HoofPrints | Wisconsin Hoofers Newsletter | 2021-22

HOOFPRINTS

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Wisconsin Hoofers Newsletter 2021-2022 • hoofers.org

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Hoofer Club Presidents 2021-22. From left to right: Forest A., Julia P., Grace R., Austin S., Isabel U., Chloe R., Peter M.

Welcome to HoofPrints, the official Wisconsin Hoofers Newsletter! My name is Julia Pletta, and I have the amazing privilege of serving as this year’s Hoofer Council President. I am also a UW–Madison senior studying Finance and International Business.

Wisconsin Hoofers has been one of the most impactful parts of my college career. From backpacking in the Porcupine Mountains to rock climbing in Puerto Rico, my membership with Hoofers has created a diverse array of lifelong memories in the outdoors. My previous leadership positions within Hoofers fueled my desire to run for Hoofer Council President and give back to the clubs that gave me so much.

Each member of Council is motivated and passionate about what they do, which has created an incredible team. We have a full council this year, with six club presidents, four vice presidents and four officers. These leaders have implemented innovative ideas, including free sailing nights, local ski trips, leader training clinics, underwater pumpkin carving, bonfires on Lake Mendota with ice lanterns and local trail rides.

This year, we have plans in place for an incredible 90th Anniversary Celebration, implemented a longer turnover period to train the next Hoofer leaders and put on numerous events with the Wisconsin Union Directorate committees to reach our committee goals.

Additionally, officers now have the power to vote on Hoofer Council and receive stipends at the same level as our Vice Presidents.

I look forward to what the rest of the 2021-2022 school year holds for Hoofers! This has been an incredible year back on campus, and we are proud to contribute to the history of providing recreational and social opportunities to members and the greater community.

Sincerely, Julia Pletta Hoofer Council President, 2021-22

WHO WE ARE: Council President Julia Pletta president@hoofers.org Vice President - Administration Marie Tuchscherer vpadmin@hoofers.org Vice President - Finance Grace Thomas vpfinance@hoofers.org Vice President - Information Systems Alec Hering vpinfosystems@hoofers.org Vice President - Marketing Alice Farr vpmarketing@hoofers.org Officer - Alumni Outreach Anna Maples alumnioutreach@hoofers.org

MESSAGE FROM THE OUTDOOR UW DIRECTOR Dear Hoofer Community, The past year has given us the opportunity to reinvigorate our Hoofer programming and the club infrastructure that helps our community grow. The pandemic restrictions and protocols that have become all too familiar have functioned as a lens to review our clubs activities and improve upon them. Our clubs’ leadership was eager to get back to in-person activities and each club had several hallmark achievements that we stand proud to report. While our campus continues to change, it is very clear that our leaders and club members are motivated to grow and flourish. By all accounts we can look at the past twelve months as a success.

Officer - Diversity and Inclusion Isabel Peterson diversity@hoofers.org

Mountaineering: It’s a great year to be a mountaineer, as the club added two new trip locations to their schedule and are bringing back “Reel Rock” to the Marquee Cinema in Union South.

Officer - Education and Risk Management Ella Gustafson educationrisk@hoofers.org

Outing: The Outing Club continued to explore new territory and negotiated a two-year sponsorship with Trek Bicycle Corp., while reinvigorating their trip catalog.

Officer - Programs Sydney Klemz programs@hoofers.org Club President - Mountaineering Peter Matthews mountaineering@hoofers.org Club President - Outing Forrest Ahrens outingpresident@hoofers.org Club President - Riding Chloe Roberts ridingpresident@hoofers.org Club President (Commodore) - Sailing Austin Suvari commodore@hoofersailing.org Club President - Scuba Grace Roper scuba@hoofers.org Club President - Ski & Snowboard Isabel Ullrich sns@hoofers.org

Riding: At the beginning of the Fall Semester, Riding made great strides and secured two new facilities in which to program lessons and competitions.

Sailing: After two years, the club looks forward to the return of the Youth Sailing Program this summer, and the Sailing Team is back competing at a high level.

Scuba: Scuba dove into an exciting academic year and was able to secure pool space in the new Nicholas Recreation Center for their open water instruction.

Ski & Snowboard: The club conquered the cold and had a recordsetting Resale event. In addition, they invested in a new Nationals Scholarship fund for the Alpine Team, which brought home several top-three Nationals results.

