Nisei Ski Club

by Armand Gutierrez, President  

In December I had plans for skiing Tahoe, a rarity since the snowfall is not usually good in December. To make up for not skiing in December I did spend two weekends in Tahoe and got in 4 days of skiing. I was pleasantly surprised that the snow was in good condition due to the cold temps that prevailed and the ability to fire up the snowmaking equipment. But alas, there still were runs that had bushes and little trees showing. Weather predictions are for rain to come to the Bay Area in February so let’s pray that Mother Nature blesses us with an abundant snowfall.

Membership Report

Let’s welcome Ann Cowels and Joyce Weiss as new members that joined at the NSC Potluck Lunch and our total is now 86 members.

2025 FWSA Summer Ski Trip – Valle Nevado, Chile

The Valle Nevado trip is currently taking applications and if you’re thinking about this possible once-in-a-lifetime ski adventure, then now is the time to step up to the plate and sign up. This is the first FWSA summer ski trip to Valle Nevado, Chile. This is a 10-day trip with 7 nights in Valle Nevado and 2 nights in Santiago. Lift tickets are included on this trip, and if you have an Ikon Pass a discount is available depending on the type of Ikon Pass you have. If you are interested then please contact me at your earliest convenience (president@niseiskiclub.org) or see the flyer for additional details.

2025 FWSA Summer Ski Trip – Valle Nevado, Chile

2025 NSC Ski Week

The Sun Peaks team is off to Sun Peaks for a week (1-8 Feb) of skiing, schussing, dining, and experiencing the Canadian way of life on the slopes. Bill Lee, our unofficial photographer, will return with his usual album of photographs chronicling our ski week.

Questions: contact president@niseiskiclub.org

QotM: Actions prove who someone is, words just prove who they pretend to be.

by Tina Woo, , Board Member

BEAT LA!   BEAT LA!   BEAT LA!

Take me out to the ball game,

Take me out with the crowd;

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks,

I don’t care if I never get back.

Let me root, root, root for GIANTS (OR DODGERS),

If they don’t win, it’s a shame.

For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out,  at the old ball game.

Come see the 2024 World Series Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers play against the San Francisco Giants. See the players: DH Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernandez, Tommy Edman, Will Smith, Max Muncy, to name a few, including Most Valuable Series player, Freddie Freeman. They beat the New Work Yankees 4 to 1 in an exciting final win!!

Would you be interested in joining fellow Nisei Ski Club members in the classic battle between the SF Giants vs. LA Dodgers.  If so, please complete this survey.  How many tickets can we order for you:  Sunday, July 13, 2025  at SF Oracle Park.  Game time:  12:45 pm.

Name & Contact Info_________________________________

____ # of tickets you need? 

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

She would like to start the process of ordering tickets for the game.  View Reserved Section 313 beginning with Row 12.  Go Giants!  Go Dodgers! 

Sign up now!

by Jeanne Katsuro, Vice President

Sign Up Soon! We have 20 people who are interested in signing up for the France Trip. October 23 – November 3, 2025 Reservation is for 38 people.

Signup with this hyperlink for the France trip here deposit $698

https://gateway.gocollette.com/link/1286433

Here are the answers to most of your popular questions for the France Magnifique Vacation.

1. The deposit of $698 is completely refundable up to April 24
2. The insurance refundable of $549 is completely refundable up to April 24
3. April 25 or after if you purchased insurance, the amount you paid minus the insurance.
4. Collette insurance you can cancel for any reason – no medical excuse necessary.
5. Sign up for the France now & sign up for the Pre and Post Trips Later
6. You can sign up for the dinner at the Paris Latin for a champagne flowing can-can kicking music driven cabaret later. Value: $225
   This is the event I am hoping that Nisei Ski Club can pay for from our commission it will depend how many people sign up.
7. Bonus Information! Collette is giving us more money back!

Participants who had travelled with Collette Travel will get Loyalty Points!

5% of your land portion of your trip and insurance
For Eastern Canada Travellers, this amount is approximately: $140 to $190 each person’s Loyalty Dollars vary.

More than just travel insurance. It is Medical Insurance as well

Collette Travel Insurance Plan Covers the following

1. Cost of the trip including the deposit
2. Cancel for Any Reason ~ No Medical Reason Needed Emergency Medical Expenses Covered in France
3. Medical Needs including Hospitalization up to $50,000 Note: Your own medical insurance policy may not cover medical expenses in another country
4. Travel Delay Coverage Example: If your travel partner needs to stay in a Hospital for a medical emergency, your expenses to stay in France with your partner will be covered up to $150/day up to $2100
5. Emergency Dental Expenses ~ $75
6. With the Collette Travel & Medical Insurance there is No Deductible.

