Happy New Year to All!!!

And PRAY for rain & snow!  Anyone know any rain dances? Hey, maybe you can talk Armand into letting you go on the Sun Peak’s trip.  Who knows, maybe there will be a cancellation and you can sneak in and ski or ride amongst Sun Peak’s snow angels. While we have a dearth of snowfall in the Sierras, I know of people who have been having a good time skiing the limited man-made snow at some of the Tahoe resorts including your esteemed president, Armand!

Speaking of Armand, in his first  <<monthly president’s message >> of the new year, he gives tips on how to become a better skier or snowboarder. So what’s happening with the membership and the week long Sun Peaks trip?  Satiate your Walter Mitty dreams with Armand’s <<membership and Sun Peaks report>>.  With the paucity of Tahoe snow, don’t you wish you were going to Sun Peaks?? Your editor (me) has been on many of NSC’s week trips and they’ve always been memorable. Keep this in mind for next year’s trip!

GEAR TALK– this month, I thought I’d give you a brief primer about

Smiths Women’s Asian Fit

snow goggles.  Since our club has a one or two Asian members, I want to point out that FINALLY, some manufacturers are producing “Asian Fit” goggles.  Are you tired of goggles riding high on your cheekbones uncomfortably or having cold air blowing through the gap above the bridge of your nose??? Well, relief “may” be available.  Some of the manufacturers that make “Asian Fit” goggles are: Oakley, Smiths, Anon and Dragon. In theory, these goggles may fit Asian faces better. Of course, everyone’s faces are shaped differently.  I personally own a pair of Oakley “Asian Fit” A Frame goggles with spherical lenses, but they don’t fit that much better than my regular fit Bolle goggles.  However, they do fit a bit better, nonetheless. As they say, “your mileage may vary”.  That said, the most important aspect of goggle buying is FIT. When shopping for goggles, try on several pairs, paying attention to how they fit around your face, particularly around your nose.  A good fit will have even pressure & sealing around your face.  Note that goggles come in many different sizes.  Women specific goggles tend to be a bit smaller, but non  gender specific goggles vary in sizes too.  Goggles should be wide enough to provide adequate peripheral vision.  If you wear a helmet, ensure that the goggle fit isn’t adverse LENSES – most lenses are of double lens construction. Avoid single lens goggles as they have a tendency to fog up. A double lens is like a  home’s thermal window, they provide a buffer of air between the lenses to prevent the cold outside air from directly affecting the inner lens, thus reducing fogging. To help prevent fogging, clear any snow that may accumulate on top of the goggles which can impede adequate air flow. Ensure that the fit is not affected by the helmet and that the goggles don’t leave a big gap between it and the from of the helmet, unless you want a forehead brain freeze! Lens color– When do you wear goggles? All the time or just when it’s snowing and

Mirrored, darker, spherical lens

wear sunglasses when it’s sunny? If you wear them even if it’s sunny, then a darker lens may be more appropriate and also consider a mirrored lens to reduce glare. Unfortunately, darker lenses are disadvantageous if it clouds over or gets dark. If you wear goggles only when it’s snowing, then lighter amber, yellow, orange or rose colored lens are good choices.  Amber/yellow/orange  and rose tinted lenses are probably not dark enough for use in bright sunny conditions.  Amber, yellow or orange lenses are better for contrast enabling you to see the changes in terrain better in low light while rose colored lenses are better for depth perception. Photochromatic lenses which automagically darken or lighten depending on the intensity of sunlight are available  but not common.  Polarized lenses reduce glare from the snow when sunny. Lens shape – higher quality goggles (and more expensive)

Flat lens

Spherical lens

have spherical lenses instead of “flat” lenses. Spherical lenses should provide more peripheral vision as they bulge out from the goggle frame.  They should also provide better vision as the lens is more or less equidistant from your eye whereas on flat lenses, the center of the lens is closest to your eye and the rest of the lens is further from your eyes.  As a result, light hits a flat lens at different angles on different parts of the lens when on a spherical lens, light hits the lens at more consistent angles.  All of these factors should result in clearer, sharper, and less distorted vision.  Again, your results may vary.  Perhaps I’m not sensitive to it, but for my vision, I don’t see much of a difference and I own both types – go figure!. OTG – Over The Glasses goggles (not to be confused with USB On The Go << tech joke!)- these  goggles are specifically designed for eyeglass wearers. OTG goggles are deeper to allow room for glasses and usually have a channel in the temple foam to allow room for the eyeglass arms. Wearing goggles over glasses often present fogging problems, so consider an OTG goggle with a built in fan such as the Smiths Knowledge Fan OTG.

Oakley Heads UP Display

GPS GOGGLES – For you well to do techies, you can now also get GPS enabled goggles ($500+!!!) with built in “heads up” displays that show speed, altitude and even where your friends are (in theory). Oakley, Smiths and Zeal are among the manufacturers that make these for the well heeled. Now if only they can display trail maps!

That’s it for this month’s tutorial, GOGGLES 101.

Until next month…your Ed.

Excuse me, my phone’s ringing!

