Armand Gutierrez, NSC President

Let the ski season begin! A few resorts opened before Thanksgiving and after Thanksgiving more resorts have opened with an abundance of snow on the slopes. The season looks very promising and the weather forecasts are for more rain in the Bay Area and more snow up at Tahoe. If you haven’t planned on taking a trip up there before the Christmas holidays then what are you waiting for? And don’t forget to signup for one of the weekend ski trips. There’s going to be plenty of snow this season so let’s take advantage of what Mother Nature has to offer.

Last month there was a contest to identify this ski location and earn a free lift ticket for the first weekend ski trip. Well, there were no correct guesses. Those that did guess mistakenly named California ski resorts, which weren’t open at the time the newsletter was published. The correct guess was Loveland, CO.

So  let’s try this again with a new resort, and as a hint this location is somewhere in California. Once again, as an added incentive the first person to correctly identify the resort and signup for any weekend ski trip will get a free one-day lift ticket. Email your answer to president@niseiskiclub.org. (Board members excluded, deadline is 31 December, and only one answer per person so guess carefully).

Ride Sharing Service

Sandy Kiyomura has set up a ride sharing service (a first for NSC!) for NSC members to facilitate getting to the slopes with other members. The service is called rideNSC and you have to join Yahoo Groups in order to gain access. Members can post to the group to either offer a ride-sharing opportunity or make a request that you’re interested in joining with somebody that might be going up. Details can be found in Sandy’s rideNSC article.

Park City/Canyons Ski Week 2016

The Park City/Canyons trip is moving along well and we had one new signup, so that puts us at 46. The final payment is due December 10^th so be sure to remit your payment if you haven’t already done so.

Christmas Greetings

This has been a good year for NSC with the highly-popular Jackson Hole Trip, numerous hikes, a pizza social, and what looks like the start of a good ski season. At our November board meeting we had all board members in attendance, which is sort of a rarity considering there are 11 board members. On behalf of the NSC board I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year.

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. ~Charles Dickens

Sandy Kiyomura

If you haven’t already heard, this is the El Nino Year. In an effort to create more opportunities to ski at Tahoe, NSC has established a Yahoo Groups for ride sharing called rideNSC@yahoogroups.com. The purpose of rideNSC is to connect people who need a ride with people who can offer a ride. So, you can offer a ride or ask for a ride.

It’s simple. When you offer a ride, please state:

• preferred dates
• ski areas
• where you might be staying
• what the costs will be

Anyone who is part of rideNSC and is interested can respond to you.

To get started, visit the rideNSC group information page. If you have a Yahoo id, then click on Join Group. If you don’t have a Yahoo id, click on the subscribe link.

I am the moderator and will approve (or disapprove) your membership. All members of the Nisei Ski Club can join the group. We ask for standard on-line etiquette. That means you should be “adult-like” in your postings. That means no offensive language or say anything that your mother would not approve of. Therefore, if you are interested in finding some new ski buddies this year, visit rideNSC group and start sending posts to ridensc@yahoogroups.com.

Questions? Send email to Skiyomura@gmail.com

Sandy Kiyomura
Hey, skiers and boarders! It’s time to head to the mountains. This is the earliest opening in decades for most resorts. I was lucky enough to get a few turns in after Thanksgiving. I skied Squaw one day and Northstar another. Operations were limited but who’s complaining? Just being on the snow made the trip worthwhile. Most likely, by the time you read this, the entire mountain will be open.

I am also the benefits director for BAC and I wanted to let you know that if you don’t have a season’s pass, you might want to consider Sierra at Tahoe. NSC belongs to BAC (Bay Area Council of Snow Sports). BAC has a corporate agreement with Sierra at Tahoe to get discounted tickets (any day, holidays also). As part of NSC, you are entitled to all the benefits of BAC including discounted lift tickets.

Here’s information about the Sierra at Tahoe ticket rates:

You can purchase on-line tickets at the Sierra at Tahoe online store

Login (all upper case) CRP-BAC
Password (all upper case) SNOW1940

If you have further questions, contact Ryan Parker. He is our contact person at Sierra at Tahoe:
email address rparker@sierraattahoe.com and phone number: 530-543-3134.

Another important feature is that the Adult E-Ticket can be exchanged at the ticket window for the first timer’s introduction to skiing or snowboard package (ages 13 and older). The package includes a 2.5 hour lesson, rental equipment, and a limited access lift ticket ($114-$125 value).

More BAC benefits to NSC members
As I mentioned, NSC belongs to an umbrella organization BAC. (Bay Area Council of Snow Sports). As part of NSC, you are entitled to all the benefits of BAC. That includes discounted lift tickets, racing, and travel. For more information on these benefits, go to www.skibac.org.

There is an excellent international travel program as well as an annual ski week. This year, BAC is going to Telluride and Cortina for its international trip. I have written an article about racing, and as a member of NSC, you can participate.

If we can get enough people for a race team (maybe 5), then we will need to register in December. I have already registered. Presently, there is no NSC race team, so please contact Sandy Kiyomura if you’re interested.

Sandy Kiyomura

Did you know that you could ski like a pro? The Bay Area Snow Sports Council (“BAC”) is the umbrella organization that Nisei Ski Club belongs to and has a race league that you can join. The BAC race league is the Open League Race where you will compete with people of your skill level, gender and age. There are 8 races during the season (4 weekends) and you can race in as many of them as you like. Some races are Slalom and others are Giant Slalom.

Here is the web site: Open League Racing Race Schedule. As you can see, there are clinics as well as races. There is a fun race on December 13th at Alpine, where you can race for FREE. This would be a good day to sample the race course. Lift tickets are be $43-$68 (depending on age) and include an $18 lunch voucher!

Here’s some facts about how the league works:

• What does it cost? $115 for the season. However, the Nisei Ski Club will supplement $25 of your fees.
• How long does it take to race? There are 3 different times for racers each day. For instance, advanced skiers may be at 10am, Intermediates at 12 noon and Beginners at 2pm. Most of the time, one finishes his/her race in an hour, so you still have plenty of time to ski.
• How do I know what level I am? In your first race, you will have a time. Depending on your time, they will determine your level (1-10). Levels 1-4 are Advanced, 5-7 are Intermediate and 8-10 are Beginners. If you are very fast, they will “promote” you to the next level.
  Once your level is determined, you will race in that category for the season. If you have 2 strikes (very good times), they will move you up a level.
• How can I get to the races? Nisei Ski Club has established a Yahoo group for ride sharing and people can car pool. I have been staying at the Apres cabin (since I’m a member) and guests can stay for $25 a night.
• Why should I race? Three reasons: it’s fun, you get the best snow on the mountain and you will become a better skier.

Questions? Contact me, Sandy Kiyomura at skiyomura@gmail.com. I will be racing for Nisei Ski Club.