They say time flies when you’re having fun.  Well, it’s been a quick NSC season and I’d like to thank the hard working volunteers, especially the officers and board members of this NSC year. Read the rest of this entry »

John and Amy

The Nisei Ski Club put together yet another fabulous and well-organized weekend.  Great friends, terrific food, lots of laughs, combined with great snow and truly perfect ski weather.  40 folks joined us on this trip up to Squaw Valley on Saturday and Northstar on Sunday.  Three MSSC members participated, Elaine Giampietro, Maria Palazzolo (new MSSC Member) and Amy Williams, along with a new friend John McDonald from Capitola.

Gratefully, good weather was on our side, thus arriving at The Sands, Reno around midnight.  So much saner than the 4:30 AM arrival on Trip #3.  Once again, our intrepid bus driver, Grady, got us there safely and swiftly.  A variety of videos on board, trivia games and conversation seem to hasten the ride.  Talk about organization.  Terrific food evidently made with love and the best ingredients provided substance.  Plenty of liquid refreshments also helped!

Saturday was a beautiful, sunny day.  Many of us went up to Squaw Valley for skiing and snowboarding, a few remained in Reno for retail therapy and pampering.  Elaine’s long time friend from Cape Cod hooked up both Saturday and Sunday. Read the rest of this entry »

Photos by Bill Lee

This was the NSC Potluck weekend.  Unlike the previous trip two weeks earlier, the roads were clear, so the trip went quickly.  The back of the bus is where the party was happening. As usual, that’s where most of the members of the Monterey Ski and Social Club sat – coincidence? – You decide.  Grady was our driver again and he did an excellent job of getting us to our various destinations, quickly and most importantly safely.

After eating dinner on the bus, we were able to watch a movie on board. On the previous trip, the video player wasn’t working.  Also working this time was the light in the bus lavatory, which made using the facilities much easier.  After arriving at the Sands in Reno about 12:15 am, most people went straight to bed.

The next morning, the bus left at a bright and way too early time of 7:45am.  After breakfast was served on the bus and money for lift tickets was collected, we arrived at Squaw Valley at about 8:30am. We were soon on the slopes.

After a full day of skiing and an après ski spread back at the bus, we headed back to Reno.  After showering and getting changed, it was time for the NSC potluck dinner. The event was held in a couple of NSC members hotel rooms.  There were variety types of food and everyone ate their fill. There were plenty of leftovers for a couple of days of lunch! Read the rest of this entry »

A man’s home is his castle, in a manor of speaking.

Dijon vu – the same mustard as before.

Practice safe eating – always use condiments.

Shotgun wedding – A case of wife or death. Read the rest of this entry »

Photos by Karen Soo

Pictures by Bob Kikuchi.  Click on Image to see full-size picture.

As everyone knows by now, Japan has suffered a major catastrophic earthquake and tsunami.  All our hopes and prayers go out to them in their time of need.  The people of Japan prepared extremely well and their response has been exceptional, but this event is greater than anyone could have imagined.  Their needs are great and we should help as much as we can.  Short of flying over there (and possibly being part of the problem rather than part of the solution) our best means of support is to donate money.  The following are a few of the places to donate.  I’m sure you can find more through Google, etc. Read the rest of this entry »

NSC: How long have you been skiing? How did you start?

In my senior year at college, my roommates got me to try skiing.  They showed me how to snowplow for a few minutes and then left.  I spent much of that afternoon on the bunny slopes trying to get up while little kids whizzed past spraying snow all over me.

NSC: How did you hear of NSC? What convinced you to join?

I broke my leg in 2003 when my 9 year old ski bindings didn’t release. I bought new shaped skis for safety, but they were so much more fun to ski on, I started looking for a way to ski more often.  I reviewed websites of every ski club in the Bay Area and picked NSC which seemed to have the best program.  Not having a 4WD and wanting to meet more people to ski with, bus trips were perfect for me. Read the rest of this entry »

A few months ago, I met Jennifer Kaneda through a common friend. The three of us started talking about skiing over lunch and Jenni mentioned the Nisei Ski Club (NSC) and their weekend trips. What got my attention was the fact that the bus leaves at 6:30pm on Friday night. Unlike the other clubs who leaves at 4AM on Saturday morning. And by the way, I love my sleep. Read the rest of this entry »

This trip began with a threat of stormy weather.  The Bay Area was under a constant media blitz of potential blizzard, or at least snow on every mound of earth if not down to sea level.  As it was, the blizzard in the Bay Area was a bust.  But the storm did materialize for NSC’s bus trip Friday night.

The bus was filled with happy NSC skiers, guests and our contingent from the Monterey Ski Club.  A wonderful dinner of ground beef and peas over rice and real homemade mango pudding for dessert provided by Karen was enjoyed by all.  Unfortunately the bus’ DVD player would not cooperate, so the long bus ride was without the added entertainment.  Read the rest of this entry »

1. 3M and GOODYEAR (The new company will be called MMM Good.)

