Volume 6, Issue 1 TheBlizzard Winter 2015 BETSY IS ORANGE COUNCIL S WOMAN OF THE YEAR! Betsy and Ron Pedley at the December Mammoth Mardi Gras fundraiser for disabled sports The Orange Council of Ski Clubs elected HB s own (and beloved) Betsy Pedley as its Woman of the Year. Betsy will now be considered for the Far West Ski Association s Woman of the Year, to be selected at the FWSA s June convention in nearby San Diego. Mark your calendars for the June 4-7 Convention at San Diego s Town and Country Resort/Convention Center. Balboa s Jess Gorman is the Council s Man of the Year. Betsy has been a dynamo within our club, and expect a profile on her many contributions to our club and the community in our next edition which will also carry news from the FWSA Convention and the Yosemite trip many of our members are making in June. Go to the FWSA website for detailed Convention information: http://www.fwsa.org/conventions/conventions.html The BLIZZARD HUNTINGTON BEACH SKI CLUB Page 1
HEART HEALTH February was National Health Heart month. The Center for Disease Control provides information at: http://www.cdc.gov/features/heartmonth/ It focuses on stopping smoking and controlling blood pressure. SURPRISING GOOD NEWS There is recent hopeful news in scientific findings that allow for greater consumption of saturated fats. It is the news butter and cheese lovers have long been waiting for. We knew in our hearts that cheese was good. Again, Wisconsin and its Cheeseheads lead the way. Although some care may be required since one source for this information is the Huffington Post. (http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/10/23/ butter-and-health-_n_4150426.html) This follows on guidance that an egg a day won t hurt your heart either. That still doesn t give the green light to three egg omelets. ( See, http:// www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/eggs/) Heart health isn t just diet, remember to take a daily half hour walk. ORANGE COUNCIL ANNUAL DINNER-SAN DIEGO CONVENTION President Penny, VP-Trips Vince, and Dick Thiel attended the Orange Council s annual dinner at the Jagerhaus in Orange. Council Convention Chair Judy Thurman and FWSA Convention Chairperson Jane Wyckoff described the upcoming FWSA annual convention in San Diego (June 4-7). Our club is entitled to as many as 13 delegates with unlimited attendees. That s the first 13 votes for Betsy for Woman of the Year! Other FWSA Highlights: Thursday: Dinner aboard the historic USS Midway, and a pub crawl; Friday: Silent Auction and golf,kayaking and bike rides; Saturday: Travel Expo,panels and awards; Sunday: elections, club & council awards, brunch. (Registration and activity fees apply) You can reserve your hotel room and pay your registration NOW. See, Convention Flyer, infra*. [*you will find the flyer further on in the newsletter.] http://www.fwsa.org/conventions/ conventions.html The BLIZZARD HUNTINGTON BEACH SKI CLUB Page 2
PRESIDENT S CORNER Happy Season, HBSC, and a very warm welcome to all our new members! It s hard to believe that we ve already finished our ski season, with 7 fabulous Mammoth trips behind us. It s also hard to believe that Club Elections 2015-2016 are already almost here! For 2014-2015, the board focused on: 1) Safe, fun, affordable skiing and riding trips both to our Mammoth mainstay, and beyond 2) Year round sports activities, events, trips and outings of interest to our very active and eclectic membership 3) Membership growth, while maintaining the uniquely warm, welcoming, big family culture of HBSC 4) Growing our presence and voice within the extended family - OC Council and FWSA 5) Giving back, by supporting great causes such as Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra (DSES), local charities, and community based events such as the ADA Diabetes Ride, Beach Cleanups and more. We ve had a great year so far.but there s so much more to do! If you re interested in volunteering for a position in 2015-2016 - contact Marty Golden, the Nomination Committee Chair. HBSC needs you! Trip Highlights: Mammoth Super Bowl trip: It was SUPER (except for a couple mishaps on the mountain). Big Kudos to Barb and Debbie, party planners extraordinaire! Like Bowling?? Mammoth has a brand new bowling and golf center! Meeting HIghlights: -Boot Fitter presentation by Jeff and Scott from local Pro Service Center. They ll be back! -National Wounded Warrior Center presentation by Michael K, who volunteers with DSES. -In March, Michael Anthony shared his remarkable work with disabled skiers. And, speaking of DSES we had our 2 nd trip raffle. The lucky winner