Nisei Ski Club

by Armand Gutierrez, President  

May is here and that means it’s time to bring an end to the NSC 2024-2025 season. This was an exciting year with more-than-average snowfall in Tahoe, numerous non-ski events planned for the coming season, and a few accomplishments for last year:

• Livermore Hike Event
• Tiburon Bike Event
• Annual Luau and Membership Picnic
• Mahjong Event
• Pickle Ball Event
• NSC Potluck at Miraido Village
• Sun Peaks Ski Week
• FWSA Tignes/Val d’Isere Ski Week
• Bowling Event

Upcoming Events

There are a several events coming up:

• 10 May, Saturday – Hiking Event with Joel Hayashida
• 21 June, Saturday – Miniature Golf with Angela Ren.
• 13 July, Sunday – SF Giants vs. LA Dodgers at Oracle Park
• 10 August, Sunday – Annual Membership/Luau Picnic
• 23 August, Saturday – Mahjong Event with Judy Hom

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

Membership Report

There have been no new members and our total remains at 86. June is next month and that marks the start of the NSC 2025-2026 season, and it’s time to restart the upcoming season with a return of our standby events and a few new ones. Beginning this month you can take advantage of the $5 membership discount if you sign up and submit your membership form by May 31^st (there were a few early birds in April). Please submit your application to Armand Gutierrez (Membership Chairman).

2026 NSC Ski Week

Plans for Park City for 2026 are in progress and final details are being worked on. Park City is on the Epic Pass and you might want to consider getting an Epic Pass for this trip. Online lift ticket prices are not exactly user-friendly and group rates are not available. The Park City flyer will be in the June Newsletter.

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

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

Board Nominations & Elections

The nominations process is complete and the next step is elections. The elections designee (that would be Karen Soo) has indicated there are two new nominations for Treasurer- Kristin Thornquist and Jason Ku.  Therefore, the slate will consist of the incumbents that are returning to the board and the two new nominees. It is important that you do vote because this is the first time in many years that there are two nominees for the same position and it will be decided by you, the membership. Both nominees have submitted a short paragraph on their qualifications so please be sure to read them. The election ballot will be distributed in the coming weeks.

Questions: contact president@niseiskiclub.org

QotM: Always choose life. Forgive everyone everything.

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Nisei Ski Club’s elections will be held in the month of May and we need you to vote. Most of the 2024 Officers and Board members are coming back for 2025. Sadly, Frank Chang / NSC treasurer is hanging up his calculator and Quicken program to pursue other interests. I think he’s after my Newsletter Editor position.

We want to thank Frank for his many years of volunteering for the club. Frank, the accounting books better be balanced to the penny before you leave. (Just kidding) Frank is so detailed. He will help guide the next elected Treasurer to get familiar with the books and procedures.

We have some exciting news this year where 2 NSC members were nominated to become the next NSC Treasurer. Here is a little background on our 2 nominees. Jason Ku and Kristin Thornquist.

Ballots will be going out next week. Please do your civil Nisei Ski Club duty and VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jason Ku

Jason and his wife are empty-nesters with two adult daughters.  He recently retired after 30 years working at Intel in various team leadership and engineering management roles.  He grew up in the Bay Area and developed his passion for skiing on the slopes of the Tahoe resorts.  He was introduced to the Nisei Ski Club by his uncle, Frank Chang, in 2018 for the Vail trip, and has enjoyed being a part of the various trips since.  He was able to spark the ski bug in one of his daughters, who’s joined on a couple of the Nisei trips as well.  Jason is also an avid cyclist, enjoys travel, and woodworking.  He holds an MS in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Kristin Thornquist

I am a retired CPA with a Masters in Finance.  I currently serve as Treasurer for both BAC and Bay Area Waterski Club,  and past Treasurer for Apres Ski Club, SnowDrifters and Fun & Sun Watersports Club. So I’m pretty qualified.

My biggest hobbies are skiing (obviously) and travel.  I’m currently in China as I write this.  I’ve been to 61 foreign countries, with an even longer bucket list of countries to visit.  I also volunteer for an orphaned kitten rescue, and during tax season, I’m a volunteer tax preparer through VITA for low income taxpayers. 

Being retired, I still have plenty of time available to devote to being Nisei Ski Club next Treasurer.