Welcome to 2014 and may the New Year bring you new found prosperity, continued good health, and the opportunity to improve your skiing and riding abilities. Did you get any new ski or snowboard equipment for Christmas? Well, I didn’t. I did get a new iPad Air, which is not made for skiing but brings me forward to the 21^stcentury. Call me a Luddite but I still don’t own a smartphone. Yes, numerous friends have told me that I need new gear. Well, maybe this will be the year I demo some new equipment (I need it all – skis, bindings, and boots).

Armand’s Skis and Boots!

A week before Christmas I ventured up to Tahoe and skied Heavenly and Northstar. Heavenly only had the Nevada side open, and Northstar also had limited lift operations. Yes, skiing wasn’t the greatest but at least it was skiing and I enjoyed being on the slopes and meeting people. But let’s get back to improving your skiing or riding. If you want to improve your skiing or snowboarding, then it’s a must that you plan on several ski trips to Tahoe (or your favorite area). I’ve always told people that there are two things that you have to do to improve your skiing/ riding:

• Ski or snowboard at least ten days in a season, and
• Ski or snowboard with people that are better than you are.

Why ten days? Anything less than that will keep you from improving and you will stay at your present level. Repetition is important so you can develop muscle memory on the slopes.  That’s why firefighters practice putting out fires and disaster scenarios. When it comes time for the real thing they are prepared with automatic reflexes. Skiing or riding with people better than you provides the opportunity of informal lessons. Follow a good skier/ boarder and you’re bound to pick-up improved techniques and style. Plus, there is the added motivational factor to keeping up with a good skier / rider. By the time our weekend trip to Squaw Valley/Northstar comes up there should be plenty of snow. Let’s see how many members, and friends, we can get to sign-up for this trip for some good skiing and riding and perhaps the opportunity to improve your skiing and riding abilities!

Although we’re in some sort of drought for snow I’m still planning on going up to Tahoe for another weekend of skiing. The California side at Heavenly is now open so that will mean more runs to take, and hopefully Northstar will open up a few more runs as well.

~Armand ~

~ Da Prez, Armand Gutierrez ~

Membership Activity

Not much activity for December, however we did get one returning member since he wanted to go someplace that has snow and now he’s signed up for the Sun Peaks trip. Hopefully there may be a few more membership signups as we get closer to the weekend ski trip to Squaw Valley/Northstar on Feb 28 – Mar 2.  Our membership currently stands at 50 members.

Sun Peaks Ski Week

The Sun Peaks ski week is almost here and I’m looking forward to skiing with the “snow angels” (Big White calls them “snow ghosts”). Allen Hu decided that there’s nothing happening in Tahoe so he decided that Sun Peaks is the place to go, and that brings us to 24 members on the trip. On Saturday, 11 January, we’re having our Sun Peaks orientation meeting where members can get information about Sun Peaks, trail maps, an NSC pamphlet for details on the trip, and their NSC souvenir. The Sun Peaks ski week is from 8-15 February, and this date was chosen based on the following:

• Flight availability, and
• Hopefully watch the 49ers in Superbowl XLVIII (2 February)

If you have any questions regarding the trip don’t hesitate to send email me (president@niseiskiclub.org).

All the winter storms are hitting north of us and Sun Peaks now has 46” at the top of the Crystal Chair (my last report indicated 30”). Don’t look at these webcams if you think you can’t handle the beauty and nature of what Sun Peaks has to offer:

http://www.sunpeaksresort.com/weather-and-cams/web-cams

~~ President Armand ~~

Can you believe that Boreal opened up for a weekend of skiing before Thanksgiving? Typically, Thanksgiving weekend is when resorts open given enough snowfall. It may have been limited skiing but at least some people were able to get on the slopes and start off the ski season. Hopefully the weather patterns will continue to bring in cold fronts heavy with moisture and below freezing temperatures, which is just the right recipe for light, fluffy powder. Now that is Mother Nature at her best!

On Monday, November 11^th (Veterans Day), Karen Soo, Frank Chang, and I attended the 5^th Annual Bay Area Snow Sports Council Winter Festival Celebration Meeting at the Englander Restaurant in San Leandro. There were representatives from several ski resorts, raffle prizes, a silent auction, and a great dinner. Dennis Heffley, former President of BAC, gave recognition to all the veterans in attendance and then talked about the upcoming ski season and the offers from the various resorts. This was my first time at this event and it was a pleasant surprise to see some familiar faces from my previous ski week trips with FWSA (Chamonix and Innsbruck).

The FWSA Bay Area Council booth at the annual Snow Bomb Ski & Snow Festivals held at ATT Park and the San Jose Convention Center were well represented by Karen Soo/Curtis Otaguro (ATT) and Gary Lyon and myself (San Jose Convention Center).  Lots of people, lots of retailers, and quite a few people leaving with skis/snowboards, boots, and other ski-related goodies that they had just purchased. For details take a look at the Snow Bomb Festival write-up.  [Snow Bomb article]

Due to lack of signups the NSC Event at the Sports Basement in Sunnyvale on Friday, December 6^th has been cancelled. Perhaps a Friday evening wasn’t the best night to pick.

It’s been snowing up at Tahoe and I’m hoping to get some tracks in before Christmas. Let the season begin!

~~ Armand, Da Prez ~~

1.     Membership Activity

NSC Members!

As expected membership has pretty much slowed down now that signups for Sun Peaks is complete, although there may be a few more signups as we get closer to the weekend ski trip to Squaw Valley/Northstar on Feb 28 – Mar 2.  We did get one new member at the annual Snow Bomb Ski & Snow Festival at ATT Park, and talked to a number of potential members at the San Jose Festival. Our membership currently stands at 49 members.

