Keeping Up with the Hoofers
Update from Outdoor UW Director Dave Elsmo
Through 2024 and into 2025, the Wisconsin Hoofers clubs have experienced a truly hallmark year. Membership, event participation, and leadership development have all seen meteoric growth. Each club has fostered a strong sense of community, and our programming continues to expand in both scope and impact.
Teams Making Waves
While the clubs remain the most visible part of the Outdoor UW experience, the teams within these clubs are making waves, representing the University of Wisconsin–Madison at the highest levels of competition in their sports.
One of the most remarkable accomplishments this year came from the Alpine Team’s incredible run at the U.S. Collegiate Ski & Snowboard National Championships. After earning a spot by accumulating top scores in regional events, the team traveled to Mt. Bachelor in Bend, Ore. There, the team members delivered outstanding performances: first-place finishes in skier cross and slalom and second-place finishes in boarder cross and giant slalom. Their combined results earned the team the top overall team score in the nation.
Other standout successes include the Hoofer Riding Club, which finished first in the Midwest, sending two riders to a national competition, and the UW Sailing Team, which took first place in two of the three Midwest qualifying events. Both teams represented us with excellence and pride at the national level.
We couldn’t be prouder of all our WisconsinHoofers teams and look forward to building on this momentum in the year ahead.
