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A Social Club For Snow Skiers and Sports Enthusiasts
May 2003
Texas Ski Council Member
Contents
Date and time: Tuesday, May 13, 2003, 7 - 9 P.M.
Location: Red Lion Hotel
6121 N. IH-35(@ HWY 290, N. Austin) 323-5466Program: Members Only, Business Meeting!!
Light refreshments & cash bar
"February Fabs"
by
Rainer Vanoni
Our trip to Jackson Hole started a week early, when Rainer Vanoni found out that Trip Chair Lou Horwitz was seriously injured during a practice race in Vail, and was asked to assume Trip Chair duties! After 3 1/2 days of wrestling with airline changes, last minute e-mails, accommodation changes, bus connections, etc., Rainer began to get the feeling of being in control. Sure enough, check-in at Bergstrom on February 15, went smoothly. Everyone seemed filled with anticipation, seeing old friends again and meeting new ones. Soon we were off to Dallas and from there to Jackson Hole, even ahead of schedule. Getting our welcome packet with credentials and lift tickets at the airport made things a lot easier for everybody. There was a slight 20 minute delay, waiting for Helga Ausman to arrive on United. After a short bus ride, we picked up our keys and settled in Teewinot and Rendezvous Condos.
On Sunday, it was time to get acquainted with the mountain, followed by the Texas Ski Council (TSC) Welcome Party at the Grand Teton Music Festival Hall, with appetizers and good, free beer from the Snake River Brewing Co.( psst., Elva Hibbs is a great dancer!). Not to be outdone by the TSC, the Austin Skiers had their own party Monday night. The mood was up-beat and not much was left of three whole chickens in rice.
Getting to the mountain was no problem, either by shuttle bus at the front door, or ski-in and walk-out. (a long block to a couple of lifts, serving the condos). It seems that some skiers developed additional means of transportation to get around. Demonstrating exceptional organizational skills, Helga Ausman, accompanied by suite mates Elva Hibbs and Gail Rogers flagged down vans or private cars, whenever the bus did not show up soon enough, or was delayed. A trip chair in the making? The skiing and great times marked the first half of our week, and theexcellent Jackson snow only added the icing on the cake!
Wednesday was excursion day to Grand Targhee, a well-known powder resort on the back side of Jackson (but an hour bus ride around the Teton range). David Grayson, Gerald and Ann Hunt, Kent Wick, Calvin Fujii, Elva Hibbs, Gail Rogers, Helga Ausman, and Rainer climbed into a van, and after a pleasant ride, skied a superb mountain, well worth the visit; we were also joined by Anthony and Norma Beissner joined us in their car for a great day of skiing. To view the Tetons from the Idaho side was awesome, and we thoroughly enjoyed the day.
And then it was race day! Thursday at 10 a.m., sixteen Austin Skiers were ready, though a bit apprehensive, to show their talents. Greg Bryant and Gabe Ayson captured Gold pins, Jackie Bayly-Bryant, Jim Howalt, Kent Wick, Calvin Fujii, and Rainer received Silver, Ernest Olson, David Phillips and Anthony Beissner received Bronze pins. Holly Ice and David Grayson contributed 16 points, each and, not to forget, Sandi Tolces, Elinor Stephens, and Norma Beissner came in with 4 points each - wait till next year! Congratulations especially to the "first-ever" racers; it takes a bit of courage to go through the starting gate! At 1:30 p.m. the individual races started with seven Austin Skiers participating. Our showing was respectable, with Greg Bryant capturing the Gold medal in the Men's Open, Jackie Bryant a Bronze in the Women's Open, and Jim Howalt a Bronze in the Super Senior divisions, respectively. Congratulations!
Meanwhile, others took advantage of Jackson's proximity to Yellowstone National Park. Many reported a terrific time, although for Kara Thompson and Helga Ausman, things were, well, so so for their snowmobile ride through the park. After an early rise, they did the all-day ride through the park. The verdict? "If you like a bumpy ride, the smell of exhaust fumes and seeing one buffalo and one fox, do it. Everyone should have this experience once". From their comments, it's once for them. But they still had a good time, although perhaps we'll have two more racers next year. Friday was powder time during the day and party time at night, with the TSC Awards Party and a buffet dinner. The snow just kept coming so intensely that Saturday morning, while packing our gear for the return trip, everybody (including your fearless leader) was wondering, whether (or is that "weather"?) we would be getting out of the condos, much less out of the airport. Surprisingly, in spite of the mass confusion at check-in and security, we made it back home safely.