Jeff Honda – Board Member

Lucky strikers Judy Hom, Winston Fong, Curtis Otaguro, Lorraine Tatsukawa and Ann Cowels participated in the Nisei Ski Club bowling event on 4/6/25 at Fourth Street Bowl. Unfortunately, there were three walking wounded (Jeff Honda-shoulder, Jeanne Katsuro-toe injury, and Roland Lee-shoulder) who couldn’t suit up.

They and John Tatsukawa were there to both cheer on our high rollers and compare war wounds (see below). Our crew bowled three games each and although scores will remain unreported (per request!), Winston Fong swept the competition with high game, total pins and average! His impressive series include 1 turkey (three strikes in a row) and 1 double (2 strikes in a row).

By Roland Lee  – Board Member

By Jeanne Katsuro – Vice President And friend John Tatsukawa

Record attendance – 3 fallen injured and lots of laughs. 

1st place prize winner: Roland Lee receives 500mg of extra Strength Tylenol.

Roland fell off a 5-foot ladder before the bowling event. He dislocated his clavicle and has 2 torn tendons. Roland is now a Lame Duck with a Broken Wing!

2nd place prize winner: Jeanne Katsuro receives 250mg of Advil.

Jeanne came to the NSC Bowling event. She was ready and prepared to bowl that day.

Unfortunately, Jeanne dropped her bowling bag which contained the bowling ball, 3 bottles of water, shoes on her little toe!  Yeow! She could not get her bowling shoes on!

After bowling and lunch, Kaiser emergency confirmed that her toe was NOT broken and it was a bone bruise.

                        Pain level 10 at time of the Dropped Bag

                        Pain Level now fluctuates between 3- 8

We sat in the injured section of the bowling alley and laughed our heads off.

We were sharing war stories of our injuries over the years!

It was so much fun!

            Once again, Roland takes top prize as the winner!

• He has gotten run over by a car 4 times in his life
• He has fallen off a 20-foot ladder and a 5-foot ladder
• Plus, he was electrocuted!
• He was a San Francisco Firefighter blown back off the 20-foot ladder from an explosion that occurred in the fire.
• He was pushed back into a live wire and was electrocuted!

(Newsletter Editor Footnote- I think this guy is a cat with 9 lives.)

Jeanne only has bragging rights on the following:

• 5 knee surgeries from snow skiing
• 3 arthroscopies
• 2 total knee replacements

Roland is on Tough Dude!  We were surprised that he is still walking!

            Roland’s response:  Next event, NSC will Sponsor a Wheelchair Race!

                                    $5 discount for Nisei Ski Club Members!

           
Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha!  We had fun, even if we’re all getting old!

by Joel Hayashida, Board Member

Saturday, May 10 2025: Meet at Lafayette Reservoir Parking @9:30AM

Join the NSC for a beautiful spring Bay Area hike at the Lafayette Reservoir (East Bay MUD Link), and continue the fun by strolling the Walnut Creek Downtown Broadway Plaza (Link) zone “après hike” and explore the shops, brewpubs, and eateries led by former NSC President, Joel Hayashida.  The baseline 3-mile morning hike that encircles the reservoir (AllTrails Link) has gentle hills and refreshing water views.  Depending on group interest and abilities, we can also take the 4-mile Lafayette Reservoir and Rim trail Loop (AllTrails Link).  Along the way, we will see late spring flowers, trees, the lake, and perhaps wildlife!  Park at the Reservoir parking lot (Google Maps Link).  The all-day parking fee is $7 per vehicle and the kiosk accepts major credit cards and quarters.  Bring: hat, sunscreen, sturdy shoes, water…  Downtown Walnut Creek activity will be ad hoc but with a plan based on group interest.  Target eatery is True Food Kitchen in Broadway Plaza.
True Food Kitchen Link: True Food Kitchen | Seasonal Restaurant & Scratch Bar

Everyone invited to eat with us after the hike Approximate Time to meet: 1PM

Lafayette Reservoir Link: Lafayette Reservoir :: East Bay Municipal Utility District

Final details will be provided to signees via email around May 5, 2025.

