Rushing down the vertical fall of an icy path, wearing nothing but a skintight body suit, where it's so cold that your breath makes icicles and you have to dig the edges of your skis or snowboard, praying to get around neon colored poles. You're also being timed to the nearest shadows of a second. Doesn't it sound like something born from the risks of adventure and the brink of insanity?

That's the UW-L's Alpine Race Team. It's twelve members deep and structured around the supports of a family that's in a constant state of going hard and having fun. It doesn't matter if you've never waxed a ski, casually carved powder, or went to nationals in high school. If you start at the top (where there is dancing and very loud music), shine through all the gates, and make it to the bottom without yard-saling (falling so hard your skis come off), then you are Alpine Race Team material. You may also be one of the coolest if not one of the craziest human beings on campus. Snowboarders are also welcome.

While the season is only a month and a half long, the Alpine Race Team travels all over the Midwest competing in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Upper Peninsula Michigan, and Illinois. To really promote team bonding (and save a little money), they sometimes put three people in a bed at hotels or bring blowup mattresses. It must be helping because during the past three seasons, the Woman's team has consistently placed in the top three spots at the majority of their races. Their president, Kirsten Norby, has also qualified for national, twice!

The two big race events are the slalom and the giant slalom. Giant slalom (GS) has longer distances between gates so competitors can pick up more speed. On the other hand, the regular slalom has a lot more gates dispersed at shorter intervals. This requires a lot of focus because if a racer misses a gate, they are disqualified. Either way, there's going to be a cheering crowd at the bottom. Gus, one member of the Alpine Race Team, actually spun around and canoed through the finish line.

Even though it's too late to sign up for this year's team, people who are interested in joining should support the sport. They can find the Alpine Race Team's schedule at the UW-L athletics' web site. Fans are always welcome, as are cowbells and hot chocolate. You will meet some awesome people, get some fresh air, and maybe work on that facial tan.