Nisei Ski Club

Editor’s note: This article was published earlier this year and reprinted in anticipation of Karen’s upcoming cooking demo. Get in the mood for Thai food!

by Sandy Kiyomura

In December, Tina Woo and I spent two and a half weeks touring Thailand. Sandy’s cousin, Randy Chinn, met us in Bangkok and provided a “local” tour of shopping centers, Chinatown  and introduction to Thai massage parlors. The Terminal 21 shopping center had a “San Francisco” themed floor which included a cable car and Golden Gate bridge. We toured Chinatown and had Dim Sum “Thai style.”  We then spent the next 16 days touring Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Sukothai and Ayuttaya and Phuket. Here are some of the photo highlights:

At the Elephant Sanctuary, we fed and bathed the elephants. As big as they were, they were loving and affectionate.  We found the Thai people to be friendly and humble, perhaps due to their Buddhist beliefs. One morning we rose early and accompanied our tour guide to present some food to the monks.  When you donate food they chant and pray for you. 

Although it was a long trip, it provided a wonderful introduction to the country and history of Thailand, its people, culture, and delicious cuisine. It was great to spend time with a local, Sandy’s cousin Randy, who has lived in Phuket for the past 20 years. 

Note: This was a GATE 1 tour. If anyone would like to travel by GATE 1, please say that Tina or Sandy referred you and you will get $50 credit towards travel. 

We have some great reads this month, including a mountain trip and photos by Sandy K., a summary of the October NSC bike ride, announcements about Warren Miller movies and our Thai cooking event, and of course, our President’s message.

Please feel free to submit any articles you’d like to write or share to newsletter@niseiskiclub.org. If you have photos to share, keep them separate from the written document, and in JPG format please. I will then place them in the article.

If you have not done so already, remember to vote by Tuesday, November 3!

by Armand Gutierrez, President

Plans for Skiing?

Although the Breckenridge trip was canceled, that doesn’t mean you should forgo the opportunity for skiing locally in Tahoe. All of the resorts are hyping that they have “re-imagined” the mountain experience, whatever that means. Sure, I get it. It’s just a less intrusive way of saying that there will be a number of restrictions at the resort, none of which are draconian in nature. But I can live with physical distancing (a better term than “social distancing”), lift ticket reservations, facemasks, and limited access to dining areas. For this season, and hopefully only this season, these restrictions will provide a safer environment for indulging in our favorite ski activities. 

As we enter November from a long dry spell, the resorts have already posted their tentative opening dates:

• 20 November – Heavenly Valley, Northstar
• 25 November – Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows
• 26 November – Sierra at Tahoe
• 4 December – Kirkwood
• 15 December – Homewood
• TBD – Mt. Rose

The keyword tentative is used because the Tahoe resorts are bone dry at the moment, unlike a certain unnamed resort somewhere in Wyoming. As usual, I’ll be waiting until at least mid-December before making that first drive to Tahoe and that first pandemic-derived experience.

Thanksgiving Holiday

Next to Christmas, Thanksgiving is my other favorite time of the year. The tradition of visiting my brother and the rest of the family might not be the same as in past years. The grandkids will be returning from college and, as has been reported in the newspaper, colleges have become a hotbed for COVID-19. However, the desire to be with family, plus throw in a measure of safety protocols, a traditional family dinner just might happen.

On behalf of the Board I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your time with family and friends.

by Rick Dumlao

On Sunday Oct. 18th Nisei sponsored a bike ride to the Coyote Hills Regional Park, just north of the Dumbarton Bridge.

About 10 of us set out for a leisurely ride. The air quality was good, the sun was out, and there was just enough of a breeze to keep the heat away. We all enjoyed the day together. During the ride we learned about salt flats, a Navy destroyer still shipwrecked in the bay, an old Nike missile site, the marshlands, and a 2,000 year old native Indian dwelling.

A variety of birds and other wildlife were seen on the way. The ride ended up with a BBQ at Rick’s house. We had some burgers and hotdogs and some drinks along with enjoyable conversation. In total, the ride was 15.5 miles long and took about 2 hours to complete. All in all, it was a very nice day!

Last month we mentioned the Foam Fest in Truckee during the month of October, benefitting the Achieve Tahoe Organization upcoming winter program for people with disabilities. For a $30 donation, you get three 16 oz. beers at any of three Truckee area breweries. They have extended this fun fundraiser through November 15. See more information here.

by Sandy Kiyomura

After 7 months of SIP, I finally left the island of Alameda. It was such a feeling of freedom to be able to drive “out of town”.