Lucky Henry. Again. We raised another $210 for DSES! Total this season: $745!! THANK YOU HBSC. Way to give back! As for the snow.. It s been pretty decent, considering we re on the left coast and enduring an extended drought. Some HBSC snow seekers are venturing out of state again this year Jackson Hole, FWSA trip to Whistler BC, Utah, Colorado, and even Banff. Enjoy! And finally, the BLIZZARD is back! Please join me in a big THANK YOU to Bill Knight for taking on the Public Relations/ Newsletter Chair.and bringing this Blizzard to you. It s our favorite season HBSC. Ski, Board, have fun, be safe! Penny WE REMEMBER OUR INJURED MEMBERS Our best wishes for the full and prompt recovery of our injured members. Pain, go away. Our support goes out to Laurie, Cyndy, Chris and Frank. May your burdens be lighter on the comeback trail. Your friends are wishing you well. The BLIZZARD HUNTINGTON BEACH SKI CLUB Page 3
DECEMBER BRINGS SKI SEASON -MAMMOTH, HERE WE COME! Type to enter text Above, Big HB turnout for DSES Mardi Gras fundraiser. Left, SNOW! The BLIZZARD HUNTINGTON BEACH SKI CLUB Page 4
Christmas Feast and Fantasy EDDIE Our Host and Karaoke Meister! The BLIZZARD HUNTINGTON BEACH SKI CLUB Page 5
And Someone Said Dress Up Type to enter text The BLIZZARD HUNTINGTON BEACH SKI CLUB Page 6
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BACK TO MAMMOTH Taking Charles to his knees The BLIZZARD HUNTINGTON BEACH SKI CLUB Page 8
WINNERS Type to enter text On our January trip, beginner s luck met Jim Nathan at the Mexican Train table. The game has been a popular pastime, usually between dinner and dancing. Jim did his own victory dance after winning his game. Then, at our February meeting, President Penny surprisedly announced that Henry Hallgarten was our two time trip winner in support of disabled skiers. Orange Council Report The Orange Council selected Betsy Pedley as its Woman of the Year and Jess Gorman, its Vice President for Travel, as its Man of the Year. Several Council members reported on the FWSA trip to Whistler. VP Gorman reported on the site visit to next year s destination Telluride. Jess requested space at Peaks Resort and Bear Creek Lodge, both on the mountain at Telluride. Members are looking forward to the June 4-7 FWSA Convention in San Diego. The Council passed a safety resolution supporting the use of helmets. [Helmets are de rigueur forhbsc Check out our pictures from the slopes.] The BLIZZARD HUNTINGTON BEACH SKI CLUB Page 9
Ski Boots that Can Make the Difference Do your ski boots give you fits? Do you get blisters? Do you think it is normal to have pain while in your ski boots? Surprise the answer is there is no good reason to have sore feet while skiing. At our Club February 3 rd meeting, Jeff Van Tassel and Scott Owen, owners and operators of Pro Service Center in Costa Mesa, gave a 360 degree look at making ski boots comfortable. Scott and Jeff have been involved in boot fitting for dozens of years. They worked with the pro circuit and worked for many boot manufactures doing research on what makes a good boot and how to fit it. Jeff and Scott have experience with different types of insoles, insole modification, liner sculpting, boot cants, shell modification, and much more. They offer to work with you until your boots are perfect this could be just one visit or several. Marty Golden, our past president, recently took his boots in and was amazed at all the things they did and told him to do to make his boots more comfortable. In addition to various boot adjustments done, Marty said they gave him these valuable tips: Get knee high micro fiber socks. So, Marty got some Lo-Volume Hot Chillys Premier socks at Sport Chalet that met the criteria. If you have long johns cut them off at the mid calf. Microfiber will not unravel. If you stll have cotton, you can sew a new seam after cutting them to size. Remove liner at the end of ski day so it can dry out some Ace Hardware pure silicon lubricant sprayed on outside of liner helps get it in and out. Spray some foot powder on inside of liner. Protect your boot bottoms with Cat Tracks Scott and Jeff's presentation at the meeting was warmly received;expect a comeback. Armed with this information, you don't have to wait until next season to treat your feet the way they should be. Scott (949) 645-4153 and Jeff (949) 677-6999 will be glad to help you. They advised they work by appointment, and that a typical appointment and fitting lasts an hour or two. Their Pro Service Center address: 1125 Victoria St., Suite A, Costa Mesa, CA 92627. The BLIZZARD HUNTINGTON BEACH SKI CLUB Page 10
