2008 Woodie Awards
Snowboarding Club Hits the Slopes, Rocks the Mic
Jesse Hockersmith
Issue date: 2/13/08 Section: Culture
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The event started with a potluck meal and a slideshow of the club's inaugural trip to Mt. Bachelor, Oregon. Despite the wet weather, the Kate Buchanan Room was buzzing with hip-hop fans and snowboarders alike.
By the time Subliminal Sabotage hit the stage the room was almost full. Funky live drums swelled through the speakers as the crowd began to dance.
The 7-piece band skirts the definition of hip-hop, using live drums, guitar, bass, keyboard, and even sax and flute at times. The masters of ceremonies and the disc jockey offer flavors of Redman's lyricism and Jurassic 5's scratching.
The way they rap over the live instruments gives the songs an organic, funky style. You might even hear some salsa or jazz influences in the keyboard.
One of the lead masters of ceremonies, Berel Alexander Steinberg, had a busy night. Along with being in the band, Steinberg, a 22-year-old Music major, is also president of the Humboldt State Snowboard Club. He even promoted the show by himself.
"I've been snowboarding for about seven years now. I'm from Humboldt County, so I don't get to go as much as I'd like, but half of the fun is leaving on a road trip and going somewhere new," he said. "I fell in love with the experience of the trip. To drive far, stay somewhere, and do fun stuff with friends is just a blessing."
Steinberg boasts of a 400-person e-mail list, which helped him organize the first trip. "I wouldn't be able do this without the support of friends and the community surrounding it. I've met a lot of people who help us find places to stay and stuff to do when we go on a trip," he said.
Joyce Tam, a 20-year-old business marketing major, just started snowboarding on the club's Mt. Bachelor trip.
"The best part of the trip was just getting the opportunity to learn. I don't own any equipment, so I rented almost everything. Berel and the crew were really helpful, too," she said.
"I actually used to be intimidated by snowboarding. I had heard a lot of stories about injuries and I didn't want to get hurt," she said.
Unfortunately, Tam recently broke her arm on a snowboarding trip to Tahoe. "It's really OK though. We're in college now and it's time to step outside the box and take risks. It's opening my eyes to the real world," she said.
Snowboarding isn't for everyone though. "I tried snowboarding for about 10 minutes, then I put my skis back on," said Darlene Stevens, a 19-year-old psychology major at Humboldt State. "You really have to want to learn," she said.
If you are interested in learning to snowboard or joining the Humboldt State Snowboard Club, please contact the club president at berelalexander@gmail.com. The club meets Wednesdays in Nelson Hall, at either 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. Please e-mail ahead of time for details.
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