This is the first organized charity event HUSC has taken part in, and members already have big plans on how to double their pledge money for next year.

"We're really excited to be getting involved in this," Skiba says. "We're all about having fun, and it's great that we're able to extend that to community service."

The prospect of putting one's life in the hands of a plastic board--not to mention the pictures on HUSC's Web site of members flying through the air--can be daunting to prospective members. But current members say inclusiveness is the name of the game.

"It's open to everybody--pretty much anyone who walks in off the street," says Engelhart. The club boasts a membership in the area of 130 dues-paying snowboarders ranging from first-years to alumni.

Beginners are especially encouraged to come to meetings and Sunday trips.

"You get to learn with people you're comfortable with," says Terrence J. Boylan '99.

The prohibitive costs of the sport are another barrier for novices and experts alike. HUSC tries its best to lower the price, mostly through deals with the Cambridge store Concepts.

Lift-ticket prices have skyrocketed this year, and a Sunday pass will run a snowboarder somewhere between $35 and $59. At the beginning of the season, HUSC offered members a three-mountain season pass for a drastically reduced rate. The club also offers loans of boards and boots so riders without equipment can avoid costly rental fees.

Weekly dues ($10), gas money and other expenses can still add up. But for most enthusiasts, a season of snowboarding for a reduced price is an attractive prospect.