Leaf
Active Life Editor
The Catalyst
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