Many thanks to Kara Thompson for hosting our well-attended post-trip party at her new, beautiful home. As Lou promised: "Jackson Hole is going to be a great trip!" Thanks to no serious injuries or mishaps and everybody's good attitude, it was!
Editor's Note: the Executive Committee greatly appreciates
the spirit of generosity and volunteerism with which Rainer, with little notice,
stepped in to take over this trip after Lou's severe injury. We can't thank
Rainer enough for his work in making this trip a superb time! And we're equally
thankful that Lou's been on the mend and is almost fully recovered!
Pictures courtesy of Anthony Beissner.
Marcia's Mountain Marauders Swarm Lake Tahoe's Resorts: aka 'The Xtreme Ski Trip
by Marcia Honeycutt, Trip Chair
As a first-time trip chair, I was very lucky to have been able to lead 31 of the sweetest, most cooperative, and 'heavenly' members of Austin Skiers to ski the Lake Tahoe resorts. We faced so many options!! We had to decide which of several resorts to ski each day, and whether to buy lift tickets from the tour agent, directly from the resorts, and/or from an entity that could provide interchangeable tickets. A never-ending spirit of co-operation and camaraderie among all the trip members played a strong part in the extraordinary success of this trip. Kevin Collins kept us posted with reports from the snow cams! Bob and Sue Sharpe went so far as to go ski Heavenly 2 weeks ahead of the group and did us the favor of scouting our lodging. Using their recommendations, I was able to request that our rooms be in the section of the resort closest to the gondola. Our pre-trip party had a remarkable turnout, with 29 of the 32 travelers attending, which allowed us to get to know one other and make final roommate assignments. This was important because a whopping 33% of the people on the trip were brand new members!! We welcomed aboard: Patti Aleman, Elisabeth Poigin, Roland Esparza, Michael Osborne, Claire Osborn, Richard Hargraves, Scott Thompson, Sam Roberts, Steve Nichols, David Culver, Allan Gamel, and Diane Harnisch!!! That list should also include Phil Storin, but a back injury kept him home; hopefully he will be able to go somewhere with us next year. While everyone was at my house, I passed out free passes to Gold's Gym and info on lots of freebies awaiting them in South Lake Tahoe. A very special thanks to long-time member, Jerry Tapley, for spearheading his Boys Club, which included Peter Hubbell, Steve "Nick" Nichols, Richard Bymark, Richard Hargraves., Scott, Thompson Sam Roberts, and Phil Storin, and made up nearly one fourth of our travelers!
Things went truly smoothly the day we left. Our flight was early enough in the morning that we were able to jump through the anti-terrorist hoops fairly quickly, and our layover in Denver was no more than a stroll across the hallway. Our bus was waiting for us in Reno, and the temptation of the "one-armed bandits" (slots) in the airport concourse did not deter these determined skiers. Talk about 'maledom'! You'd have thought there were more than just 8 females on this trip. There was so much luggage that I thought we might need to rent a trailer! Actually, the situation was not a function of gender, but the fact that so many of this gonzo group of skiers were toting their best friends, their skis, in bags, or, in the case of Jeff Horowitz and Bill Woody, their snowboards. The bus driver took pity on his hungry travelers and pulled in for nutrition at the first liquor store he could find, and we dutifully filled our tanks, almost leaving Bill Cravy behind. David Cross deodorized the bus by spilling a tall beer in the front aisle. The weather was gorgeous for the 1-hour ride, giving us a smashingly bright blue view of Lake Tahoe as we came through the woods. I gave the group last-minute instructions about our lodging etc., and threw down a challenge: a double-black-diamond logic puzzle that involved skiing. First person to finish would be able to claim the gimme-cap I had secured from a regional snowmobiling business. Before we even got to our lodging, Allan Gamel, Dave Culver, and even novice1st-time skier Mike Osborne were in the planning stages of renting a car for their posse to take advantage of night skiing at Squaw Valley. I want to be like them when I grow up!
