Hot spots lure students; ski slopes offer more snow

and Mark Fiore Just when you have had enough of the cold weather, ice and snow, it's time to remember that spring break is just weeks away. And the hot spots for 1996 are already gearing up to offer students a week of relaxation, tanning and fun. More than 240,000 students visit Cancun each spring break. Located at the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, Cancun's 14-mile-long beach is perfect for sunbathing and relaxing. The average temperature is 85 degrees, and the nightlife includes clubs, such as Dady 'O, La Boom and Tequila Rock, outdoor and beachfront restaurants, and Mardi Gras Cruises. For those who prefer the Caribbean, the Bahamas have a lot to offer. This coral archipelago consists of more than 700 low-lying islands and 2,000 cays. Cable beach stretches three miles west of Nassau along the north coast and is full of spring break travelers. The straw market in downtown Nassau is the place to bargain for souvenirs and receive a great price on anything from straw works to earings and T-shirts. Clubs such as the Zoo and the Waterloo provide evening entertainment. The Zoo consists of two restaurants, dancing areas and several theme bars. At the Waterloo, spring breakers can bungee jump from 40 feet over a swimming pool. Jamaica is also a hot spring break choice. Visit seven miles of continuous white sandy beaches and five miles of amazing cliffs. Negril and Montego Bay are the two main attractions in Jamaica. Negril contains seven miles of beach, known as one of the top three beaches in the world. Roof bars, nightclubs, watersports, and cliff diving are a few of the many available activities. In Jamaica, Reggae shows are popular, featuring stars such as Ziggy Marley, Third World and Steel Pulse. Cornwall Beach and Doctor's Cave Beach provide daytime action for spring breakers visiting Montego Bay. Scenic villages, mysterious caves, Dunns River falls, and Appleton sugar factory all are places to visit. Daytona Beach is a spring break alternative for those who wish to remain in the continental United States. More than 200,000 spring breakers visit this Florida beach annually. The water temperature is always 80 degrees or warmer. And when the sand is dampened by incoming tides, it is smooth enough to drive on. Swimming, surfing, and surfcasting are popular and enjoyed by travellers. Yet despite the warm waters of the south, some warm-blooded, adventurous types head for the slopes of Colorado and the east coast. As ski resorts continue offering more features, hitting the powder becomes more and more appealing to students who have had their fair share of sun and sand over the years. Copper Mountain ski resort, located 75 miles west of Denver, lures students in with new ski runs and special activities over the spring break season, according to spokesperson Kristen Kopplin. "We're adding additional terrain that will appeal to students -- it's a terrain that students will go crazy for," said Kopplin, noting that the new runs are south-facing and that skiers will be able to dress as if they were heading for the beach. The spring break skiing season runs from Presidents' Weekend in January until Easter, and in those two months, 25 percent of the skiers are students, according to Kopplin. Vail ski resort is also a popular destination for die-hard ski bums during spring break. And according to a spokesperson, the season can only be described in one word -- "busy." "Students go skiing over Spring Break to get away from it all, to have some fun and to laugh -- to forget about the rest," the spokesperson said. To attract students, Copper Mountain is holding a Spring Fling Weekend April 5-9, complete with a John Elway celebrity ski race and an "eenie weenie bikini contest."