For the Harvard skiing team, winter break is spent in a cabin in Vermont, with each skier training hard to prepare for the season against the top competition in the nation.

“The ski team is very small,” said sophomore and incoming captain Samantha Udolf. “We start training in November and go out to Colorado. We spend all of January in Vermont.”

This intense training is necessary for the team to match up against many skiers who are on the World Cup circuit or on the Olympic level.

For the men’s alpine team—a young team consisting of six sophomores and freshmen—this season was about catching up and learning to race to the fullest of each skier’s potential while overcoming nagging injuries.

“This year was better than last year,” said sophomore Simon Merryweather, an incoming captain. “I think the next two years should be an improvement over the past two.”

“People put in more effort [last] summer because they realized what it took,” he added.

While the team did not qualify any skiers for nationals, it achieved marginal successes, including finishing every run in the Slalom event at regionals.

Merryweather finished 51st in the giant slalom, making him the top representative for the Crimson.

Freshman James Stevenson led the way in the slalom event, finishing in 1:45.13, good for 52nd place.

The Crimson women’s alpine squad led a strong, competitive season despite its small size.

Captain Rebecca Nadler, who two years ago became the first skier in Harvard history to win an NCAA title, has consistently shown that it is possible to be a competitive Harvard skier on the national stage.

Once again, Nadler had a successful year, placing 16th in slalom and 8th in giant slalom at regionals to qualify for nationals.

There she earned All-American honors in the giant slalom, placing sixth out of 34 entrants.

She placed 20th in the slalom, a 12- position jump from her start position.

Freshman Katie Gibson placed 33rd  at regionals.