We are currently working on a pre-trip to London for 3 days and a post trip in Paris for 3 additional days.  More information to come.

by Jeanne Katsuro, Vice President

A magical island topped by a gravity-defying abbey, the Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay count among France’s most stunning sights. For centuries one of Europe’s major pilgrimage destinations, this holy island is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as is its breathtaking bay.

Sign Up! France Manifique Trip October 23 – November 03, 2025

Reservation is for 38. It will be fun for Nisei to fill the whole bus!

Signup with this hyperlink for the France trip here deposit $698 which is fully refundable by April 2025

https://gateway.gocollette.com/link/1286433

First Come First Serve! If you want to add 3 more nights to the end of the Paris Manifique Trip, I have reserved only 6 rooms currently.

Those of you who want to go to France with Nisei Ski Club!

    I have arranged a 3 night Post Trip in Paris to stay at

        Hyatt Regency Etoile where we will be ending our France Manifique Trip.

            Price is $1140 per person which is $380 per night.

            The price includes breakfast and tax and fees.

                Tax is 8.45%

                Plus there is a 20% VAT or Value Added Tax on both the breakfast and the room.     

            Here is an approximate break out of the taxes and fees

                $275 Room

                $  20 Breakfast

                $295 Total

                $   59 VAT 20% Value Added Tax

                $   24.92     8.45% City Tax

                $378.92 Total

            If you want to try to compare the prices.

I have concluded that it is a very good price given the Hyatt Regency Etoile Location and the other extras we get.

If you take this Post Tour with Collette, it will be covered in the $549 Collette Travel Insurance.  It will not cost more money for the insurance.

Travel Insurance must be purchased at the time of the initial deposit.

For those travelers who are coming from San Jose, it will also include the travel to and from the SF Airport on the later date.

I have Reserved only 6 rooms for the group at this price.

First Come First Serve!

In order to reserve this Post Tour you have to sign up for the basic France Manifique Tour and then we can add it on.

If there are more rooms needed, as time goes by the prices go up.

Currently, the price for this Post Tour is reserved.

By Ida Gamban – Guest

On January 18th, the Nisei Ski Club hosted a potluck as a reunion for the Nisei Ski Club Eastern Canada Travelers and friends. Bringing together 45 members and guests to the Miraido Village Party Room in San Jose Japantown. This festive gathering provided a wonderful opportunity for attendees to reconnect, share exciting travel experiences, learn about upcoming adventures, and enjoy an afternoon of games and camaraderie.

Event organizer Jeanne Katsuro, along with Collette Travel Coordinator, delivered captivating presentations on past and future travel opportunities. Jeanne recounted her group’s unforgettable journey to Eastern Canada, while Laurie Miller from Collette introduced an array of breathtaking travel possibilities from cruising along the Black Sea in Europe to embarking on an exhilarating safari in South Africa.

Following the presentations, guests indulged in a lavish buffet filled with a delectable mix of Asian and American cuisine. The spread featured everything from a rich and creamy crab dip to savory pineapple cha shu bao, delicate somen noodles, tender pulled pork, and an array of other mouthwatering dishes. Dessert was equally impressive, with freshly baked pies, homemade cookies, and other sweet treats satisfying every craving.

As the afternoon continued, the spirit of friendly competition took over. Some guests gathered around card tables for a lively game of poker, while others engaged in spirited rounds of mahjong, Scrabble, and various board games. Laughter and conversation filled the air as experienced players guided newcomers through the intricacies of different games, creating an atmosphere of warmth and inclusion.

The club’s camaraderie was unmistakable, as members old and new bonded over shared experiences and new friendships formed. To top it all off, attendees were encouraged to take home leftovers from the feast, a perfect way to savor the event long after the afternoon had ended.

With good food, great company, and the promise of exciting travel adventures on the horizon, the Nisei Ski Club potluck was a resounding success, setting the stage for another year of unforgettable memories.

By Sandy Kiyomura, NSC Member

On Saturday January 25th, Seven Nisei Ski Club members boarded the United flight to Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Who was on the trip? Elaine Graves, Roland Lee, David Uyeda, Jay Fukuda, Ed Lee, David Uyeda and myself, Sandy Kiyomura. We joined 135 others members from Far West Ski Association. At the airport, I saw an old friend, Jim Stewart from Rusty Bindings. I met Jim on a Far West trip to Japan, once in 2004 and again in 2017. Jim was such a nice person that he treated me to a nice breakfast.

We had a smooth flight to Calgary. Their mountains looked different than the ones in the Sierras. At Calgary airport, we took a bus to Banff. After settling in, Elaine and I went to registered and got my 5-day lift pass. Sorry to say, I only skied 2 out of the 5 days – details to follow.

