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Hawaii Ski Club – August, 2009
EXECUTIVE ORGANIZATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President – Geof Chu – 330-7432
Vice President – Anita Hodges, 486-8667
Secretary - Craig Shaffer
Treasurer - Wanda Sowell
James Purvis
Toby Kravet – 224-1065
Wanda "Wandi" Sagum
Susan Murata
Kevin Okawa
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Club Historian
Jo Yee
Newsletter Editor
Toby Kravet
(Click on Contacts for e mail addresses)
CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
Every Monday evening (except on holidays): 4:30 P.M. A group of ski club members and their friends play tennis at Keehi Lagoon courts, off Lagoon Drive. Stay in shape and share refreshments afterwards!
August 1, (Saturday): 12 Noon. Sailing off Honolulu/Waikiki with Neal and Arleen.
August 5, (Wednesday): 7 P.M. Mozart's "The Magic Flute."
August 6, (Thursday): 6: P.M. General Meeting with Swap Meet (See Below) at Sam Snead's Tavern.
August 7, (Friday): 5: P.M. First Friday at the Hawaii State Art Museum.
August 13, (Thursday): 7:00 P.M. Willie K in concert at the Waikiki Aquarium.
August 20, (Thursday): 5:30 P.M. Board Meeting at Henry Loui's.
August 21, (Friday): 4:30 P.M. Pau Hana at the Living Room, Fisherman's Wharf.
September 6, (Sunday): 4:30 P.M. The "Annual?" Pool Party and Wine Tasting at the Hodges' palatial manse in beautiful uptown Aiea.
September 13, (Sunday): 12:30 P.M. Makiki Valley Loop Trail hike from Pu'u Ualaka'a State Park.
September 18, (Friday): 5:30 P.M. Pau Hana at the Kaimuki Grill. 1108 12th Ave., near the corner of Harding.
September 17, 5:30 P.M. (Thursday): Board Meeting at Henry Loui's.
October 1 (Thursday): Annual Kickoff Meeting.
Stay Tuned. Reserve the Date. This is when the Club "Kicks in" for
the food.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE:
As an Oahu Eastside resident mostly all of my life, this last Sunday was the
first time up the Kuliouou Ridge Trail. Though I was only slightly sore,
this trail is rated beginner to intermediate and it showed me that I need to do
a little more to get in shape for the upcoming season. Jon Carr, a
resident of the valley and one of our more advanced skiiers, remarked that the
hike helps him get in shape yearly in preparation for the slopes. Toby has
planned a series of hikes and it would do a lot of us good to come out and build
up some stamina. We have over 65 members signed up for Ski Week 2010 and there
will be a lot more skiing and boarding this year as compared to Japan so I hope
to see you on upcoming hikes and/or bike rides prior to the trip.
Summer’s half over and the Board has planned a variety of events we have planned
which include more hikes, Pau Hanas, South Shore Cruise, concerts and winding up
with our Annual Pool Party.
Aloha,
GEOF
UPCOMING SKI CLUB ACTIVITIES:
"COME SAIL AWAY, COME SAIL AWAY WITH ME"
Ala Wai Boat Harbor
August 1 (Saturday), Noon to Approximately 5 P.M.
Neal Harding and Arleen Gillin have invited ski club members for a sail on their
boat, the Placebo, Saturday August 1. We will sail off Waikiki and then anchor
by the Bite (the waters off the Sheraton Hotel) for swimming and relaxing.
THIS OPPORTUNITY IS LIMITED TO THE FIRST 18 CLUB MEMBERS WHO SIGN UP. A few
spots are still available. Please email anitah@hawaii.edu
Meeting place: Slip 44 of the Hawaii Yacht Club (behind the Prince Hotel)
Departure time: NOON. Plan to arrive early so that you don’t miss the
boat........
PAID Parking: behind the Prince Hotel on Ala Moana Blvd; bring quarters for the
parking meters. You may wish to carpool since there are limited parking spots.
What to bring: swimsuit, towel, pupu and beverages and LOTS of sunscreen!
