Colorado Mesa University is proud to announce the launch of its newest competitive outdoor team: CMU Cross-Country Snowboarding. The program marks the first of its kind in collegiate athletics, blending the endurance and technically challenging spirit of cross-country skiing with the free-ride edge of snowboarding.
“This is something totally new — but it’s built on familiar ground,” said Martin Wiesiolek, head coach of the CMU Cross-Country Ski Team and founder of the cross country snowboard team. “Our athletes already love moving through winter terrain with purpose and flow. Cross country snowboarding is about taking that same energy and creativity to snowboards, and it's a blast.”
The team is rooted in CMU’s tradition of innovation, grit, and outdoor adventure. “We’ve always been about innovation,” said Wiesiolek. “The best teams don’t just adapt to the sport—they redefine it. Cross-country snowboarding is the natural next step. It takes the endurance, technique, and sheer grit of cross country skiing and combines it with the nearly impossible feat of snowboarding across flat terrain.”
Training for the new team will follow a similar model to the CMU Cross-Country Ski Team, with structured endurance sessions, strength training, and technical development.
“We’re keeping our focus on quality movement, full-body coordination, and respect for the flat trails,” said Wiesiolek. “Just with a sideways stance.”
“It’s like being there when snowboarding was invented—or when someone first put peanut butter and jelly together,” said Robin Brown, Vice President of Development at CMU. “Bold, unexpected, and totally game-changing.”
The Cross-Country Snowboard Team will be open to CMU students and will train alongside the cross-country ski team on Grand Mesa, known for its early-season snow. The team will also participate in community outreach, youth clinics, and gear up for future competitions as the sport evolves.
“We’re not waiting around for a playbook,” said Wiesiolek. “We’re writing it.”