Once at the Forest Inn Suites Resort (FISR), a strong hotel crew toted all of our luggage, skis, and bags of liquor, to our rooms, while other staff was preparing a delicious spread of fruits, vegetables, cheeses and wines. As we chowed down, representatives from FISR and from 5 of the 6 largest ski resorts in the area talked to us and brought us gifts. Later that evening, many of us journeyed to a local restaurant, the Shoreline Grill, where we were served free appetizer platters at each table, and had discounts on our bills all week long. We had been told the restaurant was only a short walk. Some of us sneakily took advantage of the casino shuttle buses, but several others arrived shivering and with huge appetites, insisting that it must have been at least a one mile walk!
On Sunday morning, to make up for canceling our mountain tour, the directors of Heavenly provided us with great guides who regaled the Austin skiers with tours of both the California and Nevada sides of the mountain that lasted 2 hours. Since most of our group did opt to partake of the tour, the Heavenly guides wanted to divide us into two more manageable groups, the Experts and the Intermediates. But since everyone was itching to prove their mettle on some expert runs right away that morning, the guides had to threaten to make us draw for the shortest poles!! The tour was very worthwhile because Heavenly's Trail Maps are notoriously difficult to decipher. The weather was bright and clear, and the snow was perfect. A handful of walkie-talkies and a schedule of alternating mountain meeting places allowed for a constant rotation of skiing partners. In the early part of the week, the skiing groups were larger, but as people connected with others of like tastes or skills, these partners scattered to other ski resorts around Lake Tahoe (to tear up the mountains). Each night, back at the Forest Suites, a sampling of Austinites, usually led by Elisabeth Poigin and Bob and Sue Sharpe, convened in the courtyard hot tub. A group of gals from Minnesota in the hot tub were bowled over when they listened to us discuss the club's prices and privileges. Besides soaking away our aches and pains, the tub was a great place to recap the day's successes, and spills. That reminds me of something none of us had seen before: a blown out ski boot!! Patti Aleman's one boot simply fell apart, leaving her practically barefooted on the mountain top. Fortunately, it happened as she was going in for lunch, and not while skiing! During lunch in the East Peak Lodge, she was able to select from a number of eager ski patrol members all wanting to carry her down the mountain. Later that day, Heavenly Sports threw away her skis, forcing her to have to buy a new pair, along with new boots!! Sterling Carroll, one of our most accomplished skiers, claims that Patti still left him in her dust.errrpowder!
Each morning, Cindy Richmond and other hungry athletes from Austin, eager to get to work on the slopes, were some of the very first people to fill up the tables at the daily continental breakfast buffet. Knowing that their wives weren't watching, and that they would be burning up the calories later anyway, Jerry's Boys Club members indulged themselves with some of the more daring items in the buffet, like biscuits and gravy! By 7:30 a.m., many had already boarded a bus to the mountain of their choice. Others were quickly gone on the very short walk to the high-speed gondola, which carried them directly over the Forest Suites and up to a mountain top chairlift in only 12 minutes. Heavenly's gondola, by the way, is North America's longest and fastest!
On Tuesday morning came the fruition of the group's cooperative spirit. Having already worked hard on the slopes for 2 days, the whole group, except for Joe Partridge, (who kept the slopes of Heavenly warm for us), Mark Perkins, (who caught a monster cold), and Larry Trafton, (who we hoped would make a million dollars on a business deal that needed his immediate and undivided attention), got to sleep in for an extra hour before heading to the private bus that would take us to Squaw Valley, the site of the 1960 Olympics. Our bus was going to be at our disposal the entire day, like a traveling condo, so we could store changes of clothing, snacks, etc., or get back on it to rest, if needed. We were told to prepare for an hour and a half ride, but the predicted storm of Monday night never arrived, at least not enough to affect the highway. Our ride to Squaw was both short and beautiful, with foggy, but still exquisite, views of Lake Tahoe the entire way. Once at Squaw, however, we ascended via an aerial Cable Car into a dense whiteout above High Camp. Some of us, like Brian Sanford, were familiar with the mountain and headed directly up into the fog. Bonzai Brian said the highlight of his day was a spectacular 150 yard roll on the Siberian Bowl and getting his underpants powdered! His buddy from work, Bill Cravy, picked up Brian's skis for him so he didn't have to climb back up in the waist-deep powder. After all, what are friends for?! Later that day, Roland Esparza saved the lives of the women skiing with him by attacking a boundary rope with his chin before they got to it. Unfortunately, Steve "Nick" Nichols took a nasty spill, dislocating his shoulder and chipping a bone. Walkie-talkies were used to notify the rest of the posse. Having our very own doctors, David Cross and Sam Roberts, was comforting and encouraged maximum participation. Despite minor injuries, many, like Richard "the Scud" Hargraves and Jerry Tapley, were having too much fun to miss the action in the Plump Jack Bar.
