Clubs

To get started, check out each of our available clubs below! When you're ready to join, head over to https://members.hoofers.org to sign up!

From conquering the rock wall at Boulders Climbing Gym to traveling the country in search of the most challenging climbs in the country, Mountaineering Club members take trips that challenge climbers of all levels.

The Hoofer Mountaineering Club is a student-run organization that wants to keep people out on the rocks, while also maintaining a collective of knowledgeable climbers who can both teach and pass on their knowledge to others. We love teaching new members or even just getting people together to all go climb, whether it be at Devil's Lake or as far as Red River Gorge in Kentucky. We run both club trips and more relaxed unofficial trips for last-minute planners! If you're more experienced (or looking to improve), we also offer a climbing team!

A membership with Hoofer Mountaineering gives you access to our gear locker, as well as discounts at the climbing wall in the Sett and 20% off climbing gear at Fontana Sports in Madison.

From canoe trips and backpacking excursions in the fall, to snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter, Outing Club members explore the country through wilderness excursions.

The Hoofer Outing Club is an outdoors education and recreation club with a diverse membership of students, faculty, staff, and community members. Members plan and lead trips in Wisconsin and around the country, instruct lessons, oversee purchase and upkeep of club equipment, and coordinate all aspects of club operations.

When you join the Outing Club, lessons are free and most equipment use is included; trip costs are usually only gas, food, and camping expenses. You can join in on a trip or lead one yourself! Trips are announced on the website calendar, through our email list, or at one of our weekly meetings at the trip leader’s discretion.

From horseback riding lessons to schooling shows, Riding Club members are involved in all the ins and outs of riding and horsemanship.

The Hoofer Riding Club mission is to foster horsemanship, inspire leadership, and create community through equine education. Our values are horsemanship, human & horse compassion, education, and dedication. We strive to provide fun and affordable horsemanship opportunities to students of all ages. In addition to lessons, we provide summer camps and parties!

From learning how to sail a C-Scow to weekly Friday night socials, Sailing Club members spend time with fellow sailors on and off the water. The Sailing Club’s claim to fame: they have the second largest inland fleet of boats in the nation.

The Hoofer Sailing Club, established in 1939, is a collection of students and community members working together to maintain a fleet of boats for recreational and competitive sailing. Membership includes unlimited lessons and boat usage. Our fleet, one of the largest in the nation, includes dinghies, keelboats, windsurfing boards and even winter kites.

We encourage all our members to volunteer, to become instructors (the best way to become a better sailor) and to be involved in club leadership. By doing as much of the work as possible ourselves, we can keep our membership dues incredibly low.

Not only does our structure keep our costs low, it has tremendous social potential. When you teach others to sail, or get involved in our periodic work parties and social events, you meet new people and create friendships - friendships made all the stronger by common interests and a shared sense of pride in a job well done. You also get a chance to learn a great deal about boat operations and maintenance - a great thing if you dream of owning a boat someday.

The majority of our membership is made up of individuals wanting to just take a few lessons and learn the basics of sailing. Yet our intercollegiate sailing team often ranks in the top 20 in the nation. We also have a a committed group of long-time members to add to the great mix that is Hoofers.

From year-round trips and training sessions to socials with other divers, Scuba Club members (both certified and not) explore life beneath the surface.

Dive right in with the Hoofer Scuba Club! Since our founding in 1976, our mission has been to bring certified divers together, educate divers of all levels, and explore the underwater world together. We offer dive trips to local lakes, long distance dive trips, certifications, and social events for divers of all levels.

From weekly trips to Tyrol Basin to the Jackson Hole spring break excursion, Ski and Snowboard Club members know how to take advantage of winter.

As much as 4500 years ago, some guy in Europe thought it might be a good idea to go down a hill of snow using a ski.

Here at the Hoofer Ski and Snowboard club, we applaud this stranger's idea. When we aren't fighting off fire breathing dragons or saving damsels in distress, we like to ski and snowboard. Our members enjoy trips to local hills such as Tyrol Basin as well as out west to ski resorts in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and more! We love fun, snow, and all things in between! You should too!

Whether you're more comfortable on a board than your own feet or you're new to the sport, we're happy to have you in Hoofer SnS. We offer optional lessons through our partnership with Tyrol Basin, and if you're in need of some gear check out our annual winter resale! If you're an experienced skier or snowboarder looking for something more, we also offer Alpine, Freestyle, and Nordic teams that participate in a variety of competitions throughout the Midwest.