Registration & Questions: Email Joel Hayashida at Diablohike@niseiskiclub.org

 First Name: ______________________________ Last Name: ___________________________________

Cell Phone: _________________________________ Email: ______________________________________

Please register so that we know you are attending and for more details.  We will email details on parking and plan for the NSC Diablo Valley hike and stroll within a week of this event!

“Changes in Latitude”

Far West Ski Association’s 92nd Annual Convention will be held in Palm Springs, California.”  Hosted by the Orange Council of Ski Clubs. Far West is looking forward to coming back to Palm Springs, June 12-15, 2025.

Armand will be attending the convention and representing NSC as a voting delegate and as an FWSA International Travel team member. He will be there on Friday, 13th and returning on Sunday, 15th.

202505-FWSA-Convention-FlyerDownload

by Angela Ren Nisei Ski Club Member

Miniature Golf

Bring your friends! Join in the Fun with Nisei Ski Club!

Date: Saturday, 6/21/25

Milpitas Golfland 1199 Jacklin Road

https://www.golfland.com/milpitas/

10 am to noon

$18/ per person

Lunch to Follow Join us!

Everyone is Welcome ~ Mini Golfer or Free Spirit!

Please join us for lunch at 12:45pm

Cheung Hing Seafood Restaurant

1235 E. Calaveras Blvd, Milpitas

202505 NSC Miniature Golf June 21_AngelaDownload

by Tina Woo, , Board Member

BEAT LA!   BEAT LA!   BEAT LA!

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2025

SF Giants vs. LA Dodgers – Game starts at 1:05pm

Oracle Park View Reserved Section

Only 30 tickets available

Special Price from a Season Ticket Holder

Nisei Ski Club Member $60

Non Nisei Ski Club Member $68

We would like at least one Nisei member per group of 4 attending.

Meet for Lunch @ 11:30am near the Crazy Crab’z Section 142 inside Giant’s Stadium

Please email Tina Woo for if you are interested baseball@niseiskiclub.org

Please complete the below information PER PERSON

Name: First ____________________________________ Last ___________________________________________

­­­Phone Number: _______________________________ Email _________________________________________ 

Write Check Payable to Nisei Ski Club

Send Check to Nisei Ski Club c/o Tina Woo, 21577 Villa Maria Court, Cupertino, CA 95014

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

If you’re a fan of chocolate, nuts, and coconut, go ahead and add cowboy cookies to your list of favorite desserts. This cookie is a riff on the classic chocolate chip cookie with hearty mix-ins, which means they’re moist, chewy, and loaded with gooey chocolate.

Saddle up and bring them to your next bake sale, bake ’em for a special after-school snack for the kids, or add them to your Christmas cookie plate. These loaded cookies are seriously irresistible!

Why are they called cowboy cookies?

These cookies were made famous by former First Lady Laura Bush, who submitted them for a baking contest during the 2000 presidential election. Her Texas-sized, cowboy cookies beat out her competitor Tipper Gore’s ginger snap recipe, and they began their road to fame from there!

What ingredients are in cowboy cookies? Cowboy cookies start with the base of a chocolate chip cookie; from there, you add bonus ingredients like oats, pecans, coconut, and M&M’s.

Enjoy!

Bon Appetite – Julia Child and Karen Soo share the same birthday.

Makes 11 dozen small cookies or 5 dozen large cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose sifted flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 2 cups chocolate chips

For variations use:

Chopped walnuts, coconut flakes, and 6 oz of chocolate chip

Or

Plain M&M’s candies to garnish top of cookies red and green for Christmas or pastels for Spring/ Easter

Directions

1. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder: set aside
2. Blend together shortening and sugars: cream well
3. Add eggs and vanilla
4. Beat until light and fluffy
5. Add flour mixture and mix well
6. Add oats and chocolate chips. Dough will be crumbly.
7. Roll dough into size of a walnut, flatten on greased cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees
8. Press M&M’s into the flattened dough, if decorating with M&M candies.

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Discover the 2025 AAPI Heritage Month Celebration Guide
San Francisco’s Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month is your gateway to exploring vibrant traditions and diverse cultures. Our carefully curated guide features an array of exciting AAPI cultural performances, workshops, film screenings, community festivals, and author talks taking place throughout May 2025. Consider this guide your passport to experiencing the rich heritage of our community.

https://apasf.org/#guide