2.     Sun Peaks Ski Week

The Sun Peaks ski week is progressing on schedule. Ground transportation has been secured and paid for. I’m currently arranging a suitable restaurant for our Farewell Dinner. Sun Peaks has quite a number of good restaurants and I’ve been reviewing a number of menus and dinner options. There will be a Sun Peaks Orientation meeting in January (2^nd or 3^rd weekend) so look for the Evite in your email. If you have any questions regarding the trip, don’t hesitate to send me an email (president@niseiskiclub.org).

Just to get you excited about skiing, Sun Peaks is already open and reporting 30” of snow at the top of the Crystal Chair. Don’t look at these webcams if you think you can’t handle the beauty and nature of what Sun Peaks has to offer:

http://www.sunpeaksresort.com/weather-and-cams/web-cams

On November 9^th Karen Soo and Curtis Otaguro attended the Snow Bomb Ski and Snow Festival held at ATT Park in San Francisco. Karen and Curtis worked alongside other members of BAC at the BAC booth and also met quite few people who were in attendance. The ATT Festival lasted two days, which gave everyone a great chance to pick up bargains on ski equipment, clothing, and free stuff. Karen and Curtis also had an opportunity to tour the ATT field.

On the heels of the ATT festival, Armand Gutierrez and Gary Lyon represented NSC at the Festival held on November 23^rdat the San Jose Convention Center. Yes, it was another well-attended evening with Any Mountain occupying the most floor space with more ski equipment, clothing, and accessories all at discount prices. Gary and I had a great time meeting members of the Snowdrifters and Apres ski clubs at the BAC booth, and somehow we managed to latch onto a few empty glasses and managed to partake in the free beer tastings. Yes, it was a great evening! Our roving photographer, Bill Lee, showed up and managed to take a few pictures. This was my first time for this event and now I’m thinking about attending next year’s event.

SnowBomb San Jose
Nov 23,2013

Karen Soo – Trip Director

Thanksgiving weekend just passed and in 3 weeks Christmas will be here. Most of the ski resorts are already open for business. Our weekend trip for 2014 is all set. We need everyone to do a rain dance or clean their cars so we can get more snow in the Tahoe area.

The signup sheet can be found on the Nisei Ski Club website , or use this link: Trip Schedules.

If you sign up early, before January 15, 2014, please take off $5.00 off your cost.

Just a reminder, the weekend trip is February 28 to March 2, 2014.

One major update, we lost our overnight weekend parking at the 4^th Street Bowl.

We are looking at options on where to park for the weekend. One idea that was brought to our attention is parking somewhere along the San Jose’s VTA Light Rail line or CAL train parking lot. (TAMIEN STATION)

Do you work in an office in San Jose with a parking structure where we can park 12 cars over night for the weekend?

Maybe someone who works at Google or Oracle? Perhaps?

Please send me an email for options on where to park for the weekend.

Have a very safe and joyous Christmas with your family and friends.

Happy New Year, See you in 2014.

Halloween is over, but Thanksgiving is just around the corner and what is else is coming????  SKI & SNOWBOARD SEASON!!!

As Armand and Karen reports, there has been some snow that has fallen in Tahoe recently! Read President Armand’s  President’s Report   and  Membership and Sun Peaks Update reports and, of course,  Trip Director Karen’s report, “Will Mother Nature Continue to Cooperate?”  which detail these upcoming events:

• NSC visit to the San Jose Technology Museum and the Jedi Exhibit (Nov 24)
• The SNOWBOMB ski and snowboard show and sale in San Francisco (Nov 9-10) and San Jose (Nov 23-24)
• Feb 28 – March 2, 2014 – weekend trip to Squaw Valley and Northstar
• Sun Peaks week trip updates
• Membership updates

Eat well and work out

Give thanks for what you have,

Hope for what you don’t have

Be kind to others

Help those who are less fortunate than you

~ byline : The Prez, Armand Gutierrez ~

Can you believe that Boreal opened up for a weekend of skiing? Typically Thanksgiving weekend is when resorts will open given enough snowfall. It may have been limited skiing but at least some people were able to get on the slopes and start off the ski season Hopefully the weather patterns will continue to bring in cold fronts heavy with moisture and below freezing temperatures, which is just the right recipe for light, fluffy powder. Now that is Mother Nature at her best!

This month we have the annual Snow Bomb Ski & Snow Festival at ATT Park on 9-10 November and at the San Jose Convention Center on 23-24 November. Karen Soo and Curtis Otaguro are attending the ATT festival on the 9^th and Gary Lyon and I are attending the San Jose festival on the 23^rd. If you’re interested in volunteering with us then send a note to either Karen (tripdirector@niseiskiclub.org) or me ( president@niseiskiclub.org ).  Admission is free and you would be helping out the club.

December 6^th! Put this on your calendar so you can attend a Pre-Season event at the Sports Basement in Sunnyvale. Call it a party, call it a gathering, or call it a happening. No matter what you call it just plan on being there. Details are on  Hoyt Nelson’s flyer in this month’s  newsletter. Also, there will be an Evite sent out later this month so we can get a headcount.