Night skiing at Squaw started before dusk. Oddly enough, the skiing at night under the soft golden lights was much warmer than in the day. Bill Woody thought he busted a strap on his snowboard while his cohort, Jeff Horowitz, swears that he personally must have had at least two spontaneous orgasms! David Cross, did you find the button yet?? I don't know if it was my imagination, but I was having so much fun, and was so eager to keep doing it over and over again, that I could swear that that darn gondola was much slower at night!
On the way home, many of us were ready to jump ship! The headlights of the bus were flickering off and on when on high beams, and we had to make our way on the curvy mountain roads with only our dim lights on. All in all, it was a terrific day, even if I did manage to loose my hat, gloves and goggles. Speaking of ski wear, Ken Fargason, your floppy-eared hat is going to be the most famous hat ever! I wish I had had a hat like that, because we got lots of fresh snow during the week.
Wednesday, a few people took a break. Mike Osborne went fishing and brought home supper. Marina Navarrete went snowmobiling in the back country. Many others spent the day, and many nights, in the casinos!!! There were lots of claims of big winnings during the week, but since no one shared any of it with me, I'm not going to report it!! Diane Harnisch, one of our token novices, progressed admirably from never-skied to managing an easy blue at the end of the week. Ron Dusek rewarded her for her bravery by taking her on a very magical day of sightseeing in San Francisco, and out on Friday night for dancing and seeing The Temptations on opening night. And Wednesday night was our Pizza Party; we had pizzas delivered and more coming out of the oven for early and late arrivals. It was great having a full grocery/liquor store only half a block away. We could discretely "borrow" a cart and get it back before anyone even noticed! Pete Hubbell became the official Trip Historian, photographing each of the injuries to date as they arrived at the party. He calculated that I set a new club record: an 18.3% casualty rate, and he challenges any other Trip Leader to beat that!! Also, in order to avoid Club identification, and/or loss of lift tickets, the group stayed on the move, Heavenly to Squaw, Sierra, Kirkwood, and back to Heavenly, baffling local ski authorities! Just kidding - we were friendly Texans everywhere we went! Roland Esparza, one of the club's newbies, racked up the most resorts visited this week. Our token bionic woman, Sue Sharpe, who had to bow out of a trip last year due to quintuple heart bypass, logged 6 out of 6 ski days!
On Thursday night, we held the 1st Annual Ugly /
Mismatched PJ Party!! Nobody could beat my 1-piece zip-front, 'feetie' pajamas
with dinosaurs. I challenge anyone to show up next year in long-johns with a
drop-flap! We also had 4 types of hot cookies rolling out of the oven for an
hour. We still had the traditional Friday night Empty-the Fridge Party, even
though the sumptuous casino buffets had lured many of the tired skiers out of
their condos each night. On the bus back to Reno, members of Jerry's Boys' Club,
including Scott the Bad Pig, modeled leather motorcycle gear that they had
splurged on. Larry Trafton, winner of the Logic Puzzle Contest, was presented
with his own puzzle book, and Ken Fargason had a mini birthday fete. Elisabeth
Poigin hosted the Post-Trip Party and regaled us with both French and American
munchies. Claire Osborn almost missed the party to report on the war. Thank you
so much, Lis! And thanks to all of the people who shared their condos to host
all of our midweek parties. Let's do it again! By the way, Nick has so far
avoided surgery for his bum shoulder.
Pictures courtesy of Marcia Honeycutt.
Our current ski season has closed and it's time to reflect on what a great year we've had visiting new and interesting destinations, meeting interesting people, making new friends, and of course participating in the wonderful sport that brings us together. And we still have the summer trip to Costa Rica, too! While skiing is not on the agenda, it should still be lots of fun. Contact the trip leader, Cindy Berry, to find out if any spaces are still available. Her phone and e-mail are on p. 4 and at the back page of this newsletter.
