When Daniel Junk, junior in pre-business, looks back on an addiction he developed nine years ago, he has nothing but good feelings.

“Everybody was doing it . It was the cool thing to do,” he said.

His addiction began when he strapped a snowboard to his feet and became overcome by the rush of boarding down snow-covered hills and mountains.

Junk is among other ISU students that love skiing and snowboarding. Their passion has brought them together to become part of the ISU Ski and Snowboard Club.

Although skiing and snowboarding are extremely popular winter pastimes, many Iowans are oblivious to the fact that Iowa is host to several ski and snowboard resorts. Local resorts include Sundown Mountain in Dubuque and Seven Oaks Recreation Area in Boone. Both offer a close-to-home alternative for skiing and snowboarding.

“I think it’s great here,” Junk said, “I wouldn’t be near as good of a snowboarder as I am now had I not grown up with Sundown.”

Others agree that the local ski and snowboard destinations provide a great learning experience for beginners.

“Seven Oaks is a good place to go to learn to get a feel for how it is to be on skis or a snowboard,” said Sarah Campbell, secretary of the ski and snowboard club. Campbell, who has skied since she was 13 years old, has also been to Sundown Mountain, a resort which she said has more variety and a lot more runs.

Jon Deshaw, president of the ski and snowboard club, also finds Iowa welcoming to those looking to hit the slope.

“Iowa is a good place to learn,” Deshaw said, “The first 12 years of my life I just skied in Iowa at Sundown. I got kind of freaked out when I went to the mountains. I didn’t think I could do anything just because I had only skied in Iowa,” he said.

Besides being a training ground for those that wish to be prepared for the mountains, Iowa resorts have a few advantages over their Rocky Mountain rivals – they are open at night.

“It is really an awesome experience with the snow all lit up with lights,” Deshaw said, “In the mountains you have to wake up early to get a full day of skiing/snowboarding in. The hill usually closes at 4 or 4:30 in the mountains compared to about 9 or 10 in the Midwest.”

Despite its best efforts to provide the same kind of experience that the Rocky Mountain region provides, the local resorts have some drawbacks.

“If you compare it to Colorado or Montana, then the Iowa scene is pretty crappy,” said Stephanie Rindsig, sophomore in animal science.

She finds the Iowa resorts not to be terrible, but nothing compared to Montana. Rindsig, who fell in love with snowboarding during a high school trip, attributes one of the drawbacks to what she is boarding on.

“Real snow is so much more fluffy and powdery,” Rindsig said, “if you fall on real snow, it doesn’t hurt. Manufactured snow is kind of like ice.”

Other drawbacks of the smaller Iowa resorts, Rindsig said, are the shorter runs and lack of control that stems from the ice-like snow that is manufactured there.

“You get more of a rush when you are going down a mountain,” Campbell said, “Obviously, it’s steeper and there is more area to ski.”

Campbell said what Iowa resorts may lack in real snow, they more than make up for in favorable conditions. She said that depending on where you go, the lift lines in Iowa can definitely be better.

Along with the wait, Degraw finds that Iowa weather can be temperamental, as well.

“You can get into some pretty harsh weather and wind,” Deshaw said. “One day you can have an ice storm, the next day it could be sunny and 50 degrees, and the next day you could have a snow storm.”

Despite not being as intense as their mountain resort counterparts, Junk said Iowa is still prime skiing.

“If you can ski here, you can ski anywhere,” he said.