ANITA
MOZART'S "THE MAGIC FLUTE
August 5 (Wednesday), 7 PM
Regal Dole Cannery Stadium Theaters
735 B Iwilei Road
Mozart's "The Magic Flute" was first shown in December 2006 as
the inaugural transmission of the Met's Live in HD series of opera movies. This
summer encore performance at select theaters nationwide gives us another chance
to enjoy Mozart's delightful fairy tale opera of an enchanting world of dancing
bears, giant birds, and magic. This abridged 2-hour version is sung in English.
Tickets ($15) are now available at the theater box office or online at the web
site below:
http://www.fandango.com/regaldolecannerystadium1826imax_aange/theaterpage?date=8/5/2009
Please join us for a wonderful night at the opera!
WANDI
GENERAL MEETING WITH SWAP MEET
August 6 (Thursday), 6 P.M.
Sam Snead's Tavern
Before departing for the General Meeting on August 6, be sure to go through your closet and chests and pull out winter equipment and clothing, still in usable condition, to bring for trade with or sale to your fellow members. Also, although the formal meeting does not begin until 6:00 P.M., try to get there before 5:30 to take advantage of the dinner specials before they go "off line."
FIRST FRIDAY AT THE HAWAII STATE ART MUSEUM
August 7 (Friday), 5 PM - 9 PM
250 South Hotel Street
Phone: 586-0900
(Admission is free)
Have you ever been to our Hawaii State Art Museum in downtown Honolulu? It's a
beautiful place to visit, and a "must do" experience! Attending the August First
Friday event at the museum is the perfect time to go there! This month features
“Aerial Romance,” an aerial dance performance by Samadhi with accompaniment by
Kaumakaiwa Kanakaole (this year's Hoku Award winner for Male Vocalist!) and
other arts of the air including exhibitions of tumbling and fire dance. You will
also be able to roam the art galleries. The restaurant Downtown at the Hi Sam,
located on the first floor of the museum, and the museum gift shop, also located
on the first floor, will both be open. There is ample, easy parking for this
event. <
http://hawaii.gov/sfca/artmuseum.php?article_id=144 > Please join us
for a great Friday evening of spectacular aerial dancing under a full August
moon!
WANDI
WAIKIKI AQUARIUM SUMMER CONCERT: WILLIE K
August 13 (Thursday) 7:00 P.M.
As was expected, tickets are now sold out for the Willie K concert.
For those of you who have tickets to this event, doors to the aquarium open at
5:30 PM and the performance begins at 7 PM. The aquarium galleries will be
open for us to enjoy before the concert. No outside food, drinks, or coolers
will be allowed to be brought in to this event. The Aquarium is an
alcohol-free and smoke-free facility. Food and drinks provided by a
leading restaurant will be available for purchase at the concert. The
concert will be on the lawn oceanside of the aquarium, so bring a beach mat to
sit on or low sand chairs only. Let's look for each other so that we can
all sit together! The performance will be held rain or shine.
WANDI
PAU HANA @ THE LIVINGROOM @ FISHERMAN'S WHARF
2009 Ala Moana Blvd.
August 21, 2009 – 4:30 P.M.
The Living Room has reopened again as a great spot for Honolulu nightlife!
Honolulu's Best Kept Secret with a great Pau Hana and fantastic evening events! They have recently renovated the downstairs area by putting in a whole new bar,
dart boards, pool tables, satellite tv's, and an awesome food menu. Happy
Hour features $2 drafts and discounted drinks and pupus. There is always plenty
of parking.
GEOF
ANNUAL END-OF-SUMMER CELEBRATION, POOL PARTY, and WINE
TASTING
FOOD - DRINKS - WINE TASTING - PRIZES
September 6 (Sunday) 4:30 P.M.
Enjoy the final days of summer AND lots of great food
Share time with old and new friends
Swim in the pool - Relax in the hot tub
Bored on most Sunday afternoons?? Then join other ski club members on the Sunday
of Labor Day weekend for an end-of-the-summer party and wine tasting. This is
one of the club's best-attended and most enjoyable activities each year, so make
sure you and friends join the festivities!. Guests are welcome.
