Max Colomb ‘27 has a passion for snowboarding—and a vision to bring that passion to LT students. Along with close friend Leo Schoenbeck ‘28, Colomb has been working for a year to establish a snowboarding club. Despite rejection from the administration in early February, the pair is still determined to make the snowboarding club happen.
“When we first brought the idea to the board during our sophomore year, they said they’d think about it,” Colomb said. “A few weeks later, they got back to us and said no because of funding issues and safety concerns.”
Instead of giving up, Colomb and Schoenbeck doubled down. The two began researching how other local schools supported snowboarding clubs, which they found was encouraging. Nearby high schools, including Hinsdale Central and Riverside-Brookfield, offer snowboarding clubs or teams for students.
“Seeing other schools make it work showed us it was possible,” Colomb said. “So we gathered information, put together a plan, and went back to [school officials] with examples of how other schools handle safety, funding, and transportation.”
The proposal was still denied—this time due to lingering concerns about student safety on the slopes.
“It was frustrating,” Colomb said. “We had the money and the model, but safety was still the main issue.”
Despite two rejections, Colomb and Schoenbeck are not giving up. They are currently working on updating their proposal again, hoping to find a solution that addresses the safety concerns. Their goal is to create a recreational club that would organize supervised trips to local ski resorts, offer beginner instruction, and promote safe snowboarding practices among students. Whether the club gets approved this year or not, Colomb hopes to inspire other students to stay persistent in pursuing their passions.
“Snowboarding has given me so much joy and confidence,” Colomb said. “I just want to share that experience with others at LT.” 

The pair plans to present their revised proposal to the administration later this semester. Regardless of the outcome, they say the process has taught them valuable lessons about leadership, resilience, and advocacy.