We met up with the group that evening and we had Pho for dinner. The next day we were excited to ski Lake Louise. David Uyeda, Jim Stewart and I took the mountain tour. I wasn’t used to skiing so fast since I’ve only skied at NorthStar earlier in the month. Our guide Davide from Italy was excellent. He took us all over the mountain.  Guides usually cannot take skiers on black runs. We met up with more people after lunch and skied until 3:30pm.

The next day we went back to ski Lake Louise. I skied with Elaine and I’m happy I skied nonstop on a black diamond run. The run was called Meadowlark and I won’t forget it. We skied on this run right after lunch and I experienced a “weird” fall. I twisted and was falling backwards down the hill with my legs split. Ouch. I felt a pop and came to rest with my left ski uphill. A nice ski instructor, Cameron stopped and helped me. Once I told him I just had hip surgery a few months ago he called Ski Patrol and 3 patrollers got me off the slopes. Elaine said they were going really fast down the slopes, but all I could see was the sky. There was a small clinic at the bottom, but they sent me to the hospital via the ambulance.  After some X-rays, they determined nothing was broken and I probably tore my hamstring.  Elaine and Roland were able to help me back to the hotel by 8pm. So now you know why I only skied 2 days and have crutches and a wheelchair as my mode of transportation for the week.

There were many events planned during a Far Wes Ski trip, both on and off the slopes.

 I really enjoyed their dessert night. We attended Council night where Karen Albrecht announced that the exchange rate was so good that she gave each room a $62 bottle of wine in addition to the prime rib or salmon entrée. There was a picnic at the lodge at Lake Louise and a farewell dinner dance. Unfortunately, I couldn’t dance. SNIFF, SNIFF

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Baby, It’s cold out there.

New York encountered some cold, frigid weather in the past week. Hats, gloves and down jackets are definitely needed. It doesn’t feel this cold skiing in the mountains.

Nothing beats this weather with some hot soup to warm up this young body. This French Onion soup is a favorite of mine. You know the restaurants are charging between $9.00 to $12.00 for just a bowl of French Onion with the melted Gruyere cheese on top. Make it yourself. You can use half the recipe and smile after that first taste.

Enjoy!

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

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1hour 20 minutes

Servings: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 to 4 large red or yellow onions (about 3 pounds), peeled and thinly sliced
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 2 quarts beef stock (8 cups)
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
• 8 to 12 (½-inch) slices French bread (from 1 loaf)
• 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt butter in a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and ½ teaspoon salt, stir and cover, letting onions soften for 5 minutes. Remove lid and let onions caramelize until golden brown over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Adjust heat if onions are browning too quickly. The caramelization process may take 45 to 60 minutes.

• Meanwhile, warm broth in a saucepan over low heat.

• Once onions are caramelized, add wine and sherry to the pot and allow mixture to come to boil. Stir in flour and let thicken for a minute or two.

• Slowly add warm broth, ¼ teaspoon salt and the pepper to the onion mixture and boil uncovered for 10 minutes. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

• Heat the broiler, and arrange individual ovenproof casseroles on a baking sheet. Ladle soup into casseroles, and cover top with bread slices. Sprinkle each casserole generously with Gruyère.

• Broil for a minute or two, watching carefully, until cheese melts and browns. Serve immediately.

Tip

• You can prepare the soup through step 4 up to 2 months in advance. Thaw and reheat, then top with the bread and cheese and broil to serve.

by Karen Soo, Trip Director

I love a sale especially when it comes to ski clothes. I mean how many ski outfits do one person need?

There is a new store that just opened up in Union City. I was contacted by the Account Manager of Columbia Sportswear. There’s a sale for Ski pass holders.

Ski Pass Holders Get Exclusive Access to the Columbia Sportswear Employee Store in Richmond and Union City until March 31^st.

Columbia Employee Store Invitation Details:

• Store is stocked with current season products from our family of brands – Columbia, Mountain Hardwear, SOREL and prAna – items are marked 40% below retail prices
• For store access, please provide your Ski Season Pass  
• Invitees can bring up to four additional guests with each visit
• This offer is for store access (not valid online)
• Valid at both our Richmond and Union City Employee Stores

Ski Pass Holder Access at Columbia Sportswear Employee Store in Richmond and Union City until March 31^st.

Union City https://stores.columbia.com/ca/union-city/employee-store-423

Richmond https://stores.columbia.com/ca/richmond/employee-store-426

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

The last time I visited Italy was 1997. Sadly, it was same year we lost Princess Diana.

Twenty-seven years later, I returned to Italy again for a friend’s destination wedding in Stresa, a town north of Milan. We continued to make this a longer vacation and traveled to Cinque Terre, stopped in Pisa for pictures, continue to Florence, Venice with boat trips to Burano, Torcello and Murano and back to Milan for the return trip home.