Within Outdoor UW, we have welcomed Dan Dunne, Riding Club and Outdoor Explorer Series Advisor. We also hired Mills Botham as our Sailing Advisor and Program Manager.

In the next few months, we are looking to fill the Administrative Specialist and Head of Instruction vacancies, which will round out our team.

As we enter leadership election season, our Outdoor UW staff is ready and excited to engage with a whole new group of motivated students. We can’t wait to see what they bring to the table.

Sincerely, Dave Elsmo Director, Outdoor UW

ANNUAL FUN FEATURES

“GRANTED” TO EXPLORE THE OUTDOORS Education and Risk Management Ella Gustafson is the 2021-2022 Officer of Education and Risk Management on Hoofer Council. Her position works to ensure that clubs are engaging in programs safely, and that club leaders receive appropriate training.

This Fall, Ella drafted a grant proposal in hopes of making Hoofer funds available to club leaders interested in advancing their knowledge in the outdoors. Once the grant proposal was approved, Hoofer members were able to attend NOLS Wilderness Medicine Wilderness First Aid and Wilderness First Responder courses at reduced rates. These courses provided Hoofer leaders with information on how to stay safe in the backcountry, while also providing certifications.

Ella and the other course participants left feeling a renewed confidence in their wilderness skills and assurance in risk management decision-making skills.

Ella took this January’s Wilderness First Responder course along with many community members and recipients of the grant she created. The courses taught how to provide emergency care in the backcountry, mitigate risks and make timely evacuation decisions.

Ella graduated in December 2021, with a degree in Environmental Studies and People-Environment Geography and is excited to see future leaders take advantage of this grant and use it to learn and explore new horizons on trips!

A RECORD BREAKING RESALE Ski & Snowboard Club The 57th Annual Hoofer Ski & Snowboard Resale was one for the books! Despite missing the 2020 Resale due to COVID-19, the event came back stronger than ever and broke all previous sales records.

Hosting the sale still proposed obstacles. Many vendors had significantly less merchandise due to supply-chain issues and companies that had previously engaged in the event were unable to participate. Despite the challenges, Hoofer Ski & Snowboard Club filled Varsity Hall with incredible gear!

give more money to their competitive Alpine and Nordic teams, and provide more grants for members.

Hoofer Ski & Snowboard Club bases most of their annual budget on the profits of the Resale. With such a successful year, they will be able to organize more trips,

The club is so appreciative of its vendors, volunteers and participants and looks forward to another successful year in 2023!

HOOFERS THROU 1958

1939

1920

Hoofers expands their equipment and rental offerings

Riding Club is Established

Hoofers Unofficially Takes Root

The University Hunt Club joined Hoofers to become the Hoofer Riding Club and shortly thereafter, the club sponsored its first horse show!

Hoofers unofficial start can be traced back to Jan. 11, 1920 when Norwegian exchange students, disappointed that their favorite activity was not popular in the Midwest, decided to build and open a wooden ski jump on Muir Knoll, a small patch of land on the shore of Lake Mendota.

The Hoofer Store begins to stock a large quantity of equipment for sale and rent including, skis, ski boots, bikes, sleeping bags, tents and more.

1963

1939

Ski & Snowboard Club resale legacy begins

Sailing Club is Established A group of intercollegiate sailboat racing champions organized the Hoofer Sailing Club. That same year, 460 students raised money for a dinghy fleet and held their first “Commodore’s Ball” dance.

1920

1930

1931

Hoofers is Founded UW chemistry professor, Harold “Doc” Bradley, and Memorial Union director, Porter Butts, organized a student outing group, modeled after the Dartmouth Outing club. After organizing, they agreed on the name “Hoofers”, designed to evoke the sense of “getting there under your own power.”

1931

Ski [& Snowboard] Club is Established From Hoofers very outset, Hoofer Ski [& Snowboard Club] is officially established as a University Skiing and Outing Club. Their primary purpose was to make equipment available, so they started by ordering three pairs of skis and ten toboggans.

Hoofer Ski & Snowboard Club host their first ski and snowboard resale event, which has now grown to be the largest ski swap in the Midwest.

1940

1950

1945

Outing Club is Established

1960

1974

Sailing is recognized nationally

In the mid-1940s, hiking, one of the most popular divisions of Hoofers, combined with other outdoor activities and forms into the more general Hoofer Outing Club.

The club is distinguished as the largest university sailing club in the country with 3,000 members and 80 boats of seven different classes, including three Olympic classes.

