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July, 2014
EXECUTIVE ORGANIZATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President – Toby Kravet – 808-224-1065
Vice President – Jonathan Carr
Treasurer - Geoff Chu
Secretary - Paul Ferguson
Rene "Fergie" Ferguson
Roy Manzoku
Bill Hodges
Cathy Lau
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Club Historian
Jo Yee
Newsletter Editor
Toby Kravet
(Click on Contacts for e mail addresses)
CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
Additional events, such as concerts, hikes, excursions, may be added. Watch your email for possible updates.
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!
June 29 (Sunday) Tour of Coconut Island with ferry from Heeia Pier in Kaneohe.
July 17 (Thursday) 5:30 P.M. Board Meeting at Henry Loui's.
July 19 (Saturday) 11:45 A.M. Volunteer assistance with the lunch service at Institute of Human Services in Iwilei.
July 25 (Friday) 4:30 P.M. Pau Hana at Pinky's in Kailua.
August 7 (Thursday) 6:00 P.M. General Membership Meeting at Seven Palms. Come no later than 5:30 for the Sunset Specials on dinners.
August 23 (Saturday) 6:30 P.M. Join a group of you Ski Club friends for the "Back in the Day" concert at the Waikiki Shell with Henry Kapono and Friends. Advance tickets available through Ticketmaster.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE:
As is evident from the schedule above, we are not having a General Membership Meeting in July: The first Thursday of the month turns out to be the eve of July 4th, and I'm sure that a lot of you, who would otherwise come, will be busy making your own preparations for Friday's celebrations or starting your own celebration early. HAPPY 4TH OF JULY EVERYONE, AND STAY SAFE.
This will be the first year, in about the last fifteen or sixteen, that I haven't gone "down under" for some summer (our summer, that is) skiing. As I write this, Coronet Peak has been open for two or three weeks, Cardrona just opened a couple of days ago, the Remarkables and Treble Cone are still waiting for more cover, and they've recently gotten a little rain. Ugh! Global warming? For those of you who are devotees of Park City and haven't been keeping up with the news, Park City Mountain Resort, which owns the base of the mountain, the lower mountain, and a lot of the infrastructure, missed the deadline to renew their lease for the upper mountain with Talisker Corporation which owns both the upper mountain and The Canyons Resort next door. Talisker, apparently, was waiting for something like this to happen so that they could take over Park City and contract its operation with Vail, which already operates The Canyons for them. A judge just validated the loss of the lease and Talisker's right to take over. Vail has offered to buy the lower mountain from Park City and hire all of the current employees. Park City has replied with a resounding "No," and has threatened to remove a number of the lifts and the snow making equipment. They have also said will refund all season passes if they don't open for the 2015 season. The judge has ordered (or requested?) Park City and Talisker to talk about it some more. Some observors have suggested that the 2015 season will probably be "safe" because things will be tied up in court. Stay tuned.
Must be those "Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer:" Fewer members are appearing at Pau Hanas but, due to the interest, we had to schedule a second excursion to Coconut Island. If I was/am conspicuous by my absence from one of the Coconut Island tours, I was there with another group about a year ago. I think I will want to go again at some point---but not so soon. I do want to thank Cathy, again, for the idea: It was/is a "winner." If any of you out there have an idea for a Club excursion to an interesting and "off-the-beaten-path" location, let me know about it: Don't be shy.
As of our Pau Hana at Lisa's House last Thursday night, we had, if I remember correctly, forty members who had already signed up for the Steamboat trip and another who gave Geoff his check that evening. If you're planning to go, don't wait for the last minute to sign up. Also, If you are planning to go and are a bit out of shape, don't wait for the last couple of months of the year to start exercising regularly. It pays to be fit. A fit person cannot only avoid injury some of the time but, quite often, can heal a lot faster from injuries that he/she has sustained: I can attest to that.
See you at the activities and meetings.
TOBY
UPCOMING SKI CLUB ACTIVITIES:
TOUR OF COCONUT ISLAND
KANEOHE BAY
June 29 (Sunday)
On Sunday, June 29, a group of Ski Club members will be taking the ferry from Heeia Pier to tour Coconut Island in Kaneohe Bay. The first tour, on June 21, could not accommodate all the interested members. The Island, now owned by the State of Hawaii and used as a laboratory by the University of Hawaii's Institute of Marine Biology, was originally privately owned and the site of a private zoo, used by the U.S. Navy as a "rest and recuperation" venue for it's flyers during World War II, and once intended as a resort which never "got off the ground." It was featured in the opening sequence of the long gone television series, Gilligan's Island.
TOBY
LUNCH SERVICE AT THE INSTITUTE OF HUMAN SERVICES
July 19 (Saturday) 11:45 A.M.
The Hawaii Ski Club, as do other organizations, will serve lunch at the Institute of Human Services'
Men's Shelter, 350 Sumner St., Honolulu (across the street from the Iwilei
K-Mart), on Saturday, July 19, 2014.
