Hello,
I am currently a youngster at the Naval Academy right now and I am on the Naval Academy Ski and Snowboard team. I will probably be president of the ski team my firstie year. We generally take about 10 snowboarders and 20 skiers every year. To be on the ski team, you must have good skiing skills. About half of the skiers have prior racing experience, and the other half are competent skiers. The ski team is getting pretty competitive, we will probably be going to USCSA nationals this year if the academy lets us go. If you don't have a lot of experience skiing or snowboarding, then it is hard to do it the first two years at the academy. As a second class or first class, you could go skiing or snowboarding any weekend in the winter, but as a plebe or youngster, it is hard to get out without being on the team.
The only thing the ski team gets paid is gas. All other expenses including lodging, tickets, and food are paid by the members of the team. The main benefit to being on the team is being able to ski every weekend in the winter without having to waste the limited amount of weekends you are allowed to take.
If anyone has any other questions, please ask. I knew nothing about the Navy Ski Team before I came to the academy and it was hard to find people who knew about it. I would love to answer your questions.