Karen Soo is finalizing plans for our weekend ski trip at the end of February to Squaw Valley and Northstar so if you have season passes for either (or both) then you’re all set. Put this on your calendar since it will be the only weekend ski trip and I hope to see you there.

Any Star Wars fans out there? Do you often say to your friends “May the force be with you?” If so, then check out Karen’s flyer for the Star Wars exhibit at the Tech Museum.

~ Da Prez – Armand ~

1.     Membership Activity

The month of October brought in one returning member, which brings us to a total of 48 members. The annual Snow Bomb Ski & Snow Festival will be held at ATT Park and in San Jose in November and this will be an opportunity for NSC to showcase what we have to offer and potentially sign up new members. Karen Soo and Curtis Otaguro are attending the ATT event on November 11^th and Gary Lyon and I are attending the San Jose Convention event on November 23^rd. If you’re interested in volunteering for either of these events then please contact either Karen Soo (tripdirector@niseiskiclub.org) or me (president@niseiskiclub.org).

2.     Sun Peaks Ski Week

The Sun Peaks ski week is progressing on schedule. Flight arrangements with Alaska Airlines have been secured and paid for, and a deposit for our lodging at Bear Country condos has been made. I’m thinking about having a Sun Peaks Orientation meeting in January (2^nd or 3^rd weekend) so you can pick up your souvenir gifts and information about Sun Peaks (i.e. trail maps, village brochures, etc.).

Karen Soo – Trip Director

The first storm of the season fell 2 weeks ago.  Squaw Valley had 18” of snow and Boreal were open for business last weekend. Just imagine seeing the fall foliage with a blanket of snow on top. Hopefully a positive sign that we’re going to have a good season in 2014.

SAVE THE DATE, the NSC weekend trip will take place February 28 to March 2, 2014. The destination will be Squaw Valley and Northstar.

We will continue to keep the cost of the trip to follow those of 2013. The only change is that while the Friday night dinner, and two continental breakfasts will still be included in your cost, the Sunday night dinner will no longer be included. For the Sunday night dinner, with an additional charge, we will order dinner from Ikeda’s in Auburn.

We tried this on our last weekend trip and people seems to like this idea. We need 35 people to make this trip happen, so please invite your friends and co-workers.

The main reason we are planning only one weekend trip is that the cost of the bus continues to go up and we are not getting enough people to fill the bus. Thanks to the members of the Monterey Ski and Social Club, we have been able to fill up the buses last season.

I will also add a weekend car/road trip for those who are willing to drive up as a group. Weekend dates will be determined pending snow conditions.   Last year, 8 NSC members carpool up for the weekend. I was able to secure lodging at a friends’ house and we also got discounted lift tickets via Craigslist.

It turned out to be a NSC mini weekend ski trip. A trip director’s job is never done.

Did you know that NSC is a member of Bay Area Ski Council? You can get discounted lift tickets on the day of any BAC race days.  Just go up to desk between 7:30am – 8:30am and tell them you are racing and you’re get your discounted lift tickets.

The schedule is not available yet but please check out the website for additional discounts for lodging and equipment. http://www.skibac.org/

Just a few important ski shows coming to the bay area:

The Annual Snow Bomb Ski and Snowboard Festival is taking place on the following dates:

Nov 9 – 10 at ATT Park in San Francisco

Nov 23 – 24 at San Jose Convention Center in San Jose

Please send me an email if you would like to volunteer for 3 hours to these events to promote our club. In return, you will get free entrance to the event and free lift tickets.

On Sunday, November 24th, NSC is planning to visit the San Jose Tech Museum, where we will see the special exhibit.  Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination. We will meet early in the morning so that we can get back and watch the San Francisco 49ers play that evening.

On Friday, December 6^th,Nisei Ski Club and Sports Basement in Sunnyvale located at 1177 Kern Ave. is hosting a shopping party. Come on by from 6:00 to 8:00 pm and start your Christmas shopping early and get a 10% off on any purchase. Complementary beer, soft drinks and munchies will be available while you browse through their extensive stock of the latest sports gear.

Please refer to the Nisei Ski Club website for more information.

https://www.niseiskiclub.org/

Have a great Thanksgiving holiday.

Karen Soo AKA your one and only NSC Trip Director.

Indian Summer is here and while that means warm weather for us Bay Area resident’s, that also means that  the Fall Equinox has passed us and the days are becoming shorting.  This means, if the snow gods are watching over us, SNOW will soon be upon us!  Now is the time for skiers to start thinking about dragging your skis and boards out from your storm and root cellars and  having them serviced.

Ski bindings should be calibrated at least once a year by a certified ski technician.  Snowboard bindings should have their screws checked and tightened, strap and cables, if any, checked for cracks or signs of wear.  If you have rust on your ski or board edges, have them “edged” to remove rust and to put a nice sharp edge on them!  For skis, visually check for check the binding’s  anti-friction device’s (AFD)  condition.  For fixed AFDs, check for cracks or broken pieces. For moveable ones, ensure that they glide smoothly.  If the AFD is damaged or doesn’t operate smoothly, have them replaced.  Do NOT adjust ski bindings yourself even if you think you know the DIN setting.  The DIN setting is only a starting point. When a ski technician calibrates the release, the amount of force required to release the binding is measured and the binding is adjusted until the correct amount of release force is achieved, taking into consideration the skier’s age, weight, skier type and boot sole length.  Lastly, your board or skis will appreciate a nice smooth slippery coat of wax and if necessary, flat filed or stone ground.