WINE TASTING EVENT
: Prizes awarded to the winners of the best white and best red wines. Last year
James and Marybeth Purvis’s wines won BOTH categories, so try to beat them this
year by entering top-shelf wines! Everyone can taste the wines and vote on
his/her favorite. However, if you wish to qualify for a prize, you must bring a
bottle of wine for the tasting. The red and white wines with the most votes wins
a prize for the person who brought that wine.
RETURN OF A CROWD FAVORITE
: Wanda's chocolate dessert fountain. More chocolate was consumed last year than
anything else!!!!!
TIME: 4:30 - 8:30
Wine Tasting contest begins at 5:30 so have your wine ready for the beginning of
this event
LOCATION: Bill and Anita Hodges
98-1006 Palula Way, Aiea, HI
486-8667
Directions from town
: take the Aiea/Pearlridge exit on either H1 or Moanalua Freeway; turn right on
Ka’onohi Street; right on Iho Place; and left on Palula Way)
WHAT TO BRING: a potluck dish to share, BYOB, a lawn chair, bathing suit and
towel, and of course, a bottle of red or white wine for the wine tasting event.
The Ski Club supports responsible drinking and driving: PLEASE HAVE A DESIGNATED
DRIVER WHO WILL NOT BE CONSUMING ALCOHOL DURING THIS EVENT. If not, we will be
happy to call a taxi for you at the end of this event.
ANITA
MAKIKI VALLEY LOOP TRAIL HIKE
September 13 (Sunday), 12:30 P.M.
Based on the improved turnout for the July hike, we will stick to Sunday afternoon rather than Saturday morning for hike #4 of the KISS Series. We will return to Tantalus but, this time, for a hike on the lower trails. Think chirping birds, shaded trail, gurgling brook, and signs identifying some of the botanical offerings on the side of the trail. Also think roots, rocks, roots, feral chickens, roots, steep downhill over roots, possible mud depending upon recent weather, and more graduated uphill with fewer roots. While this won't be a "walk in the park," and the downhill portion will require you to watch your footing due to the roots, it won't be as strenuous or necessarily slow as our previous hike on Kuliouou Ridge. Wear hiking boots, trail running shoes, or regular running shoes with good treads on the sole: I would not wear shoes with worn soles. The trail will be 3.2 miles in length, will take about 2 hours, 30 minutes, and will start from Pu'u Ualaka'a State Park halfway up Round Top Drive. To get to Pu'u Ualaka'a State Park, go up Round Top drive 2.4 miles from it's beginning at the intersection with Makiki Heights Drive. You will find a sign identifying the park entrance on the left hand side of a hairpin turn at the 2.4 mile point. Drive up to the first lot where you will find a restroom and should find, unlike the last hike, plenty of places to park.
TOBY
SNOWMASS/ASPEN UPDATE
Thanks to all who have mailed their $50 trip deposits. We’re just about maxed out as 68 club members have confirmed their space for the January 29 – February 6, 2010 trip and we are "capping" at 70. If you are still interested, please contact Susan Murata at susan@hawaiisnowskiclub.com to find out if you are 1 of the lucky 2 left and to get the details on the costs ASAP.
A first payment of $500 is due by August 30, 2009
NEW Payment Schedule:
• $50 deposit, due by July 30
• $500 payment due by August 30
• $500 payment due by September 30 (for full package)
• Remainder of your balance due October 30
Cancellation Policy:
Up to 10/29/09, no penalty for cancellation, full refund.
After 10/30/09, monies paid will be returned with a minimum penalty of $175 AND
if there are additional costs charged to us by vendors, additional penalties
will be deducted.
REMINDER: CLUB MEMBERSHIP IS REQUIRED FOR HAWAII SKI CLUB TRIPS. In order
to benefit from our group rates, you must agree to become a member of our group.
Go to:
http://www.hawaiisnowskiclub.com/member_form.htm
SUSAN
PAST ACTIVITIES:
FOURTH OF JULY IN WAIKIKI
Mango season peaked in July and Mango-ritas we enjoyed by all.
