WWSC Club Culture.Club field skiing is one of the most unique ski cultures in the world. The people that these clubs attract have a passion for their mountains which has to be experienced to be believed. It comes as no surprise that
Mt Olympus, the WWSC and a number of similar clubs throughout the country represent the pioneering spirit that introduced skiing to this country in the late nineteenth and first half of the twentieth centuries. The efforts of these first pioneers in establishing club ski areas led to the proliferation of commercial ski area developments in the sixties and seventies. Many predicted these commercial fields, with their ease of access, chairlifts and the fact that the hard work was all done by someone else, would see to the end of club fields. Yet here we are, more than eighty years after the Mt Olympus club was established and couldn't be in better health. The reason for this runs deeper than the consistently good skiing on offer at Mt Olympus. It is because the club functions as more of a community or an extended family rather than just a bunch of skiers. Members work, ski, socialise and fraternise together, united in their enjoyment of this unique slice of New Zealand alpine culture. In this age of increased regulation, cost and opposition, it is this sense of togetherness that keeps places like Mt Olympus not just operating, but thriving. New members who embrace this culture of pitching in and communally sharing the rewards are welcome to join the club. |