College Ski Week Fun At The River And The Loaf

By Heather Burke, Boston.com Correspondent

I find it ironic that you pay a fortune to send your kids to college, and they have huge holiday breaks, such as a month off over Christmas. If your college kid is starting to bug you by chillin’ on the couch, send them to ski country this week. Sunday River and Sugarloaf are both celebrating college week on the snow with deep lodging discounts, half price lift tickets with a college ID, and a line-up of après ski parties that makes on-campus Greek Week look weak.

Sunday River has $39 lift ticket all this week – just show your college ID Jan 5-9. Lodging packages at the Snow Cap Inn with lift tickets, ski lessons, and breakfast for the week start at $319. Each night, Sunday River will roll out a crazy party theme such as Lumber Jack and Jill night, a Seven Deadly Sins Party, and a Glow Party.

The highlight of Sunday River’s college ski week will be the Red Bull race “Frozen Rush,” which is returning for its second year. What sounds like a skiing fraternity or sorority initiation is actually a monster Pro4 truck race on snow, amped by Red Bull who loves to push-the-envelope. Sunday River’s South Ridge will become a huge snow race venue for 900-horsepower trucks to jump, slide, and speed. It will take place through Friday Jan 9 between noon and 3 p.m. The Frozen Rush event is free for spectators on foot.

Sugarloaf hosts Snowfest College week, with $42 lift tickets Monday through Friday Jan 5-9 for college students. All-access passes which include lodging, lift tickets, and admission to the evening entertainment (including popular Maine rapper Spose) are $345 for the week. You can also buy a “One Nighter” pass for $69 for those on their parents’ purse strings.

See the lineup of ski and snowboard events and après ski entertainment at Sugarloaf’s College Week and the Frozen Rush College Week Calendar at Sunday River

Here’s a video of Last year’s Red Bull Frozen Rush at Sunday River.

By Heather Burke, Sunday River Photo by Greg Burke