Competitive, cut-rate prices attract college students to a variety of purchases, but Seven Oaks Recreation hopes their prices encourage liveliness on the slopes instead of the stores.

Seven Oaks ski resort in Boone, Iowa, has been offering an inexpensive option for people since 1997.

Every Wednesday and Thursday night from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Seven Oaks drops their lift ticket price to $10 for the evening.

In 1997, Joel Bryan, the general manager of Seven Oaks, was approached by the ISU Ski and Snowboard club about the opportunity to have a cheaper lift ticket night for students.

The result was an increased night-time attendance during Wednesday and Thursday, now drawing in 250 to 300 people each night.

“We dropped the price even more five years ago, and the numbers really increased,” Bryan said. “Those nights are always guaranteed to have a good crowd; price guarantees volume.”

Seven Oaks usually draws its student attendees from Iowa State, Des Moines Area Community College and neighboring high schools. Their usual draw on the weekends is a 90-mile radius with eight to 10 percent of attendees coming from out of state.

Bryan stated that besides seeing the ISU Ski and Snowboard Club come out on Wednesday and Thursday nights, they see dorm floors, clubs and Greek houses participating.                                                                   

Seven Oaks, which is a 20-minute drive from Ames, has 11 ski runs ranging from easiest to most difficult with three of the runs being freestyle terrain areas. Along with the ski and snowboard area, Seven Oaks also has a snow tubing area.

Ski and snowboard rental at Seven Oaks is $17 during the evening hours.

The ISU Ski and Snowboard Club has their club event on Thursday nights at Seven Oaks, usually bringing 20 to 45 people with them. The club also hosts its annual Rail Jam competition there every February.

“It’s just a good time to go out because there usually are no lift lines,” said Dan Collier, president of the ISU Ski and Snowboard Club. “It’s awesome; you can’t beat it, especially with the price.”

Collier, senior in finance, said he has noticed the two days become increasingly popular in the last four years. Collier thinks they provide an opening for people to try things they wouldn’t normally do.

“Those nights are a good opportunity to try something new. If you ski, try snowboarding, and if you snowboard, try skiing,” Collier said.