Coming events –

• Mountain View Buddhist Temple “Oh What a Night” dance – Saturday, October 19
  • more info : Dance Flyer (Not an NSC event)

• SNOWBOMB  – a festival of : ski area information; learn about the new equipment and clothing;  buy gear; Waren Miller movies; and of course, stop by the NSC booth.
  • Nov 9-10 at AT&T Park San Francisco
  • Nov 23-24 at the San Jose Convention Center
  • Web site: http://www.snowbomb.com/festivals-main/
  • Karen Soo and Curtis Otaguro are volunteering at the SF event and Armand will be staffing an NSC table at the San Jose venue. If interested in helping out, see Armand’s monthly President’s Message for contact information.

Last but definitely not least, we have Armand’s monthly President’s Message and his membership & Sun Peaks report.

See you after Halloween!

~ President Armand Gutierrez ~

Towards the end of September my neighbor came up to me and informed me that it had snowed in Tahoe. Not hearing about this event on the evening news didn’t surprise me because I’m sure the amount of snowfall was most likely insignificant and probably didn’t last long. However, perhaps this can be interpreted as an upcoming winter season with a bountiful snowfall. Yes, this is most encouraging!

Reminders of the upcoming winter season are already bombarding my email. The On The Snow reports are already telling me about testing for the 2014 alpine skis, powder skis, all-mountain skis, rocker skis, bindings, and ski boots as well as snowboards, board bindings and boots.  And I’m sure there will be more articles about winter clothing, lightweight clothing, hats, gloves, and other winter-related accessories. And locally, I’m getting offers from Homewood and Sierra-at-Tahoe to encourage our members to ski at those resorts, which, regrettably, are not on the agenda for our weekend ski trips. So what does all this mean? Ski season is on its way!

Anybody up for some dancing to a live band? This is a reminder that Mountain View Buddhist Temple wants to thank the NSC Obon Festival volunteers for contributing to its success and everyone is cordially invited to their “Oh What A Night” dance, to be held on October 19^th.  There will be live 60’s and 70’s music provided by Somethin’ Else. Details are provided in the flyer, and there is a coverage charge.
See the invite here: “Oh What A Night” flyer .

Coming up in November is the annual Snow Bomb Ski & Snow Festival at ATT Park on 9-10 November and in San Jose on 23-24 November. Volunteer signups will be taking place this month. Karen Soo and Curtis Otaguro are planning on attending the ATT festival and I’m planning on attending the San Jose festival. If you’re interested in attending then send a note to either Karen (tripdirector@niseiskiclub.org) or me (president@niseiskiclub.org).
For more info, see the SnowBomb website: http://www.snowbomb.com/locations_old/san-francisco/

The Sun Peaks trip is progressing smoothly and we have 23 members planning on spending a week of skiing, dining, and absorbing the Canadian hospitality offered by Sun Peaks. I’m looking forward to skiing new territory and quaffing a few Canadian ales.

Membership + Sun Peaks Ski Week Report

Membership Activity

The month of September brought in one new member, one former member, and one returning member, which brings us to a total of 47 members. Once again, these members can be attributed to their signing up for the Sun Peaks ski week trip.  The annual Snow Bomb Ski & Snow Festival will be held at ATT Park and in San Jose in November. This will be an opportunity to showcase what NSC has to offer and potentially sign up new members. We’re looking for volunteers for this event so please contact either Karen Soo (tripdirector@niseiskiclub.org) or me (president@niseiskiclub.org).

Sun Peaks Ski Week

There are 23 members signed up for the Sun Peaks ski week trip, which meets our minimum 20 in order to reap the benefits of lodging and lift ticket discounts. Lodging at the Bear Country condos has been confirmed and final flight bookings will be made in October. The souvenir gifts have been ordered and received, and thanks to Karen Soo for her great assistance in this effort!

Errata – corrections in the description of Toby’s NZ accident

September brings the close of summer and this August makes the close of an era, notably the passing of one of Nisei Ski Club’s founding fathers, Tatsuo “TATS” Sumida who passed away on August 14.

President Armand pays tribute to Tats in his monthly president’s message in addition to his membership and Sun Peaks report. Also in this month’s edition are Hoyt Nelson’s dedication to Tats as well as former NSC president April Shiro’s recounting of the honouring of Tats at NSC’s 40th anniversary.

On another very serious, albeit less grave, note, Toby Kravet, president of the Hawaii Ski Club whose members frequently attend our week long snow trips, was involved in a very serious skiing accident  in New Zealand recently. He was skiing ALONE and had to survive a frigid night until he was found with two broken legs! Read Armand’s cautionary article entitled >>Skiing Alone<<.

LESSON to be LEARNED? DO NOT SKI ALONE!!! 

On lighter notes,  click here >> Bernal Heights Hike << for pictures and reporting of last month’s Bernal Heights hike led by the intrepid Hoyt Nelson and this link >> Thanks & Dance Invite << for thanks of gratitude from the Mountain View Buddhist Temple and an invitation to their “Oh What A Night” dance on October 10. And last but not least, sign up for the Sun Peak’s week long ski trip.  The September 15th deadline will soon be upon us.  Join the 19 members who have already signed up.

