Mountain Madness

What is Mountain Madness?

The SFU Computing Science Student Society (CSSS) organizes the Mountain Madness hackathon annually. We welcome students of all skill levels and experience to our cozy, tight-knit hackathon. The "Mountain" in the name pays homage to Burnaby Mountain, the original foundation of Simon Fraser University and the scenic location for a full weekend's worth of fun.

This year's theme: ANNOUNCED DURING OPENING CEREMONY

Why Mountain Madness?

We emphasize learning and creativity over commercial feasibility. This is an opportunity to spend a weekend tinkering with your favourite technologies to create something fun and interesting.

Mountain Madness is the perfect event for everyone from fresh-faced hackers to seasoned CS veterans.

Wait, what actually is a hackathon?

A hackathon is an event where teams work on a project inspired by an event-provided theme. You will have 24 hours to develop something cool at Mountain Madness. Your team will start from scratch and try to make the coolest thing they can before the time is up.

Where is Mountain Madness?

Registration and administration is at TASC 9204 on SFU's Burnaby Campus. You are free to hack at other open locations on campus.

Why should I participate?

You get experience with new technologies and navigate teamwork dynamics to accomplish a goal. Hackathon projects are also a great addition to a resume!

I am in my first year/don't have much experience, should I still participate?

Yes! This hackathon is free and it is a great learning opportunity for people with less development experience.

Do I need to stay during the entire event?

No! You may leave and enter the venue whenever (note that most doors are locked during the weekend). You can spend as much or as little of the 24 hours as you wish. If you get tired, we will have sleeping rooms available for you. Sleep still matters even though it is reading break!

How do we declare teams?

You do not need to know your team when you register. You can form groups before or during the hackathon. When you give us your submission GitHub/GitLab link you will declare your group members.

Will there be food?

Yes! We will be providing food for in person attendees.

Can I have Non-SFU people and Alumni join my team?

Yes! We will allow groups to be made up of non-SFU students however we want a majority (> 50%) of the team to be made up of SFU students. So a group of 5 can have up to 2 non-SFU participants.

Can I work on my previous projects?

No, we want you to create awesome things from scratch in 24 hours. Starting from an existing project is against the spirit of the event. Existing open-source libraries and frameworks are fine, of course. Ask an organizer if you are unsure.

What size should my team be?

Teams can have between 1 and 5 members inclusive. You can work alone if you really want to, but struggling with your team is an essential hackathon experience! We will run a team formation event before the event for you to form teams. From past experience groups of 3 work well!

How much does it cost?

The event is free!