We all gathered in the condo for a sorta up scale “tailgate party” and proceeded
down to the beach after sunset to watch the fireworks off of Magic Island.
We were dusted by a light rain as we sat on the beach @ DeRussy, but it
was “all good”. It still puzzles me how many people view the fireworks
from Waikiki beach on probably the most crowded day of the year. Regardless , a
great time was had by all.
GEOFF
JULY PAU HANA AT PINKY'S PUPU BAR AND GRILL
The Pau Hana at Pinkys Pupu Bar and Grill on Friday, July 10th,
started slowly with only 4 people for the first half hour but gradually picked
up steam. "I counted about 18 people at this event. The beer wasn't
cold enough, but the food was great. All had a good time" (Craig).
Hey Craig! The Longboard Lager was fine! You were
drinking the wrong beer. (Toby)
Craig
CRAIG and TOBY
KULIOUOU RIDGE TRIAL HIKE
On Sunday afternoon, July 26th, a total of 11 stalwart Ski Club Members and their guests (or maybe it was 13), most of whom we've never seen before at these outings, showed up for what was, indeed, the most strenuous hike to date. It seemed like everybody in Honolulu, and their dogs, had decided to hike the ridge this day, and parking, for many, required going back down to the bottom of the street. The route started on a relatively gentle, shaded, switchback trail, meandered up onto an idyllically shaded, Norfolk Pine forest on the ridge, briefly stopped at a sheltered picnic table (who put this up here?), and then became a steep, exposed, red dirt trail with stairs amidst short scrub plants, climb to the top. It was an altitude gain of approximately 1,700 feet and a temperature drop of, maybe, 15 degrees from the trailhead to the windy, hold onto your hat summit, and what a view at the Summit! You could see 360 degrees---if you count the, approximately, 90 degrees of mountains to the Southwest as a view. The group of 11 (or was it 13?) started together (except for 12 and 13) but got strung out after the picnic table about 2/3rds of the way up, and we definitely went down (to avoid falling down?) at many different paces. After the last group trickled out at the bottom 4 hours later, 5 of us ended up at the Shack in Hawaii Kai for a couple of well deserved "cold ones." Oh! about the "Maybe 13." A mystery woman in a hat, sunglasses, and arm warmers, with a young boy who was probably her grandson, who had obviously started before us, greeted us at the top with, "Is this all the Ski Club?" or something of that nature. Also present at the picnic table on the way down, she asked, if Wanda and Wandi were with us. I answered in the negative. Then, without introducing herself, or us to her, she left with a, "See you in Colorado!" Who was that "Mystery Woman?"
TOBY
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
SNOWBOARD FOR SALE
Craig Shaffer still has an unused size 141 snowboard for sale. $250.00. Craig may be contacted at 261-5989.
NEW ZEALAND SKI TRIP
Anyone interested in joining me for skiing in New Zealand August
19th thru September 3rd? This will be my 14th trip "Down Under"
(for some upside down skiing?).
The cost including airfare, 13 nights hotel (12 in Queenstown and 1 in Auckland
on the way back), 10 days transportation to 3 of the 4 available ski areas
(2 in Queenstown and 2 in Wanaka), 10 days lift tickets to all 4, and transfers
between hotel and airport comes to approximately $3,500 for 1 person
traveling alone. An 11th full day of skiing is possible but would be
for additional cost, either on your own or as a 1 day extension to the lift
ticket/ski area transportation package. Also, if you want to take a break,
days of skiing can be exchanged, wholly or in part, for such things as jet boat
rides on the river, wine tours, etc. The exchange rate is currently .65
American for $1.00 N.Z. so everything is pretty reasonable once you get
there. Also, the cost would be less if two share a hotel
room---or you go down for a shorter trip. If interested, give
me a call
(see Contacts) ): I can give you more specific information
and put you in touch with the travel agent.
TOBY
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Contributions from the membership to future newsletters are encouraged and will be greatly appreciated: Please e mail them to Toby (see Contacts) no later than 7 calendar days from the end of the month. Thanx much.
Updated club info available at http://www.hawaiisnowskiclub.com/