Back to a more serious note, Toby Kravet, the president of the Hawaii Ski Club whose members frequently attend our week long snow trips, was involved in a very serious skiing in New Zealand recently. He was skiing ALONE and had to survive a frigid night until he was found. Read Armand’s cautionary article entitled >>Skiing Alone<<.

LESSON to be LEARNED? DO NOT SKI ALONE!!! 

Until next month, have fun, stay safe, practice random acts of kindness!

~ Armand Gutierrez, Da Prez ~ 

Are thoughts of snow and skiing entering your mindspace yet? Well, it IS September and the annual Snow Bomb Ski & Snow Festival is all ready getting ready for their festivities at AT&T Park on 9-10 November and in San Jose on 23-24 November. Volunteer sign-ups will be coming soon. So farm Karen Soo is planning on attending the ATT festival and I’m planning on attending the San Jose festival. If you’re interested in attending then send a note to either Karen (tripdirector@niseiskiclub.org) or me (president@niseiskiclub.org). 

Got your dancin’ shoes ready? The Mountain View Buddhist Temple wants to thank the NSC Obon Festival volunteers for contributing to its success and has invited the NSC membership to their “Oh What A Night” Dance, to be held on October 19th.  There will be live 60’s and 70’s music provided by Somethin’ Else. Details are provided in the flyer. 

We’re closing in on the September 15th deadline for the Sun Peaks ski week trip. We currently have 19 people on board and there’s still plenty of room for signups so what are you waiting for?

In Memorium

Normally these President’s Messages are not too difficult to write with discussions on volunteer events, ski topics, and our updates on the weekend and weeklong ski trips. However, this month’s message had the added dimension of informing the membership of the passing of Tatsuo Sumida on August 14th. “Tats”, as he was affectionately called, passed away peacefully at the age of 85. For many of the newer members not familiar with the history of NSC, Tats and Hi Fujii were co-founders of the Nisei Ski Club, which was an offshoot of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) in the 1950s. Unfortunately, the board and other members of NSC learned of his passing too late to inform the membership to attend his service, which was held on August 24th. For additional information please read the thoughtful write-up by Hoyt Nelson and former president, April Shiro’s recounting of Tats being honoured at NSC’s 40th anniversary.

Membership + Sun Peaks Ski Week Report

We are sad to relate that one of the main founders of the Nisei Ski Club, Tats Sumida, has recently passed on. Tats was an avid skier while a member of the JACL and formed a group of skiers in the early 1950s that eventually became the Nisei Ski Club. A donation in the name of the club has been sent in memory of Tats. Unfortunately, we did not get this information in time to attend his service. His obituary is reprinted below. If anyone has information relating to Tats that you would like to share in the newsletter, or would like to make a donation to the family, please contact the editor at newsletter@niskeskiclub.org.

Obituary Tatsuo C. Sumida, age 85, (born May 17, 1928 ed.) passed away peacefully on August 14, 2013. Tatsuo’s childhood roots were in Los Angeles, which he left for Berkeley. He graduated from the Cal Business school – GO BEARS!! Tatsuo was a teacher for many years at George Washington High School- BEAT LOWELL! Downhill skiing, tennis, swimming, traveling and meeting people were just a few of his favorite pastimes. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Yoko, daughter Lynn and her husband Duke, daughter Ann and her husband Ted and grandchildren Trent and Erika. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 24, 2013-11:30 am at Halsted N. Gray-Carew & English Inc. 1123 Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94109. – See more at: http://www.halstedngray.com/obituary/Tatsuo-C.-Sumida/San-Francisco-CA/1235273#sthash.k3ezQ1Kp.dpuf

EVOLUTION  DEDICATION
TATS SUMIDA

A Survey was sent to the Past Presidents  in January.   They were asked who they would dedicate the 40th Anniversary  ‘Evolution’ to.  Without a doubt, Club Founder,  Tats Sumida was a favored  choice with comments such as  “He’s the Man!!!”.

Past President April Shiro shares some history with us.

“Back in the 1950’s, there weren’t a lot of skiers around and Tats Sumida loved to ski. Tats wanted to go skiing and he wanted to get a lot of other people skiing. He started the JACL Ski Club but that didn’t quite work out so he started his own club with some friends. Since most of them were Nisei, they decided to call it the Nisei Ski Club.

They would get together and decide where they wanted to go, Tats would arrange for the bus transportation and tour lead the group. They even made trips to Mount Shasta and Sun Valley by bus and those buses didn’t have restrooms on board! Arrangements had to be made periodically for rest stops.

Gradually, the club grew and grew and Tats Sumida continued to make the  arrangements for the ski buses, collect money for the ski trips, send out confirma­tions, and deal with last minute problems, He had to start recruiting tour leaders because he started a family of his own and it had been decided that Nisei Ski Club members had to be 21 years of age or older. It didn’t matter to Tats. He took his family up skiing but fortunately for the Nisei Ski Club, Tats kept on making the arrangements for the club bus trips up until 1990. Tats was a school teacher in San Francisco so he did have another full time job! He had connections with the Greyhound Bus company. 

Tats worked tirelessly for the Nisei Ski Club, I know all the members that knew him think the world of him. Tats Sumida made it easier for us all to go skiing.” 