Michael Anthony - A Remarkable Life Story Member Michael Anthony told our March meeting the story about how he became involved in inventing tools to help disabled skiers ski. Michael had great talent both as a skier and architect/inventor. Michael admitted he had been on our national ski team before being struck by disabling disease. His passion for skiing was manifest. So was his determination to create the tools, third skis and seats, that would enable those without limbs or full use of their arms or legs to ski. Great job, Michael! Snow is Low Time to Bowl Joe Wood and Dick Thiel each reported having a good time at Mammoth s bowling alley, Mammoth Rock n Bowl, 3029 Chateau Road / Mammoth Lakes 760-934-4200. http://www.mammothrocknbowl.com The BLIZZARD HUNTINGTON BEACH SKI CLUB Page 11
BODIE State Historic Park- Short Trip From Mammoth Lakes In January, after morning skiing, a Club quad, Ardel and Frank Vandenberg, Tom Vincent (pictured to left) and Bill Knight,headed out to a California ghost town, now the Bodie State Historical Park, north of Lee Vining and Mono Lake. Bodie was founded on a gold strike in 1859. It had its boom period in the 1870s. Scaled back, it still functioned as a mining town until a disastrous fire destroyed ninety percent of the town in 1932. It succumbed in the 1940s. The journey to the park provides beautiful vistas and some sense of the historic mining town; it ends with a stretch of unpaved road. The largest structure is a stamping mill. Numerous hills of tailings mark the ridge lines. Bodie had its vice and virtue, only not in equal measure. It had three churches (Methodist, Catholic and Taoist (for its Chinese community)) and 60 saloons. Brothels were on a street nicknamed variously Virgin and Maiden Lane. Bodie also harbored opium dens. You can see the general store, garage, union hall, hotel and Methodist church. All have the special presence of long deserted buildings. Modern restrooms were closed for the winter, but outhouses were open. Additional information is available at the State Park website ( parks.ca.gov), using the search term, Bodie. The BLIZZARD HUNTINGTON BEACH SKI CLUB Page 12
FAR WEST SKI ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONVENTION June 4-7, 2015 Town and Country Resort & Convention Center 500 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, CA 92108 800-772-8527 www.towncountry.com Hosted by San Diego Council of Ski Clubs Salute to San Diego 015 Convention Highlights Silent Auction Travel Expo Snowsports Leadership Academy Celebrity Speakers Public Affairs Panel Saturday Awards Luncheon Celebrity Multi-Media Presentation Saturday Awards Dinner Far West General Meeting & Elections Optional Activities Thursday Activities San Diego Tours Sunset Dine Out on USS Midway Friday Activities Michael German Memorial Golf Tournament Town and Country Resort & Convention Center Reservations call 800-772-8527 Group Name Far West Ski Association Online Reservations http://bit.ly/fwsa-lodging Room Rates per night plus tax single or double occupancy (choice of Royal Palm Tower, Regency Tower/Courtyard, Garden Room) Garden & Tower Rooms $145 (Rooms will be released May 15, 2015) Hotel Features 32 lushly-landscaped acres in the heart of Mission Valley, 5 restaurants & 3 lounges, 3 Pools and Whirlpool, 14,000 sq. ft. Bella Tosca Day Spa- Salon-Fitness Center, 27-hole Championship Golf Course, adjacent to Fashion Valley Shopping Mall & Light Rail Trolley Stop NO Resort Fees; FREE Wi-Fi in Guest Rooms The BLIZZARD HUNTINGTON BEACH SKI CLUB Page 13
MIKE EXPLAINS DSES AND WOUNDED WARRION CENTER PROGRAMS At our February meeting, Mike Krasowski supported the proposed Mammoth Wounded Warrior Center, a project of the Disabled Sports- Eastern Sierra(DSES) charity. Mike is well known for his volunteer efforts for DSES. On club trips, he is an early riser to rendezvous at the slopes with disabled skiers. His and Patrick Sequeira's sharing of their experiences with fellow club members has helped inspire many member contributions to DSES. Mike described the need, the many kinds of disabled people being helped, and the great benefit the program provides them. Mike explained how DSES is undertaking its fundraising campaign for the Wounded Warrior Center, and the many facilities provided in the Center s design. Mike advised information on the project is available at: http:// www.woundedwarriorsmammoth.org/ Type to enter text A picture is worth a thousand words; in this case a rendering: The BLIZZARD HUNTINGTON BEACH SKI CLUB Page 14