2. HONEYWELL, IMASCO and HOME OIL (The new company will be called Honey, I’m Home.)

3. DENISON MINES, ALLIANCE and METAL MINING (The new company will be called Mine, All Mine.)

4. ZIPPO MFG., AUDI, DOFASCO and DAKOTA MINING (The new company will be called Zip Audi Do-Da.)

5. W.R.GRACE CO., FULLER BRUSH CO., MARY KAY COSMETICS, and HALE BUSINESS SYSTEMS (The new company will be called Hale, Mary, Fuller, Grace.)

6. POLYGRAM RECORDS, WARNER BROS. and KEEBLER (The new company will be called Poly-Warner-Cracker.)

7. KNOT’S BERRY FARM & THE NAT. ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN (The new company will be called Knot Now.)

1. The Von Trapps established The Trapp Family Lodge in 1950 with 27 rooms at Stowe, VT.

2. Eastern Boilerplate refers to a crust of ice on top of snow which frequently occurs at the low elevations on many Eastern US ski slopes.

3. The first American resort to stage a winter Olympics was Lake Placid, NY.

4. Ullr is the Norse god of Winter.

5. Vertical gate combinations on a race course are referred to as flushes.

6. Sonny Bono ran into a tree at Heavenly Valley.

Picture by Monterey Ski and Social Club.

Photos by Bob Kikuchi

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Pictures by Bill Lee.   Click on individual pictures to see full-sized image.

Everybody’s favorite volunteer activity is coming sooner than you think.  We need lots of folks to procure, cook and prepare our famous Chinese chicken salad and lots more to sell and otherwise put on the biggest NSC moneymaker of the year.  We will meet Sat. AM May 30 at the Mtn. View Buddhist Church (575 N Shoreline Blvd.) and Sun all day at the SJ Buddhist Church lot (640 N 5th St.)  Come and renew old friendships while you help your club. Contact Alice Horio at vicepresident@niseiskiclub.org for details and to sign up for a shift on either or both days.

50 NSC members just returned from our weeklong trip to Keystone, CO.  We hit the best snow in 14 years according to the locals.  Even during the trip, members were already asking where we’re going next year.  This year was a La Niña year, which according to the experts stacked storms in the Pacific and pound the Northwest and Northern Rockies this winter.  Talking to people on the lift chair, there wasn’t enough snow in Taos or Telluride, but plenty at Vail and Keystone.  According to weather reports, La Niña will be over by this summer.

Banff was brought up by members as possible destination, but due to the fluctuating Canadian exchange rate travel agencies are reluctant to lock in prices.  When we went to Whistler last year, Joel had problems locking in a price.  We could book the trip, but the price wasn’t guaranteed.   Just like how airlines can add a fuel surcharge if the price of jet fuel goes up, travel agencies wanted the right to increase the price if the US dollar dropped against the Canadian dollar.  A bit outrageous.

I’m thinking of three options: Mammoth, Sun Valley, or Jackson Hole.

FWSA is also going to Jackson Hole in 2012 on the last week of January.  So, if we go to Jackson Hole, we may join the FWSA trip.

If you have a destination suggestion, please contact me:  president@niseiskiclub.org

I’ve added a new page on the website listing all the past weeklong trips: NSC Presidents and Weeklong Trips

Click on each image to see the full size image:

Mozart at top of Dercum Mountain

Cat Dancer at top of North Peak

Spill Way at top of North Peak

Snow Fort at top of Dercum Mountain

Top of Outback looking down the North Bowl side

If you have pictures or links to your photo album you want to share with others who went on the Keystone trip, send them to me at president@niseiskiclub.org and I’ll post them on the website.

Many Asians consider the upcoming New Year’s holiday (according to the lunar calendar) to be the most important in the year.  We on the NSC board therefore wish all members and friends (Oriental or not) a most happy and prosperous New Year of the hare (except in Vietnam, where it is the year of the cat).

For some who may not know much about this holiday, I compiled a few interesting (at least to me) facts.  Some implementations (which may vary from place to place in the Far East).  Please help me if I say anything wrong! Read the rest of this entry »

1. The Von Trapp family of “Sound of Music” fame established a ski hotel in the US.  Which resort?

2. Eastern Boilerplate describes what condition?

3. Which was the first N. American resort to stage a Winter Olympics?

4. What, or who is Ullr?

5. What are vertical gate combinations in a ski race called?

6. At what ski resort did Sonny Bono run into a tree?

Answer to Last Month’s Puzzle:

With 2 candles, devise a way to determine when 3/4 hour has passed within a few seconds.

1. Light both ends of candle #1 and just one end of candle #2 (as close together as possible).  Assume that holding the candle sideways doesn’t change the rate of burn.)

2. When candle #1 is all burned out (after 1/2 hour), light the other end of candle #2.

3. When candle #2 burns out (after 15 mins more), it will be 3/4 hour from the beginning.

Pictures by Bill Lee

Answer to last month’s puzzle:

Replace all the Xs with digits to make this division valid.  It’s easier than you think. Read the rest of this entry »

About a dozen members and friends enjoyed a day at the newly-re-opened Oakland Museum on this Sunday.  It was a “free” day so we got there an hour early just to make sure.  I normally avoid “free” days since they are typically very crowded but even though the line was about 200ft. long by opening, Read the rest of this entry »