It is with great pleasure that we dedicate ‘Evolution’ to TATS SUMIDA. 

Thank you, Tats, for making the Nisei Ski Club for  us!

~ Celeste Rogers ~

Can you imagine being in a tree house with the city of San Francisco at your feet? That was the first thing we saw on Saturday as we trooped out of Hoyt’s van. The Tree house (next to our meeting place) is in a huge redwood patio equipped with a nice sized BBQ grill, lots of potted plants and interesting garden sculptures such as a bench shaped like a long tortoise.

Bernal Heights is a large rocky hill south of the Mission with a radio tower on top. Some of us dutifully and meditatively walked a nearby rock labyrinth while we waited for the rest to gather around for a group picture taken by Karen Soo.

We set off to climb a few steep stairways – from a few steps to about 100, some winding and some through community gardens. Some streets have cars parked 90 degrees to the streets that were so steep you felt a slight push could tilt them over.

As usual, San Francisco is beautiful, with blue skies, some patches of clouds and fog blowing in from Golden Gate. As much as we sweated from the steep stairs, it was not all that tiring since the cool breezes invigorated us. Trees were flowering with red flowers, community gardens laden with tomatoes, vegetables, garden flowers, profuse bougainvillea and many “ Naked Ladies” – the flowering plants, in case you are wondering. Some eucalyptus trees were so fragrantly swaying in the breeze that it felt good to be alive.

Along the way, we had time to be a kid again sliding down a long, dual metal slide using floor mats, jackets, cardboard or just plain jeans.

After some more arduous stairs – probably more than a thousand, we snacked and rested while being rewarded with a sweeping view of the Golden Gate Bridge on the far left and Downtown SF on the far right.

Soon, we were back near where we started, but were told that we had done only the first half. As we started the second half, we passed a few patches of bushes laden with blackberries ( but only a few worth picking). We stopped to admire a blue house with many water fountains in front, made out of discarded watering cans, buckets, funnels, milk containers, sinks and pumps. I am not sure which was more attractive of the two: the trickling water sounds or the creative water fountains, but we stayed a while to enjoy them.

One of my two guests, Johann, (born in Russia, but lives in Germany) proudly pointed out to me that a German was the brains behind Friends of the Urban Forest (FUF) that had created some of the gardens we passed. Johann was unexpectedly glad to meet and talk (in Russian) with another of our hikers named Ann who was also Russian!! Hoyt was delighted with the meeting!

After one of the last and steepest climbs I turned back, I saw a view of SF that was worth all the huffing and puffing. It reminded me of the many uneven steps, dirty and unsafe surroundings in Rio de Janeiro and how lucky that SF has these stairs that are evenly spaced, with hand railings and flowers and shady trees and without animal poop littering.

Ending the hike, I raced up the Bernal Heights Summit and was out of breath but managed to take a quick video of the awesome 360 degree view.
As usual, Hoyt’s hike was amazing and showed us places in SF that we don’t know about- a hike with wonderful people to chat, catch up and share food with, rewarding views that never fail to fascinate, and a delicious Peruvian lunch to top it off.

A very wonderful way to spend a Saturday!! Cheers, Celeste Rogers (with a few edits by Hoyt)
Thank you, Hoyt!!

Have you ever been cruising along a run and looked off to the side to see some nice glade skiing? Or how about venturing off the main run to head into the trees to poach some untracked powder? I have, and many times was tempted to jump into some sweet skiing without crowds or other people only to remind myself not to go it alone. When skiing I always like to apply what I call the “scuba diving” rule: always have a partner. Yes, the fresh powder may be tempting but if you should fall and get injured no one may be around to help you. I raise this issue because here is an email that I received from fellow skier Sandy Kiyomura:

hi Sandra,

bad news.  I hear that Toby is really laid up and I’m hoping he wont be disabled.  One leg has been operated on, but the other is shattered and they’re waiting for it to stabilize before they operate on it.  It’s a good reason not to ski alone.  I don’t know how to contact him since he hasn’t replied to any emails.

I dont know how we’re going to run the ski club since Toby has been doing mostly everything like the newsletter and the financial problems by himself.

How are you doing?  where are you going skiing this year?

Cathy

Below is an excerpt from MENAFN.COM (Middle East, North Africa, Financial Network):

Skier survives freezing night in mountains of New Zealand

MENAFN – – 8/20/2013 1:43:59 PM

Skier survives freezing night in mountains of New Zealand

Aug 20, 2013 (Menafn – The Honolulu Star-Advertiser – McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) –A 72-year-old Hawaii skier suffered two broken legs, then survived a night in the frigid mountains of New Zealand by fighting to stay awake and exercising his arms to avoid hypothermia, a New Zealand newspaper reports.

Kamehameha Heights resident Toby Kravet, president of the Hawaii Ski Club, “lives for skiing,” his friend Geof Chu told the Star-Advertiser. “He goes every year to New Zealand. This is a yearly ritual for him.”

While skiing alone Sunday at Treble Cone resort, South Island’s largest slopes, Kravet got lost, and police expressed “grave concerns” when he missed his bus back to Queenstown, The Press reported online Monday at stuff.co.nz.

A helicopter search using night-vision equipment failed to find Kravet that night, and the search resumed at daybreak Monday….