Volunteers,
already confirmed,
need to check in by 11:45 A.M. to serve lunch from noon to 1:00 pm.
Additional
information from the Institute of Human Services:
1. Respect the
confidentiality of our guests - no cameras please
2. Sign in and out with
reception
3. Parking is very limited, so please carpool
4. Wear
appropriate clothing - Closed shoes, long pants, no tank tops etc.
5. Please
have each volunteer return the Hold Harmless Form on day of
volunteering. The form was attached to the original email announcement. All volunteers under 18 needs to have a parent or guardian sign
the form.
Volunteers will be meeting at a restaurant
for lunch after the event.
ROY
PAU HANA AT PINKY'S IN
KAILUA
July 25 (Friday)
4:30 P.M.
We last went to Pinky's in May of 2013, the month after we went to Lisa's House. We didn't intend a one month follow-up, just like last year, but that's the way it worked out. Pinky's Pupu Bar and Grill, in no longer "laid back" Kailua, is set beside a canal, is decorated in art deco Hawaiiana (rattan, canoe paddles, sculptured fish and tiki torches) and is brightly lit, even around a horseshoe- shaped bar near the entrance. The family-casual menu is local all the way and has an extensive pupu menu. This is a great location for all, including families and those who don’t drink alcohol. Pinky's just received recognition as "Best Windward Neighborhood Pub/Bar" in the Honolulu Star Advertiser's annual "Hawaii's Best" ratings. It is located at 970 Kalaheo Drive at the intersection of Kalaheo Drive and Mokapu Blvd. If you are coming from Honolulu/Pearl City side via the H3 or Likelike and continuing down Mokapu Blvd., it will be on your right (Aikahi Park Shopping Center will be on the far side of the intersection on your left). You will have to take a right onto Kalaheo Drive and then a quick left (if there is no traffic) or turn around a little ways down Kalaheo and drive back to get into the parking lot. Of course, coming down Kalaheo from Kailua town, the turn into Pinky's is "mo easy." There are small tables in the bar and longer tables in the restaurant, and history at this venue (we've been here a number of times) tells us that we will be seated in the restaurant after our group reaches enough "critical mass" to justify it (to the restaurant management). See you at Pinky's.
TOBY
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Seven Palms Bar and
Grill
Navy-Marine Golf Course Club House
943
Valkenburgh St., Honolulu, Hawaii
August 7, (Thursday) 6:00 P.M.
Come to our General Membership Meeting at the usual location on June 1. Although the meeting doesn't "officially" begin until 6:00 P.M., many members start coming at 5:00 for drinks, dinner, and "talking story." You need to be there by 5:30 P.M. to take advantage of the reduced prices of dinners for two.
TOBY
"BACK IN THE DAY"
HENRY KAPONO AND FRIENDS
WAIKIKI SHELL
August 23 (Saturday) 6:30 P.M.
A group of "Ski Clubbers" is planning
to attend this concert at the Waikiki Shell on August 23. The plan is to sit on
the grass for $29.00, and one or two of us will be getting there early to,
hopefully, score a good spot As the "friends" of Henry Kapono include
Kalapana, Jerry Santos of Olomana, Brother Noland, Keola Beamer, Robert
Cazimero, Willie K, John Cruz, Amy Hanaali’i, Robi Kahakalau, Sean Naauao,
Ledward Kaapana, Mike Kaawa, & Raiatea Helm, this could be a sellout: Advance
purchase of tickets, through Ticketmaster, is advisable. Even if tickets
are available at the time of the concert, the lines, judging from other popular
concerts at this venue, might be huge.
http://hawaii.wish.org/news-
HAWAII SKI WEEK 2015
AT STEAMBOAT
The Hawaii Ski Club is going to Steamboat
Resort ( http://www.steamboat.com ) in
Colorado for the 2015 Hawaii Ski Week, January 30 – February 7, 2015. The
Steamboat ski area comprises 2,965 skiable acres with a vertical drop of 3,668
feet. The elevation of the village at the base of the gondola is 6,900 feet.
They average 385 inches of snow per year. The ski terrain is described as 14%
beginner, 42% intermediate and 44% expert. They started a night skiing program
in 2014. You can explore the mountain with the Ambassador ski guides, Director
of Skiing Billy Kidd, mogul expert Nelson Carmichael (yeah, right), or with the
Over the Hill Gang (that sounds more like it). They have a First Tracks program
for the day that all the powder is there for the taking.
In addition to
skiing, the resort offers snowshoeing (including a guided, gourmet snowshoe
luncheon), sleigh rides, snowmobiling, tubing, etc. The town of Steamboat
Springs is 3 miles away by free shuttle. The town is cowboy themed, and they do
things like tow skiers down the streets behind horses. In town and nearby there
are two different natural hot springs, which might make for a fun excursion.
Our transportation and lodging is being booked by our familiar travel agent,
Ski.com.
