A snowy mountain all to yourself, free ski rentals, a cozy lodge, a fire pit and all your friends: this was Lost Valley Takeover, a quintessential Bates experience. In 2017, Lost Valley Takeover was described as a “part of going to college in Maine,” where skiers and snowboarders, new and experienced, came together to enjoy the outdoors and celebrate Bates’ Winter Carnival. This time-honored tradition is coming to an end this year, leaving students shocked and the rumor mill running. The reasoning behind the event’s cancellation comes down to accessibility, inclusivity, and proximity to the Bates College campus.
An interview with Coordinator of Campus Life Programming and First-Year Experience Luke Allen explained the reasons behind the shift from Lost Valley Takeover and the benefits of its replacement: The Colisée Takeover.
During contract negotiations for what would have been this years Lost Valley Takeover, Allen was thrown a curveball. “They [Lost Valley] got rid of tubing,” Allen said. The absence of tubing brings up a plethora of issues for Campus Life.
Tubing allowed students not participating in skiing or snowboarding to still enjoy the event, “tubing made this event a lot more inclusive and accessible for students,” Allen said. However, the absence of tubing translated to a “make or break” for the event, and Allen says, “We kind of came to the decision, yeah, it kinda does [break].” In Campus Life’s eyes, this makes the event one solely for skiers and snowboarders.
According to Allen, 582 students attended Lost Valley Takeover last year. Of those attendees, he estimates, “probably half of them were there for skiing and snowboarding,” with the mountain’s 250 rentals selling out entirely.
On the other hand, Allen says “at least half participated in tubing, so that was like a pretty big draw to it.” It is Allen’s and Campus Life’s goal “to make sure everyone who goes to the event is like, yeah, this was a great event that we got to enjoy.”
Though there were alternatives to tubing offered by Lost Valley, such as ski lessons, the limited number of rentals, lodge capacity, and potential barrier of entry for those who do not have mountain sports experience was significant enough to pivot to a different venue.
Allen says that, “unless Lost Valley ever brings tubing back, I don’t see us being really able to host a takeover event there.” So, for now, the band-aid solution seems to lie in the hands of student clubs. Allen wants to empower clubs to take advantage of Lost Valley by hosting day trips for skiers and snowboarders alike without the worry of travel costs.
Upon learning of the removal of Lost Valley Takeover from the Winter Carnival lineup, some students assumed that it was due to budgeting issues, which have become increasingly common this academic year.
However, Allen clarifies that “this wasn’t a money thing at all; the costs are equilateral. We were gonna spend the same amount regardless.” He adds that “Colisée [takeover] is basically the same amount. It may be a little more, honestly, this year.”
Colisée Takeover has the potential to open the door to a new Bates tradition. Campus Life’s vision is a skate night with alternative options such as board games and trivia.
A crucial factor for Allen was “trying to make sure this event is multifaceted.”
However, Allen recognizes skating on its own is still a barrier to some people.
“We’re trying to make sure that’s not the main event in a sense,” Allen said. “It’s just one aspect you can do there.”
In addition to the 150 available skate rentals, the Colisée Club will also be open to all students, and those 21 and over will receive a wristband upon entrance, granting them the option to purchase alcohol at the cash bar.
As a bonus, some student bands and DJs will be performing on-site and concessions with gluten-free and vegetarian options are available free of charge as well.
If things go according to plan, Allen says there’s a chance students will be seeing more of the Colisée in the months to come, possibly during Short Term, although the details were not shared.
While the likelihood of having another beloved Lost Valley Takeover is slim, the mountain isn’t going anywhere. Bates’ institutional membership with Lost Valley remains, meaning faculty, staff and students are able to access free lift tickets by showing their Bates ID at the ticket counter. They can also take advantage of 15% off rentals and companion passes.
