by Armand Gutierrez, President  

It’s June and the start of the 2026-2027 NSC season. Our recent elections resulted in one change: Jeanne Katsuro (VP) will also be Trip Director. Thanks to all of you that took the time to vote, and you can read the full election results in Karen Soo’s article.

NSC Annual Membership Meeting/Luau Picnic

The NSC Annual Membership Meeting/Luau Picnic is scheduled for Saturday, July 18th, so mark your calendars. As usual the club will be providing beverages and a lunch entree and you can bring a favorite side dish. Details will be in the Picnic Flyer. An Evite will also be sent out in June so we can get a good headcount of who is attending.

2027 NSC Ski Week

Plans for Snowmass for 2027 are in progress, with lodging at the Timberline Condos confirmed (again) for 23-30 January. Yes, there were some changes since we could not get enough units at the Crestwood (6-13 Feb). The Ikon Pass includes Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, and Buttermilk, and the Ikon Base Pass is good for only Snowmass. If you don’t want to get an Ikon Pass then Sports America is offering 5-day (adult/senior) lift tickets that will be good for all four mountains. So, stay tuned for further developments in the coming months.

Use this for Epic passes: https://www.sportsamerica.com/epic-nisei

Use this for Ikon passes: https://www.sportsamerica.com/ikon-nisei

(requires a password that was sent earlier as a separate email).

2027 FWSA Ski Week

FWSA is going to Val Gardena, February 27 – March 6, with an extension to Puglia and Rome, March 6-13. Val Gardena stands as a distinguished ski destination within the Dolomites, featuring 112 miles of slopes, world-class lifts, and convenient access to the Sellaronda and the Legendary 8 (slopes). Val Gardena is on the Ikon pass: Ikon Pass – 7 days, Ikon Base Pass – 5 days. For details and signup forms go to the BAC & FWSA tab on the website (https://www.niseiskiclub.org/events/).

Questions: contact president@niseiskiclub.org

QotM: Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

By Armand Gutierrez

By now many of you have purchased next year’s season pass and hoping that next year’s ski season will be better than this year’s. Unfortunately, snowfall prediction is more of a mystery than an art and the two main season pass companies, Vail Resorts (Epic) and Alterra Mountain Company (Ikon) have already grabbed your attention (and maybe money) for purchasing next season’s pass. Given the high prices of season passes, your next thought should be on what are the refund policies in the event that you can’t get to the ski slopes.

Refund policies vary between Epic and Icon and here is a simplified guide to their season pass refunds.

Epic Passes

Pass insurance is included in every Epic Pass, but scope it limited. There are two different situations: personal events and qualifying resort closures.

• A personal event includes losing your job, a season-ending injury or illness, pregnancy, a military post change, and more.
• Resort closures include a full ski area closure, including due to a pandemic (think COVID-19), or a natural disaster (remember the big fires at Sierra-at-Tahoe?). Strikes by resort employees are not covered.

Ikon Passes

The Ikon pass implemented a new pass insurance option, but this option was not well publicized and you may not be aware of it. Refundable passes that are more expensive replaced the old deferral policy, which allowed pass holders to defer an unused pass to the following season if it hadn’t been scanned by a certain date. Keep in mind that both passes at the lower-tier price are completely nonrefundable.

The new refundable Ikon Pass is priced at $1,619, or a refundable Ikon Base Pass is priced $1,109 (early-purchase rates). If you don’t scan your refundable pass by Jan. 15, 2027, you get a full refund. User your pass once before that date and you get a 50% refund. Two or more scans and you’re out of luck. Purchasing the refundable option will set you back approximately $150-$220 (based on early-purchase rates).

Source: https://www.skimag.com/ski-resort-life/

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

The polls are now closed and here are the final results.

The Board Members for 2026-2027 on June 1 will be: 

• President: Armand Gutierrez
• Vice President: Jeanne Katsuro
• Treasurer: Jason Ku
• Trip Director: Jeanne Katsuro
• Newsletter Editor: Karen Soo
• Membership Director: Armand Gutierrez
• Board Members: Curtis Otaguro, Roland Lee

Thank you for your participation and support. These board members will work hard to ensure that you enjoy your membership in the Nisei Ski Club.

If you are interested in helping with specific events or activities—such as the picnic or the annual non-ski trip—please feel free to contact any member of the board.

Congratulations to all the winners, and we wish the Nisei Ski Club continued success in the coming year.