My first trip was to Tahoe. I stayed at “the Ridge “ in Stateline and enjoyed the mountains that I had not seen since January. (For those of you who didn’t know, I broke my ankle skiing in January and never got to ski this year). My first stop was Granite Chief, the shop in Truckee, which adjusted my bindings before my accident. Yup, they lowered the DIN a bit. I think it’s
important to get your bindings checked. My bindings should have released (and prevented the break). Maybe they looked at my age and decided the DIN was too high.

Second stop in Truckee was to some breweries. I don’t really drink beer, but Achieve Tahoe had a Foam Fest where can get a mug and 3 beers at three breweries for a donation. It was nice to be in Truckee again.

We golfed 2 days in the Carson Valley. Beautiful golf course for $30 at Sunridge.

That was 600 miles to Tahoe and around the Lake a few times.

Next stop was Yosemite. My son was fortunate to get a campsite for 2 weeks. I’m not much of
a camper but survived 3 nights.

A little bit of family history. My son’s girl friend is Chelsea. Her mom is Elaine Morizono who is
married to Glenn Kiyomura, Dylan’s dad. We all had a “family” camping trip.

Actually, it was a climbing trip. Dylan is a rock climber. You may be able to see him in this picture.

Look near the top of the white line. He and climbing friend are at the top of the white line.

Then Dylan and Chelsea drove to Alabama
with their dog Tolby and cat Hind.

Warren Miller’s movies are still going on, and on Saturday, November 21 is the West Coast streaming premiere of the 71st film, “Future Retro.” Each event is supported by regional sponsors and there will be unique prize giveaways. Get ready for a Warren Miller experience like never before, all from the comfort and safety of your home this November. Stay tuned for more details and how to get tickets by following us on Instagram and Facebook, and on the Warren Miller website.

by Karen Soo, Trip Director

Our very own Nisei Ski Club Trip Director and part time chef has cooked for many weekend ski trips and NSC Parties, feeding 30-40 people at a time. Now she’s ready to put on her apron and show you how to make some delicious Thai food. You can control
the spice level to your tasting.

Join us on Saturday, December 5th, 2020 at 1:00 pm for a down to earth virtual Zoom demonstration.
Recipes and Zoom Link will be sent ahead with ingredients needed so you can follow
along or just listen and learn.
What’s on the menu?

• Easy Green Curry with Chicken
• Pad Thai – Thai-Style Stir-Fried Noodles (TBA)
• Coconut-Flavored Sticky Rice with Mangoes

Please RSVP for the Zoom Webinar to Karen at tripdirector@niseiskiclub.org
Class time – 1.5 hours
See flyer here with pictures and all information.

Here is the latest news from Nisei. Make sure to look at the events discussed in the articles below, including the club bike ride and the Asian Pacific Film Fest. Remember to mail in your election ballots or vote in person.

by Armand Gutierrez

Summer is officially over, fall is upon us, and soon it will be our favorite season for snow sport activities. I’m going to miss our ski week: the hustle and bustle of traveling with 50+ skiers, the traditional potluck dinner, the farewell dinner, and skiing with a great group of people. However, Tahoe skiing will be the main event for this season.

Giving, to Help Others

Last year NSC donated to the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific Film Fest (https://svapfilmfest.org) to support their production of films germane to the Asia American and Pacific Islanders community. This year, we decided to once again support the SVAPFF with another donation for this year.

Last year, Sandy Kiyomura pointed out that she has been a volunteer ski instructor with Achieve Tahoe (https://achievetahoe.org). Achieve Tahoe leads the way in adaptive sports and recreation for people with disabilities. This year the board also agreed to make a donation to this organization.

Ready to Ride?

Tired of being inside all summer? Have the need to get out and finally get some fresh air and see the world around you? Then save the date for Sunday, October 18^th, and join bike leaders Rick Dumlao and Curtis Otaguro for an outdoor excursion at Coyote Hills Regional Park in Newark. See their write-up for details. 

On the Slopes at Tahoe

Last month I provided a list of possible scenarios for the upcoming ski season with respect to safety protocols. Turns out all of them will be implemented at Northstar, Heavenly, and Kirkwood (Vail organizations). Northstar and Heavenly are opening on November 20^th, Kirkwood on December 4^th. Squaw and Alpine have not yet announced their opening dates.

2021 FWSA Ski Week Trips

Although the Breckenridge trip has been cancelled, there are other ski-week trips available through FWSA. There are two trips scheduled:

• Sun Valley, 30-Jan-6 Feb. Currently there are 46 signups.
• Zermatt, Utah, a mini ski-week, 21-26 March, and signups are being accepted. Ikon pass accepted.

All NSC members are eligible to participate in FWSA events. Details for the trips can be found here: 

https://fwsa.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=623165&module_id=334799

If you have any questions contact me at president@niseiskiclub.org.