Our flights are as follows:
United-383 S Depart: HNL
1/30/2015 09:00 pm Arrive: DEN 1/31/2015 06:46 am
United-328 W Depart: DEN
2/7/2015 11:30 am Arrive: HNL 2/7/2015 04:07 pm
We may change these
flights if we can obtain a reasonable and convenient flight into and out of
Hayden (HDN), Colorado, which is only a 35 minute bus ride from Steamboat. We
should find out about this in late May, when the airlines “load” the fares and
schedules to Hayden. Otherwise we will have to put up with the 3 ½ hr bus ride
to and from Denver. (I understand it is very scenic though).
We are
mainly staying in the Phoenix Condominium, which is a block away from the
gondola. The Phoenix (http://www.thephoenixatsteamboat.com) offers 2, 3 and 4
bedroom condos, two outdoor hot tubs, a heated, outdoor pool, free WiFi,
exercise room, co-ed sauna, clubhouse and meeting rooms. The condos all have
fireplaces, a washer and dryer, and some sort of sleeping arrangement in the
living rooms. Many of the condos are on two levels. They have many more 4
bedroom condos with single bedding than 3 bedrooms, so consider the 4 bedroom
with larger common areas for your mini-groups.
For those of you who want
to stay in a hotel, we are offering the Ptarmigan Inn, which is two doors down
from the Phoenix. The Ptarmigan
(http://www.steamboat-lodging.com/about-the-ptarmigan-inn) is slope-side with
true ski/in ski/out access. They have an outdoor hot tub and pool, ski shop
(Christy’s) and a popular restaurant. The rooms feature one king or two queen
beds, free internet and a refrigerator. The Ptarmigan is $200 more per person
that the 2 bedroom units at the Phoenix. A daily breakfast buffet is available
for $80 for the week.
We will have the traditional ski club activities –
reception, pot luck, pizza party – and a few more that the Trip Committee may
dream up. On Sunday, February 1, 2015, your après ski experience can include
viewing of the XLIX Super Bowl between the Detroit Lions and Oakland Raiders.
The prices for all this are on the Registration Form which has
already been emailed to current members. If you have not received a form
please contact Jonathan (
jonathan@hawaiisnowskiclub.com ). If you are not a current member and wish
to join the Club, the membership form can be found on our website
(
www.hawaiisnowskiclub.com ). Please fill
out the Registration form carefully and mail it in with your first payment (due June 15). The
flights and rooms are limited so mail in your forms as soon as you can. Don’t
worry if you do not have roommates lined up yet; that can be worked out later.
If you cannot read or print the Registration Form, please contact Jonathan.
Trip insurance is available from our travel agent. It is possible to pay for
your trip with a credit card, but there is a 3% surcharge. Let Jonathan know if you want either of these options.
TRIP COMMITTEE
PAST SKI CLUB ACTIVITIES:
VOLUNTEERING FOR
THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS
On Sunday, June 1, seven members and one guest gathered at Cook Field, University of Hawaii, to assist with food service for The Special Olympics. After helping to load coolers with ice and soft drinks, we were organized into an assembly line, grilling hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and hot dogs, inserting the grilled items into buns, and foil wrapping them for distribution. Roy and Geof "slaved" over the grills while the rest of us, Wanda, Wandi, Anne, Sam, our guest, and Yours Truly, performed the "bunning" and wrapping. Now I know why I never got into the fast food business, but I would be willing to do it again, maybe, next year. Thank you, Roy, for organizing this opportunity for us.
TOBY
PAU HANAS
SCHOONERS (May 30) & LISA'S
HOUSE (June 20)
I think it was Anita Hodges that used to always warn about low turnout for events during the summer months, and the attendance at the last two Pau Hanas seems to bear this out (although the interest in the Coconut Island Tour was just the opposite). About seven, which includes two non member guests, who joined us for a while but then left for their own function at the venue, came to Schooners on May 30, and nine showed up at Lisa's House on June 20. With our resident pool shark in Texas on June 20, nobody rose from the drinks and substantial, ono pupus, this time, to rack 'em up. I'm sure, at least, our core group (The HSC Pau Hana Hui?) will be present at the next one, at Pinky's, in Kailua, on July 25. Hope to see you there.
TOBY
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
FREE TEE SHIRTS FOR NEW MEMBERSHIPS
Effective May 15, 2014, for a limited period of time, one free Ski Club tee shirt will be given to all new "Memberships," i.e. one per Membership, individual or family.
THE HAWAII SKI CLUB IS ON FACEBOOK
If you are on Facebook, add the HSC as a “friend.” You will be up-to-date with recent HSC activities that members upload. The HSC Facebook page has photos from members on ski trips and at Club activities. You can also include your personal photos and announcements relating to the club for all HSC members to view.
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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 9 calendar days from the end of the month. Thanx much.
Updated club info available at http://www.hawaiisnowskiclub.com/