You’ll find the newsletter for September below. Enjoy!
Archive for September, 2020
by Armand Gutierrez, NSC President
September is upon us, and I’ve been receiving the usual advertisements from various ski resorts as a reminder for purchasing their season pass and the new safety protocols for a pandemic ski season. Yes, it will be a different experience on and off the slopes for this season, and I’m looking forward to testing the waters. I’ve been skiing since ’75 and have encountered a variety of situations and conditions, but this year will definitely be a new one.
Proposed Safety Protocols on the Slopes
While the majority of the resorts in the US are examining their safety protocols for this season, resorts in New Zealand and Australia are already open for business. What can you expect for this year? Here is a list of possible scenarios that are already in place in the land down under:
- Reservations for those popular days (most likely on weekends and holidays)
- Limited number of ticket sales
- Reduced seating for indoor dining
- No outdoor seating for picnic lunches
- Contact tracing
- Wearing a mask when needed
- Social distance in the lift line
- Reduced lift seating (e.g. 2 people on a 4-seater).
Perhaps there is a silver lining to the safety protocols. For example, limited ticket sales would translate to uncrowded conditions. And wearing a mask is a no-brainer when it’s snowing.
2021 NSC Ski Week to Breckenridge, CO – CANCELLED
The Breckenridge trip has been officially cancelled due to lack of sign-ups. Yes, hard to put together a trip when there are only four people signed-up. The last time an NSC trip was cancelled was right after 9/11 and the 2002 Chamonix trip was cancelled.
If anyone is still interested in going to Breckenridge then please contact me before the end of the month (president@niseiskiclub.org). Air and lodging reservations have been partially released and a few air seats and condo units are being retained in case a small group is still interested in skiing Breckenridge. I can still coordinate with Sports America on air/lodging/ground arrangements/lift tickets, but payment will be direct to Sports America and your trip will not be an NSC-sponsored trip. Cost will be slightly higher since there will be no group rates on ground transportation or lift tickets, and group air rates only apply if there are 10+ sign-ups. You will also have to find your own condo mates.
2021 FWSA Ski Week Trips
Although the Breckenridge trip has been cancelled, there are other ski-week trips available through FWSA. There are two trips scheduled:
- Sun Valley, 30 Jan-6 Feb. Presently there are 64 signups.
- Zermatt, Utah, a mini ski-week, 21-26 March, and signups are being accepted. Ikon pass accepted.
All NSC members are eligible to participate in FWSA events. Details for the trips can be found here:
https://fwsa.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=623165&module_id=334799
If you have any questions contact me at president@niseiskiclub.org.
Membership Drive
Sep 1
by Tina Woo, Membership Chair
2020 is proving to be a challenging year, amidst the COVID-19 virus and California wildfires. Despite these uncertainties, the board of Nisei Ski Club is continuing to meet and discuss plans for this year. We strive to provide community and camaraderie for our members.
For fall, we are planning for several events, including a bike ride, a Thai Cooking Demo by Karen Soo via Zoom, as well as attending and sponsoring the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific Film Festival. The annual picnic and tea dance events are currently on hold. Feel free to submit any ideas and suggestions for future events.
San Jose Taiko is offering senior taiko lessons for the month of September via zoom. Check out www.taiko.org. Classes are less than $10 each. See the article below about the free taiko bucket-making class on September 2.
We continue to have one of the lowest membership fees of any ski club in the area. Please consider joining or renewing your membership this year in support of Nisei Ski Club!
Taiko Drum Class
Sep 1
contributed by Tina Woo
San Jose Taiko will be having a free “How-to-make-a-bucket-taiko” class at 1-2pm on Wednesday, Sept 2. You can access the class by using the Zoom link below. No need to register for this class; just click on the Zoom link next Wednesday at 1pm. You will need a 5-gallon bucket or similarly sized plastic trash can OR a sturdy cardboard box (and 2 pairs flat disposable chopsticks if you’re using a box) OR an old tire; a roll of packing or strapping tape, and scissors.
Click to join the Zoom class:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81238891955
Passcode: 417649Meeting ID: 812 3889 1955
Simply clicking on the above link should get you into the class. If it doesn’t, and it asks for more info, I have listed all of the class info at the bottom of the email.
In lieu of a taiko, you can use buckets, tires, or trash cans that have been covered with tape to mimic a drum head. Examples are here, and instructions are here. Other things that work:
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81238891955
Meeting ID: 812 3889 1955 Passcode: 417649
Dial by your location
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
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+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
Meeting ID: 812 3889 1955 Passcode: 417649
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kfBvA3dfN