Membership and trip participation were up this year, returning to the general levels seen prior to September 11, 2001. Counting a family membership as two people, we had 542 members this year. While the numbers could change slightly because Costa Rica has not departed yet, Tere Ayson's analysis of this year's trips show we had 420 trip participants compared with 403 previously.
I have really enjoyed serving as your president this year. While it has involved a lot of time and effort, there are rewards also. The Executive Committee of Club officers and directors has been a magnificent group to work with. Our Club is indeed fortunate to have so many talented professionals willing to spend the time required to run such a large organization. Neil Martin deserves special recognition as our VP Trips. His management expertise allowed us to finish the fiscal year in the black in spite of having to revise some trips on the fly. We also owe a pat on the back to our trip leaders who worked tirelessly to bring us so many great experiences. Gary Roth, our VP Trip Planning, did a magnificent job putting together our trips for next season. Gary also worked near miracles in finding some very reasonable airseat prices. The members of his Trip Planning Committee deserve a big thank you, also. Despite a hectic work schedule our Treasurer, Wendy Buck, managed our finances in an excellent manner. In spite of rising costs of renting meeting space, our VP Programs, Jon Martin, was somehow able to find great accommodations at reasonable cost plus offer our members an outstanding lineup of speakers and programs. When Donna Peterman took over as Membership VP this year she re-programmed aspects of our membership database and added several new features. Way to go, Donna. Our VP Marketing, Marcia Honeycutt, worked hard to recruit several new advertisers for our newsletter and membership directory. The added revenue offset increased costs and allowed us to continue publishing first class products. Her efforts are really appreciated. Your Club Secretary, Barbara Bobo, again did an admirable job in keeping track of our records and publishing the minutes of our meetings. She managed to keep accurate records despite the sometimes chaotic atmosphere of group meetings. Our Webmaster, Kevin Juhl, spent a lot of time updating the website to keep it fresh. He also found time to switch our web hosting service, so look for some great new features next year. Cindy Berry, VP of Special Activities, again treated us to a large variety of events that were very enjoyable and also helped attract several new members. Her efforts have really set a new standard. And speaking of setting a new level of expectations for a volunteer position, Mike Hagye, our Newsletter Editor, did it again. In addition to publishing our superb newsletter this year, he also took on the job of publishing our annual Membership Directory, which was outstanding. Mike will be moving on next season, and has volunteered his services as Club President. I know he will do an excellent job, as usual. Our Directors, Kathy Collins and Cindy Carlson, were invaluable for their advice and guidance. Finally, a big thank you to Tere Ayson, our immediate Past President. Her prior experience was invaluable. In addition, she chaired the By-Law review Committee, answered the Club e-mail, provided assistance to the other Club officers, and has been the person to turn to for numerous other tasks for the Club.
Finally, kudos and thanks for a job well done to all the other wonderful people who volunteered their time and energy to help at meetings, organized a special activity, sat on a committee, hosted a Club function, or helped with the other work necessary to run a large organization. Our Club could not function without the involvement of so many eager volunteers.
Don't forget to mark you calendars for the annual business
meeting on May 13. The officers and directors will present their annual report,
and we'll vote on candidates for next year's Executive Committee - the list of
proposed candidates is on page 6 of this newsletter. See you at the meeting.
Austin Skiers 2002 - 2003 Trips
Costa Rica (TSC Summer Expedition) - June 27(Friday) to July 5, 2003
Trip Chair: Cindy Berry 248-9544 e-mail: costaricatrip@austinskiers.org
Austin Skiers first-time exclusive! Our first formal trip to Central America features the best of the tropical rain forest, beaches, hot springs, and eclectic and quaint shopping. Costa Rica's reputation as a tourist and residential destination has exploded in the past few years come see what makes it so great! The first night we will be in San Jose at the Barcelo San Jose Hotel Casino. Then we'll be based for the next four nights in the fabulous Hotel Mariposa in Quepos/Manuel Antonio on the mid-Pacific Coast. The hotel is integrated in the rainforest hillside overlooking the Pacific and Manuel Antonio National Park, with a short walk to the village of Quepos' many restaurants and shops. Later that week, we'll move to the Lake Arenal /La Fortuna Region in the Northern Zone, where our stay in the Tabacon Resort features a view of Volcan Arenal and Lake Arenal. The thermal hot springs and mineral pools are within the resort making it a destination in itself; in addition, the Iskandria Spa offers a variety of relaxing treatments. Optional excursions include rafting, kayaking, outrigger canoeing, rainforest tours, clout forest (above the canopy) tours, sport fishing, and hiking, to name a few). The final price will be firmed up in September and includes; air, lodging and ground transportation. So are you ready for a grand time, Latin American style? Vamanos a Costa Rica!! Price includes a TSC dinner and continental breakfast.
