by Tina Woo, Membership Chair

In May, we had a very successful membership drive.  If you have not yet renewed, now is the time! Please welcome two new members: Gary Chaw and Jim Stewart.  And, welcome back returning members:  Carol Ellis, Debra Fong, Allen Hu, Aaron Levin, Janice Melena, Sheldon and Wendy Sam, Amy and David Tsuhako and Carolyn Wong. 

As mentioned previously, the Nisei Ski Club board is excited to announce several events scheduled for the balance of this year.  In late August we are planning for our members’ annual picnic and are busy researching local parks in Sunnyvale.  Piggybacking on Karen Soo’s well-attended Thai Cooking demo, she has agreed to conduct another zoom cooking lesson in late September.  Our bike gurus, Curtis Otaguro and Rick Dumlao are planning another ride in the Fall. 

Nisei Ski Club is a proud supporter of the Mt. View Obon Festival tentatively scheduled for July.  And, in   October, we will once again sponsor  the Silicon Valley Asian Film Festival (virtually) and Achieve Tahoe in Winter.

June marks the start of the 2021-2022 Nisei Ski Club season. Download and complete the membership form to be eligible. We have several events coming up, in addition to the week-long trip in January 2022 to Steamboat, Colorado.  And, we’re certainly open to suggestions for club activities. I’m hoping you will join us!

by Sandy Kiyomura, Board Member

We are living in unprecedented times. It is not only because of COVID-19, but our nation has been experiencing heightened racial hate and violence. However, this is not new. For many centuries, US history is filled with racial inequality. In the 17^th century, Africans were enslaved as cheap labor. The Native Americans have had their land, culture and race almost extinguished. As for the Chinese, there was the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 prohibiting immigration of Chinese laborers. This is the only law which targeted a specific ethnic group from immigrating to the US. For the Japanese, 120,000 Japanese were interned unnecessarily behind barbed wire fences with armed guards for 4 years during World War 2. Today there is a surge of Anti-Asian harassment, crime and violence. In the past year and a half, there were over 6,600 reports of Anti-Asian hate incidents.  On May 20, 2021, President Biden signed a bill to combat hate crimes against Asians and Pacific Islanders. 

We all watch the news and shake our heads. But what can you do? Asians are often known as the “model minority”, the “silent minority”. They don’t want to “rock the boat”. This needs to change. When you see something, do something.  When you hear something, say something.  Anti-Asian racism is subtle, cumulative, unintentional, casual and widespread. We need to speak up whenever we witness anti-Asian bias. More specifically:

Be an ally. Here are the 5 D’s of bystander intervention:

1. Distract   Start a conversion with the person being harassed, ask for directions, drop something
2. Delegate    Ask someone nearby to find someone in a position of authority
3. Document  Try filming (pretending you are checking your email). Give it to the person being harassed.
4. Delay  Check in with the person being harassed. Even a “knowing glance” can reduce trauma
5. Direct  Speak up about the disrespectful behavior when it’s happening. “That’s racist”. “What do you mean when you say ‘Chinese virus’?” 

Whenever intervening, consider your own safety and the situation first.  I hope this was helpful. I have interviews and information for anyone interested.  You can email me at:  skiyomura@gmail.com

Stay safe! 

from FWSA Newsflash, May 2021

The Alterra Mountain Company plans to invest $207 million in capital improvements, including $111 million in resort projects at Steamboat, Deer Valley, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, and Mammoth Mountain; $31 million in enterprise technology systems; and $65 million in resort maintenance and planning.  Pending local government review and approval, Deer Valley plans include: Snow Park Lodge and base area to undergo a complete revision, providing additional accommodations and skier services, new contemporary food and beverage and après options, and an additional ski beach. Squaw Valley Alpine: The highly anticipated Base-to-Base Gondola (B2B) will begin construction this summer. It will provide a connection between the Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows bases—currently a seven-mile drive. Mammoth Mountain: The multi-year Main Lodge redevelopment will create the “Base Camp to the Eastern Sierra,” with a new ski beach, state-of-the-art services, Adventure Concierge Center, an array of boutique dining and retail experiences, luxury lodging and a variety of residential ownership options, complete with club amenities and programming.  This plan is in the permitting phase and scheduled to begin construction in spring 2023.  Steamboat will begin a three-year, $135 million base area redevelopment and on-mountain terrain expansion. Steamboat’s Gondola Square will be transformed into a multi-use plaza with additional dining and après, retail, entertainment, and year-round gathering places. A reimagined guest arrival experience will eliminate cumbersome stairs and provide easy access to the mountain. On-mountain improvements slated for the 2021-22 season—pending additional approvals—include an additional 650 acres of advanced/expert skiable terrain in Pioneer Ridge.  Guest enhancement amenities are expected to be completed by the start of the 2022-23 winter season. 

by Armand Gutierrez, President

It’s June and the start of the 2021-2022 NSC season. Our recent election resulted in no changes to the board. Thanks to all of you that took the time to vote, and you can read the full election results in Hoyt’s article.

NSC Annual Membership Meeting and Luau Picnic

The NSC Annual Membership Meeting and Luau Picnic is slated for late August so mark your calendars. With pandemic restrictions being eased this month we’re counting on having our picnic at Las Palmas Park in Sunnyvale and currently working on making reservations.

2022 NSC Ski Week to Steamboat, CO

Plans are moving smoothly for the Steamboat ski week trip for 2022 and the date is from 29 January – 5 February 2022. A number of people have all ready secured their Ikon Passes for the Steamboat trip, and it’s not too late to get yours if you haven’t done so yet. There is one limitation that we haven’t encountered before and that is airline reservations. We have 36 airline seats booked on Alaska Airlines, but there is a limit of 25 sets of skis that can be loaded onto the aircraft from Seattle to Hayden. Like I said, we’ve never had this limitation imposed on us on previous Steamboat trips. See the attached Steamboat flyer details on the trip and signups.

Steamboat is on the Ikon Pass, and is also good for Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows. Here is what you need to know about the Ikon and Epic Passes for the Steamboat trip:

• Purchase an Ikon Pass (Squaw/Alpine) from Sports America and receive a:
  • $30 trip discount for an Ikon Base Pass, or 
  • $50 trip discount for an Ikon Pass.
  • Go to this link to purchase: : www.sportsamerica.com/ikon-nisei.
  • The Ikon Base Pass is good for five days skiing at Steamboat.

• Purchase an Epic Pass (Northstar, Heavenly, Kirkwood) from Sports America and receive a:
  • 20% discount offered by Epic Pass
  • $30 trip discount for an Epic Local Pass, or 
  • $50 trip discount for an Epic Pass
  • Go to this link to purchase: www.sportsamerica.com/epic-nisei.
  • Epic passes cannot be used at Steamboat.

• Purchase both the Ikon/Epic passes and you will receive a combination trip discount based on the type of passes you purchase.

If you have any questions about either of the passes then drop me a line at president@niseiskiclub.org.

QotM: Volunteer: The pleasure you receive will more than outweigh the time you spend.

by Hoyt Nelson, Board Member

The ballots are all in and the results are that the NSC board remains the same as for last year.  There were 26 returns out of 40 members.  There were no willing challengers or write-ins.  This was a fairly large return for a social organization – especially since Covid 19 had such a huge effect on our activities.    It was important to run the elections anyway since our bylaws require it and we need to demonstrate an election to retain our non-profit status.  Thank you all for your participation. We look forward to a more Covid-free, social and snowy coming year.  Don’t forget to  fill out and send in your membership application and dues for the coming year.  Hoyt Nelson, NSC board member at large.