By Armand Gutierrez, presidente de membresía

It’s the start of June and we already have 58 members that joined in April and May. Looks like those people took advantage of the $5 discount by joining before the May 31^st deadline. And by the time you read this that means you were too late and missed the deadline (there’s always next year). Included in the 58 are 8 new members:

Christine Dews

Mitzi & Jorge Minjarez

Susan & Gordon Wong

Julie & Forrest Nishioka

Suchen Zhu

The NSC board is continuing to meet monthly (via Zoom) and discussing plans for the upcoming season.  Thanks to Jeanne Katsuro’s effort in getting non-ski events for this season, starting with plenty of events for 2026:

• 20 June, Saturday – Mahjong Event with Judy Hom
• 20 June, Saturday – Tiburon Bike Ride with Roland Lee
• 18 July, Saturday – Annual Membership Meeting/Luau Picnic
• 15 August, Saturday – Bowling Event with Jeff Honda
• 27 September, Sunday – The SF Giants vs. LA Dodgers
• And more on the NSC website

Jason Ku (our treasurer) and I are working on fillable-PDF membership forms to make it easier to sign-up, one for new members and another for renewing members. Since a number of members are using Zelle for membership payments this is also being incorporated in our membership plans. Speaking of Zelle, almost half of the signups have been via Zelle.

For other NSC events go to the Events & Ski Trips tab on the website at: https://www.niseiskiclub.org/events-ski-trips/, and for BAC/FWSA events go to the BAC & FWSA tab.

So with all this activity for this season there’s something for everyone and, most importantly, the board hopes to see all of you at the Annual Membership and Luau Picnic in July.

NSC Pickleball Event | May 9, 2026 | Sunnyvale Tennis Center

By Alex Kami, NSC Member

Getting close to retirement (12 Mercurian years).  Golf, collecting used toothpicks, selling plasma might not be enough.  Look here!  Intro to pickleball (p-ball) in my hometown (Sunnyvale) with NSC friends.  That’s how I got to the NSC P-ball Event on May 9^th. 

First and foremost, let’s give a big kudos to Tina (and Jeanne) for organizing the event!  Seriously, we had 28 attendees!  Reserving the courts, ensuring everyone got a chance to play, bringing equipment – these are daunting tasks, and pulled off without a hitch.

As a beginner, my perspective is a bit limited, but suffice it to say, everyone brought their A-game.  Saw some of the advanced players (e.g., Lori, Lorraine, Yvonne, Jadine) holding Selkirk titanium-uranium enriched-quadruple graphite paddles and donning $2,000 pneumatic Air “P”orden shoes to give max range on the court.  Fortunately, there were a good number of us whose line was, “Why does the ball have so many holes?” 

The beginner group was fortunate to have John and Jeanne coach us.  Especially Jeanne who patiently taught us from the ground up with upbeat support.  “Great serve, Doug!”  “Perfect return, McKenna!”  “Sweet lob, Christie!”

My turn.  First serve – an ace that would make Jannik Sinner shiver in his shoes.  “Foul!  You’re not supposed to serve overhand.”  Next serve wasn’t as great.  “Foul!  You’re not supposed to bounce the ball on a serve.”  Caught a line drive to the shortstop for a point.  “Foul, you’re supposed to let the ball bounce on the first volley.”  Ball clips the net and returned a tough underhand return – point?  “Foul, you went into the kitchen!”  What?  If you want me to avoid the kitchen, you need to put in an island or sink so I can see it! 

I kind of understood how Dreymond Green feels; did 50 pushups to atone for my sins.  Putting the joking aside, hats off to Jeanne!  For the beginners, the game would’ve been a lot less fun without her guidance. 

With so many players, I thought I may not have as much playing time – wrong.  Two factors.  One – the leaders did a great job in coordinating the rotations and having people with the same abilities play together.  Second – the food.  As with all NSC events, we had a ton of delicious food.  Even the most passionate p-baller couldn’t resist walking off the court to slam down a spam musubi or savory chow mein. 

While p-ball was the focus of the event, I admired the sense of community felt with each person.  Many play regularly with each other, and genuinely enjoy the company.  During lunch, much of the conversation were around fun times at the Lake Chabot hike and the Collette Painted Canyons trip.  Both the NSC membership and the ski program are much smaller than the past, but it’s so nice to see everyone still maintaining close relationships and common interests.

At the risk of consuming too many bytes on our website, here’s our roster in the context of baseball.  Coaches: Tina W (manager), Jeanne K (pitching coach), John T (hitting coach). 

SJ Giants: Christie D, McKenna D, Brenna D, Douglas H, Shari F, me. 

Sacto River Cats: Tom W, Dean & Lydia S, Helen L, Denise S. 

SF Giants: Mark T, Norman C, Tom S, Jadine T, Wendy L, Curtis O, Lori L, Bertie & Mike M, Yvonne W, Don W, Sally L, Corey L, Lorraine T.

by Roland Lee, Board Member

Join Nisei Ski Club for bike ride around the Tiburon Loop on Saturday, June 20th, 2026

Bike riders are welcome to join the event. If you are not planning to ride, you can visit the Museum on the water front walkway path.

The NSC bike ride and museum are all free.

We will meet for lunch after the bike ride. There are restaurants on the main road near the Tiburon Ferry.

Electric bikes can be rented at the Trek bike store next to CHP office in Corte Madera.  They cost $ 100.00 for 24-hours.