Approximate price: (click here)
Proposed Changes to 2003-04 By-Laws
Editor's note: The following are proposed changes for the coming ski year's By-Laws. These changes will go into effect following an "affirmative" members vote at the May meeting. Only the changes are published here. The entire By-Laws can be found in your directory or on our Web site. New text is in italics; text to be deleted is struck through.
ARTICLE V
NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Section 2. Executive Committee Officers and Directors
The elected officers, in order of succession, shall be 1)
President, 2) Trip Vice President, 3) Past President, 4) Trip Planning Vice
President, 5) - Treasurer, 6) 2nd Year Director, 7) 1st
Year Director, 8) Program Vice President, 9) Membership Vice
President, 10) Special Activities Vice President, 11) Secretary, 12) Marketing
Vice President 13) Newsletter Editor 13) Publications Vice
President and 14) Webmaster.
G. Program Vice President
The Program Vice President shall be responsible for all Club
programs and shall: perform the following specific duties:
1. make arrangements for regular monthly meetings;
2. establish programs for monthly meetings;
3. provide the Newsletter Editor
Publications Vice President, Marketing Vice President, and the Webmaster an
outline
of the monthly meeting schedule for advertising purposes;
H. Membership Vice President
The Membership Vice President shall be responsible for all membership duties associated with the Club and shall perform the following specific duties:
1. process applications for new membership;
2. process membership renewals;
3. provide current membership information to the
Newsletter Editor Publications Vice President as needed for
the directory;
L. Newsletter Editor Publications Vice
President
The Newsletter Editor Publications Vice
President shall be responsible for the publication of a monthly newsletter
informing the general membership of approaching meetings, list of Club trips and
special activities, and general business of the Club and shall perform the
following specific duties:
Time To Start Thinking About Renewing Membership
Hey folks, you need to start thinking about renewing your membership! You need to renew (or sign up if this is your first time) by June 15 if you want to be able to participate in early mail-in! Costs are the same as last year - $35 for single and $45 for family (see the By-Laws for definitions). Just fill out the Membership Information Form (p.2) and send it along with your check to the address shown in the form, or you can give to Donna Peterman, Membership VP at meetings or happy hours. Don't miss out on early sign-up renew now!
Say "Cheese" We Need Your Pictures For the Web Site!
Hey, we really need your help! We haven't been paying a lot of attention to our Web site photo album, where we put up trip pictures (and other Club activities!). But do you know it's one of the best ways that people find out about the fun we're having? Well, we want to catch up and put your good times on our Web site for the world to see! Please contact our Webmaster, Kevin Juhl at 836-5016 or skiwebmaster@austinskiers.org. Kevin can help you on how to get your digital or paper photos on our site. It really is a fun way to show what we do, and please check it out if you never have (look for the "Photo Album" link on the home page!).
Nominees for the 2003/2004 Executive Committee
A Nominating Committee composed of Chairman Doug Jordan, and
members Priscilla Johnsen, Carter Rowles, Cindy Berry and Gary Roth has
recommended a slate of candidates for next years Club officers and directors to
the current
Executive Committee. This slate was accepted and we are pleased to present them
to the membership for consideration at the May 13 business meeting.
This was a difficult task since we had more qualified candidates than available positions, resulting in several long meetings, and many phone calls and e-mails. While searching for the best person for a position we also were tasked to include new members while maintaining a core of existing experienced officers. The Nominating Committee extends their sincere appreciation to all those individuals who came forward to express their interest and took the time to discuss this opportunity to serve as a club officer. As with any organization, volunteers who offer to serve, whether as an officer, trip chair, or committee member, are the backbone of our Club's success.
Please note that our By-Laws provide that further nominations may be made from the floor, provided that the nominee consents to serve.