Time has definitely changed. We have the internet to plan and book our own flights. Booking accommodations from Booking.com and Agoda.com. These days you can “Skip the line” to visit the museums and see Italy’s sightseeing tours, attractions and excursions from Getyourguide.com and Viator.com. Travel blogs, Facebook groups and Instagram are just a few social media resources that were helpful in planning this trip.

After 3 days of wedding events, Curtis and I continued our trip to Cinque Terre. A 3 ½ hour train ride from Milan. Cinque Terre is located along the Ligurian coast of Italy, consisting of five picturesque villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. Cinque Terre is known for its colorful cliffside buildings, beautiful hiking trails and breathtaking sea views. The area is part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The villages are connected by scenic trails, making it a popular destination for hikers and tourists alike.

There are so many people traveling these days. To avoid the crowds, we got up early in the morning and visited these towns. We were able to get some nice photos without any people around.  We did our share of hiking from Vernazza to Monterosso and Via dell’Amore.

The Via dell’ Amore, also known as the Path of Love, it connects Riomaggiore to Manarola. This scenic coastal trail offers breathtaking views of the Ligurian Sea and is an excellent opportunity for a romantic stroll with your loved one.

The new path had just reopened in August 2024.  It was closed for 12 years due to a destructive land slide that took out the side of the mountain. It took the Italian Engineers 12 years to engineer new anchors and create a new walking path for “lovers”.

Searching for good food is always a requirement on these trips. We ate a lot of fresh seafood with pasta and rewarded ourselves with gelato afterwards. We even squeeze in time to take a dip in the Ligurian Sea.  Salty sea water is good for the skin.

While taking the train to Florence, we made a quick detour to Pisa. With our carry-on luggage, we arrived in Pisa early in the morning at 8:00am and spent 2 hours taking those fun shots before the massive tour groups arrived. After the photo shoot, we hopped back on the train to Florence.

After we checked into our hotel, we went to the Duomo Firenze and admired the interior beauty of its architecture. We had a 6:00pm reservation to climb up to the top see a closer view of Brunelleschi’s Dome. (463 steps).  When we got to the top, we were greeted with view of Florence, with the sunset in the background.

The next day we had the “Skipped the line” passes to see the iconic Michaelangelo’s David (Naked of course). We brought advance passes to visit the Uffizi Gallery, Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens.

Florence is home to world-famous art and architecture, including masterpieces by artists like Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Leonardo da Vinci.

Florence is also famous for its vibrant culinary scene. You can’t leave Florence without trying the Florentine Steak. We carnivores came out in style and devoured that steak.

From Florence we took the train to Venice. Again, massive crowds of people all around. Venice features a network of canals instead of roads, with gondolas and boats serving as the primary modes of transportation.

We took a tour of the St Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace and the iconic Rialto Bridge. Also included with our tour was a ride on a Gondola. It’s my first time taking the ride and the Gondoliers do not sing like they do in Vegas.

On the next day, we purchased a 24-hour boat pass and went to the islands of Burano, Torcello and Murano.

One of my bucket lists was to visit Burano. It’s known for its vibrant, colorful houses and lace making traditions.  Burano is full of brightly painted buildings creating the perfect picture postcard scene.

Torcello is one of the oldest islands in the lagoon and less populated. Its peaceful to go there because there wasn’t a lot of tourists. The island offered natural landscapes with marshland and wetland.

Murano, famous for its glassblowing artistry. You can walk around the stores and see the intricate glass blowing art work.

It was nice to visit these islands. It took us away from the hustle and bustle of Venice.

The last place we visited before flying home was Milan, known for its culture and one of the fashion capitals of the world.

We visited the Duomo di Milan, one of the largest gothic cathedrals in the world. We had reservations to climb to the rooftop for breathtaking views of the city. I mean how often do you walk around the rooftop of a Cathedral?

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the famous shopping arcade lined with high end luxury boutiques and cafes. Prada, Gucci and Louis Vuitton, as well as other high-end boutiques were there.

One of the highlight was seeing Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, the iconic mural housed in the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie.

We had our last supper with friends at Osteria Treno. This restaurant that was featured in CNN Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy.

We had the regional Milanese Osso Buco with saffron risotto and it was delicious.

Curtis and I had great time on the trip. We didn’t get picked-pocket nor we lost our luggage. Traveling for 2 weeks is stirring up my interested on where to go next? The world is a huge place. Stay tune for 2025.

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Happy Valentines Day!!

Just a friendly reminder Valentine’s Day is February 14th, don’t forget to get your sweetheart flowers, chocolates and a Valentine’s card.

Here are some of my favorite “Love” tunes to get you into that romantic mood.