1949

Mountaineering is Established With a nearly perfect climbing set-up at Devil’s Lake, the new club organized and spent nearly every weekend climbing. After three climbs, a beginner was promoted to a climber in status.

UGHOUT HISTORY

2018

Wisconsin Union breaks ground for the Tong Family Marina

1982

Long-standing tradition of Pirate Day begins The Hoofer Sailing Club held its firstever Pirate’s Day, where participants were assigned into teams led by a skilled sailor, and searched for clues leading to a treasure. This annual event continues on to this day as one of the most celebrated club events.

On Sept. 15, 2018, the Wisconsin Union held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the future Tong Family Marina along the Memorial Union Lakefront, marking the beginning of the replacement of a 40-year-old pier system used by the Hoofers and Outdoor UW.

2013

Hoofers settle into their new home The organization moves into their newly renovated home within Outdoor UW at the Memorial Union, providing them with twice the amount of space they previously had.

2021

90 years and counting Hoofers celebrate 90 years of history and can’t wait to explore for 90 more!

1970

1980

1990

1997

Lady Liberty 2.0 Returns Hoofers resurrect the infamous replica of the Statue of Liberty that first appeared on Lake Mendota in the late 1970s.

1976

Scuba Club is established 15 years after its initial proposal, the Hoofer Scuba Club was officially accepted as part of Hoofers. That same year, the largest ever Hoofer membership base was recorded with 5,600+ members.

2000

2006

2010

2019

Celebrating 75 years of adventure

Hoofers council welcomes two new programs

The organization celebrates its 75th anniversary with an alumni dinner, Hoofer documentary screening, and grand Winter Carnival celebration.

Hoofer Ambassadors, an initiative working toward reducing barriers to the outdoors, and Hoofer Adapt, an initiative with the purpose of promoting accessibility in outdoor pursuits, are established.

2019

Tong Family Marina Celebration Occurs More than 150 project supporters gathered at the new, state-of-the-art Tong Family Marina for a celebration of the project reaching a key milestone, where sailing lessons and other activities can begin.

HOOFERS LASTING IMPACT

ON LEADING AND LESSONS Cal Williams Cal Williams, passionate about all things outdoors, was determined to get involved with every Hoofer Club that he could. In fact, he served as Commodore of the Sailing team twice and Hoofer Council President. Like many others, Cal learned about his capabilities for leadership during his time as a Hoofer student.

Cal shared, “I used my [ leadership skills] later in life quite a bit—I ended up on the school board here in Madison. It never occurred to me that I had that characteristic. [Hoofers] proved to me that I can do these things.”

If he had one message for Hoofer students, it would be “just go for it.”

ON CONNECTION AND GROWTH Caroline Miller As a recent graduate, Caroline Miller admits she is still reflecting on the full impact Hoofers had on her during her time as a student, but she undoubtedly knows she learned a lot about herself.

She said, “Hoofers has shown me the importance of a community, especially during COVID-19, how important it is to reach out and find connections with others...The outdoors brings so many people together and everyone can learn so much from each other.”

Similarly, Hoofers taught Caroline about her leadership style; how to lead in a way that is refined to her unique skills but also focuses on helping people become their best selves. This involvement with leadership pushed her to

do stuff that she was uncomfortable with, including applying to dental school.

She left us with the words of wisdom, “Find something that pushes you and do it!”

ON FRIENDSHIP Dan York As someone who had grown up in Northern Wisconsin, exploring the outdoors was nothing new to grad student Dan York when he joined Hoofers back in 1985.

Dan mentions that when he first joined Hoofers, kayaking was considered a fringe sport and people would make their own boats.

Today, he believes that kayaking is an activity that anyone of any age or athletic ability can partake in.

The positive impact that Hoofers has had on Dan is long-lasting and continues to develop. To this day, he still takes trips with former Hoofer members.

“Something that’s really phenomenal about Hoofers is the idea of bringing along the next generation. The tradition of bringing along new members and them becoming leaders and instructors themselves… that’s a really great tradition,” Dan says.

HOOFERS SUPPORT OPPORTUNITIES TM

Since its inception, Hoofers has become one of the largest and most active collegiate outdoor recreation programs in the country!

Without the support of our alumni our success would not have been possible. Help us continue to make a difference at hoofers. org/give-back. If you have questions, please feel free to contact outdooruw@union.wisc.edu.

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