The following members are recommended as Austin Skiers officers/directors for the 2003/2004 Executive Committee.
| President | Mike Hagye | VP Publications | Tere Ayson |
| VP of Trips | Gary Roth | VP of Trip Planning | Cindy Berry |
| VP of Special Activities | Rhonda Keenan | Secretary | Linda Raymer |
| Treasurer | Wendy Buck | VP of Marketing | Marcia Honeycutt |
| VP of Programs | Jon Martin | First Year Director | Cindy Swannack |
| VP of Membership | Donna Peterman | Webmaster | Kevin Juhl |
Happy Hour - Cool River
May 2-3 Relay For Life benefitting Am. Cancer Society.
May 13 Annual members-only Business Meeting at Red Lion Hotel.
May 16 Blind Taste Test Wine Tasting (III) at Cindy Berry's.
Happy Hour -
Threadgill's Armadillo Headquarters (south location)
June 2-3 Round Rock Express baseball game, fireworks
June 13 Red Lion Inn
June 16 Summer Lake Party @ Martin DeStefano's!
For questions on Special Activities, contact Cindy Berry, Activities V.P. at activities@austinskiers.org
Austin Skiers supports TSC and our own sponsors:
Remember Our Ongoing Activities!
Anyone interested in doing occasional bicycling tours should contact Kevin Collins, who will be leading biweekly or monthly outings. And for you roller skaters/bladers out there, contact Marcia Honeycutt if you want to join a weekly outing.
Get "Teed Off" At
Another Season of Golf!
With all the wet winter weather, the golf courses are looking spectacular, and yes, golf season is starting. Our first outing will be Wednesday, April 2 at Lions Golf Course. We'll play every week as long as the warm weather lasts (into next fall), after work, usually at a discount for nine holes before sunset. Details about which day(s) of the week, tee times, locations, and other information are coming together, but if you want to get started, contact Cindy Swannack who can give you more information on the next outing. Note: it's important that you talk to Cindy to get on the e-mailing/calling roster, because just showing up without pre-reserving is highly discouraged! Look for this to be included under the "ongoing activities" in future issues!
The 3rd Time's a Charm Blind Wine Tasting
Friday, May 16 is the night for a third rendition of a popular event. This time we're meeting at Cindy Berry's and the focus is on Italian wine. Bring an Italian label red or white and an appetizer (or one bottle and appetizer per couple anyone can be a couple!), and we'll sample them unidentified, then reveal what's what. As usual, there will be prizes for the best (and worst!) vintages. This is limited to the first 30 people to pay $2 per person to Cindy or Tere Ayson by May 8, or $5 p/p after that. For more information, email Cindy at activities@austinskiers.org.
Join Us For Round Rock Express Baseball!
Friday, June 6 is the night for a great time at the Dell Diamond. We're going to watch the Round Rock Express play the Arkansas Travelers what better time on a late spring evening? And after the game, there's the usual Friday night fireworks display to boot! Game time is 7:05 p.m. We'll be in the General Admission section, on the lawn behind the outfield bring a blanket and just look for us! Tickets for lawn seats are $5, and you should buy them on your own, by purchasing them directly from the ballpark (Dell Diamond) ticket office, or calling it at 255-BALL (2255), or buying online from www.startix.com. Per Texas League rules, no lawn chairs, food or beverages are permitted in the ballpark. Directions: From IH-35, take exit 253 (Hwy 79/Taylor) and go east 3.5 miles. Dell Diamond will be on the left. Questions or for additional info, contact Rhonda Keenan
Hey, the lake is up this year, so what's better than spending the day at a lake house at our annual Summer Party? Saturday, June 14 is the day, and our old favorite, Martin Destafano's Lake Travis house, is the location this year! The party starts at noon and lasts until dark! Come by land (directions below) or by sea if you know how to get your boat there! We'll have fajitas at 6 p.m. and water for the day, but you should bring your own drinks and snacks (and swim stuff)! Please RSVP with $5 by June 6 to Cindy Berry or Rhonda Keenan , or e-mail activities@austinskiers.org if questions. This will be catered and you must RSVP to be able to get in line for the 6 p.m. fajitas! Also please respect Martin's request that the party area be limited to the downstairs and the deck.
