by Armand Gutierrez
April is here and that means the end of another great ski season. Due to all the snowfall, several resorts have extended their season, but most will be closing by the end of April. Mammoth and Squaw Valley will stay open a little longer; with Squaw once again offer skiing on the 4thof July.
2019 FWSA Ski Week to Hakuba Valley, Japan My first trip to Japan for skiing and touring was an opportunity that will forever be in my memory banks. Of the ten ski resorts available, I had selected four to ski based on their conditions (number of lifts/runs, snow depth, and weather). Happo-One and Goryu/47 were the two largest and Tsugeike came in third. Although Tsugeike wasn’t the largest, it offered the best powder skiing while we, “we” meaning other NSCrs, were there. Goryu/47 is actually two resorts: Goryu and 47, and you can ski either resort with the interconnected lifts. See Kathy Fang’s article below for more about the trip.
Toward the end of the ski week there was a farewell dinner and entertainment provided by the local Taiko drummers. For those that have never seen Taiko drummers this was probably the highlight of the week.
April NSC Weekend Ski Trip Karen Soo, our trip director, has organized a carpool effort for a weekend of skiing at Tahoe on April 13-14. If you’re interested in going then contact Karen at tripdirector@niseiskiclub.org
Board Nominations & Elections Well, it’s that time again for holding our board nominations and elections for the 2019-2020 season, and an email for making your nominations for the board has already been sent out. As you know, volunteers run this club, and without them this club would cease to exist, and it’s been in existence for 60 years! You are encouraged to take this opportunity to nominate an individual for one, or more, of the board positions. All individuals that accept the nomination(s) will go through an election process in May, and final results will be announced at the annual June picnic. Ask any of the current board members and I’m sure they will tell you that by volunteering they get back more than they ever gave. By volunteering you will experience social benefits as well as provide a greater sense of self-worth, trust, and lots of fun. Many of you have served on the board in the past, and your efforts were greatly appreciated and perhaps you would like to join the board again. For those that have never served. then perhaps now is the time to consider a board position and provide new ideas and useful experiences.
Whistler/Blackcomb Ski Week 2020 Next year’s ski week NSC will be going to Whistler/Blackcomb, Canada. Our last visit to Whistler/Blackcomb was in 2010, so it’s time for a return trip. Last year Sports America offered the Ikon and Epic Passes at a discount for any member that signed up for Big Sky, and the Ikon Pass was good for five days of skiing at Big Sky.
For 2019-20 Whistler/Blackcomb will be on the Epic Pass, and is also good for Northstar, Heavenly Valley, and Kirkwood. Here is what you need to know about the Ikon and Epic Passes for the Whistler/Blackcomb trip:
*Purchase the Ikon Base Pass (Squaw/Alpine) from Sports America and receive a $30 discount on the Whistler/Blackcomb trip. However, the Ikon Pass cannot be used at Whistler/Blackcomb. Go to this link to purchase: www.sportsamerica.com/ikon-nisei
*Purchase the Epic Local Pass (Northstar, Heavenly, Kirkwood) and receive a $30 discount on the Whistler/Blackcomb trip. The Epic Pass can be used at Whistler/Blackcomb for up to ten days. Go to this link to purchase: www.sportsamerica.com/epic-nisei
*Purchase the Epic Local Pass before April 14thand get ten buddy passes and the lowest rate for the pass.
If you have any questions about either of the passes then drop me a line at president@niseiskiclub.org