Full article: http://www.menafn.com/8b4bad40-702d-4cfb-b8b3-6e721bc150fa/Skier-survives-freezing-night-in-mountains-of-New-Zealand?src=MWHEAD

I would like to thank you and the members of Nisei Ski Club for supporting the Mountain View Temple’s 2013 Obon and Bazaar.  The preparations leading up to and including the Obon and Bazaar week-end were very busy and the help of many volunteers was a key element in the event’s success.

Thank you again on behalf of the Mountain View Buddhist Temple,

Ron Murata,

Volunteer Coordinator

the MVBT ABA invite Nisei Ski Club to come out and dance the night away on Oct 19th to the live music of “Somethin’ Else”

Summer’s half way over!!!  Some kids (and adults) are already going back to school at the end of this month, but you have plenty of time to hit the beaches, do a little angling, go on a famous Hoyte lead hike, or whatever tickles your fancy!

MEMBERSHIP – if you haven’t yet joined or renewed yet, what are you waiting for?  Here’s the membership link >> membership form <<

SUN PEAKS Week Trip – Feb 8-15, 2014 –  2nd largest ski resort in  British Columbia and 3rd largest in all of Canada!  Sun Peaks boasts of 3,678 acres of skiing and almost 3,000 vertical feet of skiing!!!  Dry snow, large vertical, and big terrain!  More info below in Armand’s President’s Message. 

FWSA Week Trip – March 6-15, 2014 – Next season, the Far West Ski Association, of which NSC is a member, is going to Zermatt, Switzerland.  Join Armand on this trip to the land of chocolates, cows, cuckoo clocks and alpine trains!  The Swiss are famous for their trains.  In fact, trains are used en lieu of ski lifts for some of the slopes! For more info: >> FWSA Zermatt Link << . Nota Bene – this is not an NSC event. 

President’s August Message

Summer is gradually coming to an end and fall will soon be upon us. Signs of fall: students returning to school, tree leaves changing from green to yellows and reds, and warm evenings spent outside after a picnic or BBQ. Of course, I’m always thinking about the upcoming ski season. Perhaps that’s because I’m busy with the Sun Peaks trip next February, followed by my Zermatt trip in March. Have you been entertaining thoughts about the upcoming ski season? Will it be a good season with lots of powder and plenty of snow? Or will we head into another drought season? Well, whatever Mother Nature provides us, I’m sure that we’ll all try to make the best of it.

The Mountain View Obon Festival held on July 20-21 was a great success and lots of fun based on the pictures and video that Bill Lee took (thanks Bill). I would like to thank the following members (and a few non-members) for volunteering their time and enthusiasm that contributed to the festival’s success: Angie Fong, Brian Hess, Ken Kato, Bill Lee, Kay Lee, Doris Leung, David Miura, Haruko Nagaishi, Jerry Nishimura , Curtis Otaguro, and David Uyeda. Once again, NSC members have contributed their time to participate in voluntary activities for the local community. (Editor’s note – click on the picture for a video of a young girl’s day of snow cones, duck ponds, bingo and glowing bunnies at this year’s Obon Festival)

~ Armand Gutierrez ~

Last month’s Post-Season Picnic at Las Palmas Park in Sunnyvale was a great event. About 30 members convened at the designated picnic area, which was next door to last year’s picnic spot, with plenty of food for everyone. Looks like Las Palmas Park is a popular venue for picnics so perhaps NSC can start a tradition by having Pre- and Post-Season picnics here every year. Besides the variety of food, Karen Soo had us all gather ‘round for her popular dice game. Would you believe that the winner is related to last year’s winner? I won’t reveal her name because she’ll have her own write-up in the newsletter. See Amy’s report here: << Picnic Report >>

The Mountain View Obon Festival is July 20-21 and if you’re interested in volunteering for the beer booth (or other booths), then please contact Karen Soo ( tripdirector@niseiskiclub.org ) and let her know. They also could use help in several other areas: pre-construction and post-destruction staging (this sounds like fun), manju making, strawberry shortcake booth (is sampling allowed?), and other food booths. So what are you waiting for?

Next year’s FWSA International trip is to Zermatt, Switzerland and a second week in Spain. It’s been 30 years since the last time I was in Zermatt so I just had to sign up for this trip. Yes, it’s a little pricey (more than the Chamonix and Innsbruck trips), but viewing and skiing next to the Matterhorn is priceless. Zermatt is a quaint little town that does not allow automobiles on the streets. Yes, you walk everywhere: to the restaurants, shopping, and the ski lifts. There are horse-drawn carriages for those that would like to see the town the old fashioned way. I’m looking forward to skiing Zermatt and possibly some side trips to various nearby Italian ski resorts (Monte Cervinia is on the other side of the Matterhorn). If you have any questions about the Zermatt trip then contact me at president@niseiskiclub.org.
(FWSA Website: http://www.fwsa.org/Travel/InternationalSki/2014-FWSA-Zermatt/2014-FWSA-Zermatt.html)

The Sun Peaks ski week trip already has seven signups and I’m sure there’ll be more. If you haven’t signed up then now is the time to do so. Normally final payments aren’t due ‘till November or December, but Alaska Airlines is requiring final payments by October. So get your check outs, fill out the sign-up forms and be part of what should be a great trip.