Directions: Take 2222 15 miles west of Austin, cross 620, and the road becomes Bullick Hollow. Continue about 3+ miles to a stop sign and turn left on Anderson Mill Road. Go about 3+ miles and you'll see the Volente Fire Dept. on the right, VJs Grocery on the left; go 1/2 mile more, then turn left onto Booth Circle. After about 1,000 yards you will see a small windmill and mailbox (DeStefano) and an Austin Skiers sign.
Check out "Inside the Texas Ski Council"
See what's news for the TSC in their online "Inside" newsletter. This contains key events, info, and goings on which just might be relevant to you and a TSC trip you're on. To view the latest issue, just go to their link at http://www.texas-ski.org/insidetsc-news/inside-tsc.htm . The TSC appreciates your continued support!
April Door Prize Winners
| 5 pairs of Kinko's Golf Classic passes | Peggy Foreman |
| Greg Bryant | |
| John Kimbrough | |
| Jackie Garcia | |
| Carter Rowles | |
| Camelback Backpack | Bob Conevery |
| Xtreme Athletic socks | Nancy Roth |
| Water bottle | Gary Roth |
Okay, I'm packed and ready to go. Well, it looks like I've stayed around too long, like the proverbial houseguest that doesn't know when to leave. After four years (four??) it's time for some new blood (and sweat!) for this publication. What would possibly motivate someone to spend all this time on this volunteer effort? Certainly it's not the officers' discounts (though they're nice!), nor is it the power trip (anyone take orders from me lately?). Naw, this has actually been worth my time for 1/25 of a century for two reasons: first, it's fun! No, really! I once heard from a wise sage that the best way to kill enthusiasm before an event is to say "this will be fun!" It's not until after the event that "fun" really takes on more weight, as in "that was fun!" I can tell you that for the most part, I've enjoyed the work (sometimes definitely not!) in putting together this thing each month. Second, this role is informative. Despite the temptations to go online only, the old fashioned, paper newsletter is still the best way (and Club favorite) to get the word out about our trips, activities, and happenings. We've found that most people still want to see their copy in the mail each month. Third, this position is probably the most far-reaching of any Club position. There's no other post in the Club that communicates more often with more Club members than the Editor. I've really liked that.
But after four years, it's time to move on. I've really enjoyed this "little corner" of the newsletter to warm my brain up each month, and I hope you've enjoyed it as well. Whether it continues is up to the next Editor (now re-titled "Publications V.P.", and deservingly so). But continue to count on timely information on trips and other Club happenings, for that's the main purpose of this publication. As you can see on page 6 of this issue, I hope to enter into the President's position. No, there's no truth to the rumor that the only reason I put in for the nomination is that now I get a whole page to ramble instead of this half-page's worth! I hope if approved that I can help continue the strong position of the Club that we're currently enjoying (thanks to Doug and those he thanks in his article on p.2), and I'll have more on this in next month's issue. But for now, I can say "thanks for the ride", and I'll see ya soon! -30-
Mike Hagye - Austin Skiers Newsletter Editor
A non-profit ski club
President Doug Jordan
president@austinskiers.org
V.P. Trips Neil Martin trips@austinskiers.org
V.P. Trip Planning Gary Roth tripplanning@ austinskiers.org
V.P. Programs Jon Martin programs@ austinskiers.org
V.P. Marketing Marcia Honeycutt marketing@austinskiers.org
V.P. Membership Donna Peterman membership@ austinskiers.org
V.P. Special Activities Cindy Berry activities@austinskiers.org
Secretary Barbara Bobo secretary@ austinskiers.org
Treasurer Wendy Buck treasurer@ austinskiers.org
Newsletter Editor Mike Hagye newsletter@ austinskiers.org
Webmaster Kevin Juhl skiwebmaster@ austinskiers.org
Past President Tere Ayson pastpres@ austinskiers.org
Board of Directors
Kathy Colins director1@austinskiers.org
Cindy Carlson director2@ austinskiers.org
The Austin Skiers' newsletter is published monthly, 12 issues per year. Subscription is included with payment of yearly membership fee. Articles and correspondence should be addressed to the Editor by e-mail at newsletter@austinskiers.org or by phone (see above). Deadline for submission is the 15th of each month. Send issues regarding the Club Web site to skiwebmaster@austinskiers.org. For more information on the next Club meeting or other related activities, contact any of the following:
Austin Skiers Hotline 335-3662
E-mail: skimail@austinskiers.org
Web site: http://www.austinskiers.org
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