SEASON PASSES MAMMOTH/CALIFORNIA PASS:Mammoth's California Pass (successor to the MVP pass) is on sale and April 6 is the deadline to get a $100 discount ($50 for senior passholders). Some members have tried out other passes offered by ski resorts. For next season, here are some of the passes being offered: VAIL/EPIC PASSES: Vail Resorts has multiple pass options. They range from the all-everything Epic Pass ($769 adults/$399 children) to individual and local-group passes: Mt. Brighton, $439, Afton Alps, $419, and Keystone/A-Basin, $299 (with some restrictions). The Epic Locals pass ($579) is available broadly, and includes unlimited local use along with restricted use at Vail s most major areas. There are also the Locals Value Pass in Tahoe ($429 with some restrictions), the Summit Value Pass ($489 adults/$389 teens/$269 ages 5-12) for Keystone and Arapahoe Basin with limited holiday restrictions at Breckenridge, and the Keystone A-Basin Pass ($299 adults/ $219 children 5-12), with some holiday restrictions. For Utah residents, there s the Park City Youth Pass ($399 college students/$309 teens/$289 ages 5-12). And in the Midwest, there is still more: Limited-use Epic 4-Day and Epic 7-Day passes for Mt. Brighton and Afton Alps offer either four or seven local-area days and four or seven destinationarea days. Prices are $389 adult/$219 ages 5-12 and $579/$299, respectively. The Epic options must be reserved with $49 down by April 12. MOUNTAIN COLLECTIVE: The Mountain Collective has added Sun Valley, Idaho, to its resorts for the 2015-16 winter season. Sun Valley joins Alta/Snowbird, Aspen Snowmass, Ski Banff-Lake Louise-Sunshine Village, Jackson Hole, Mammoth Mountain, Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows and Whistler Blackcomb. A limited number of Mountain Collective passes are on sale for $369 (U.S.), $99 for kids ages 12 and under. These passes include two days of skiing or riding at each of the eight destinations plus a 50 percent discount on all additional days, with no blackout dates. Spring pass purchasers will receive one bonus day at the destination of their choice (subject to restrictions) and two free days at Valle Nevado, Chile, this summer. SQUAW VALLEY-ALPINE MEADOWS/GOLD TAHOE SUPER PASS- DROUGHT INSURED : The 2015/2016 Tahoe Super Passes include "rollover days" for silver and gold level passes purchased before May 7. The Gold Tahoe Super Pass costs $789 and provides unlimited access to Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows, plus four additional days at both Sierra-at-Tahoe and Sugar Bowl, and 50-percent off tickets at the Mountain Collective resorts. If a person is unable to ski at least four days during the upcoming season for any reason (including drought), they get a $100 credit for each unused day towards next season's pass. Don't ski at all one season? That means a $400 credit towards the following winter. [Source: http://ski.curbed.com/archives/2015/03/squaw-valleyalpine-meadows-drought.php] The BLIZZARD HUNTINGTON BEACH SKI CLUB Page 15
INTRAWEST-PWDR-BOYNE RESORTS/MULTI-ALPINE EXPERIENCE: Intrawest, Powdr and Boyne Resorts introduced a M.A.X. Pass. With the Multi-Alpine Experience ski pass ($699 adults/$499 teens/$249 kids/$29 ages 5 and under, all prices U.S.), skiers and snowboarders can experience five days at each of the companies 22 mountains across North America for the 2015-2016 season. There are no blackout dates, but passes will only be available for a limited time, and require a $49 down payment by April 30. Participating eastern resorts include Killington/Pico and Stratton, Vt.; Loon, N.H., Sugarloaf and Sunday River, Maine; Snowshoe, W.Va.; Blue Mountain, Ont.; and Mont Tremblant, Que. In the Rockies, the roster has Big Sky, Mont.; Copper, Steamboat, and Winter Park, Colo.; and Brighton, Utah. West Coast areas include Boreal, Calif.; Snoqualmie and Crystal, Wash.; Mt. Bachelor, Ore.; Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort, Nev.; and Cypress Mountain, B.C. plus Boyne and Boyne Highlands in Michigan. Anyone who has purchased a qualifying season pass at one of the participating resorts is eligible to add the M.A.X. benefits for $249 adults/$199 teens/$149 kids/ $29 ages 5 and under. (Source: http://www.saminfo.com/news/multi-resort-season-pass-optionsexpand) JOYFUL GREETINGS TO A NEW SEASON WELCOME TO HOLY WEEK, PASSOVER AND SPRING The BLIZZARD HUNTINGTON BEACH SKI CLUB Page 16
OUR SEASON ENDED IN MARCH- REMEMBER THE GOOD TIMES AND LOOK FORWARD TO SNOWY SLOPES IN THE YEAR AHEAD- GOODBYE DROUGHT Fotos, Ideas, Info for the next issue? Send to billknightofhb@yahoo.com Bill Knight, HBSC Public Relations/Newsletter Chair The BLIZZARD HUNTINGTON BEACH SKI CLUB Page 17