RSVP by Wednesday, June 17
Please let us know if you are a Bike Rider or Non-Bike Rider.
Email to Roland Lee Tiburonloop@niseiskiclub.org

by Karen Soo, Trip Director

Please join us on Saturday, July 18th at Las Palmas Park in Sunnyvale for our annual Nisei Ski Club Luau Picnic.
Bring a gently used coat or sweater for the ONE WARM COAT DRIVE

Time – 12:00pm – 5:00pm

You will receive your Evite invitation at the end June. It will be sent out from Armand G.

Please RSVP no later than Wednesday, July 15 so we can order the right amount of food for the picnic.

by Armand Gutierrez, President

The Nisei Ski Club has participated in a variety of charitable organizations, and over the past few years we have supported the Asian Pacific Film Fest, Achieve Tahoe, and a one-time donation for the victims of the Lahaina fire in Hawaii in 2023 through cash donations. Now NSC has an opportunity to make an impact on people’s lives by participating in the One Warm Coat Drive. The One Warm Coat organization https://www.onewarmcoat.org/ is a national nonprofit organization that embodies a movement of kindness through the donation of coats to people in need.

This charitable opportunity is now available to the membership and for you to join Jeanne Katsuro and I on this charitable endeavor. So how can you help? Simple. At the Annual Membership Meeting and Luau Picnic on July 18, all you need to bring is one warm coat (or more if you have them). The coats can be for adult or young kids, and should be clean and wearable (no holes or rips). The coats collected at the picnic will be picked up by Jeanne or myself, and stored until October or November when they can then be taken to one of the One Warm Coat designated drop off locations. From there they will be distributed to people in need during the Thanksgiving or Christmas season.

by Jeff Honda, Board Member

Join Nisei Ski Club and try out your bowling skills on Saturday, August 15. Lunch to follow at Fourth Streel Bowl. Check out their extensive breakfast / lunch menu. https://4thstreetbowl.com/coffeeshop/

by Jeanne Katsuro, Vice President

Please see the brochure below.   Signups can be made at the link below.

        For important reservation information visit

https://gateway.gocollette.com/link/1417445.

This is a small group trip for only 24 people.  If we reach 19 people, the trip will be Nisei Ski Club Exclusively.  Currently, we have 16 people interested in going on this trip.

We already have 3 signups.

When you sign up, I recommend that you pay in full based on the package you choose. Given that there are constant fuel surcharges the airlines cannot hold the air prices in the contract. If you pay in full, the price will hold.

You can place a deposit of $698.00

Deposits are refundable up until September 17.

 Final payment date is January 17, 2027.

Note: Again, paying in full will protect you from any future airline price increases.

Land only price will remain the same.

Seat Reduction Date is September 10, 2026.

All reservations made after this date is subject to availability and price change.

Travel Protection Insurance is $549.00

This is a great travel insurance, where you can cancel the trip for no reason.

Many of you prefer Business Class. Please sign up early because there is limited number of Business Class seats available on the flight.

It will be first come, first serve. Once the Business Class Seats are filled, then Collette can try to get you on Business Class on a different flight.

Hopefully, the price will be the same, but this will be determined at the time of the request.

I have requested the price for Premium Economy.  This price will not be determined until the end of June 2026.

You can sign up Economy and as soon as Premium Economy is available change your reservations.

It is always best to sign up early and pay in full based on which package you choose.

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Does anyone know Janice Takeshita?

If you do, please email me or invite her to the NSC picnic on July 18th.

I recently found a photo of one of her recipes tucked away in my files, and this week I decided to try making it for the first time using my trusty hand mixer. The result was a simple shortbread cookie with a wonderful crunch — not too sweet, just the perfect balance of flavor and texture. I actually used 2 cups of corn flakes, and they turned out great! Enjoy!!

Bon Appetit – Julia Child and Karen Soo shares the same birthday

Makes 4 dozens or in my case 44 cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 c. butter / 2 sticks – room temperature
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 c. corn flakes, crushed (I used 2 Cups of corn flakes. I loved the extra texture)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets or use Silpat mats.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar and vanilla.
3. Slowly add flour a little at the time.
4. Add baking soda and crushed cornflakes, combining well. 
5. Form into 3/4 “balls and press onto cookie sheets

Bake 12-15 minutes

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Come on out and volunteer your time to help the local community.

Mountain View Buddhist Temple is having their annual Obon Festival.

Dates – Saturday, July 18^th and Sunday, July 19th.

This year, the Mountain View Buddhist Temple (MVBT) Obon Festival bazaar committee members had developed an online volunteer sign-up page for the various activities and booths leading up to the bazaar and during the two-day bazaar on Saturday, July 18^th and Sunday, July 19^th.

 Positions available – Will be updated next month https://sangha.mvbuddhisttemple.org/obon/

In the past years Nisei Ski Club members had volunteered at the Obon Festival Beer booth. You know how that goes. A little pour, a little taste on the side. BURP..

Here is the link for the BEER BOOTH- Hurry before it gets filled up. SIGN UP PAGE WILL BE AVAILABLE NEXT MONTH

Thank you for stepping up to the plate to VOLUNTEER!