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July, 2023
EXECUTIVE ORGANIZATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
– Toby Kravet – 808-224-1065
Vice
President - Anita Hodges
Treasurer - Jonathan Carr
Secretary - Nelson Dang
Michiro Iwanaga
Alan Teramura
Caroline Sluyter
Mike Tsutsui
Carl See
-----------------------------------------
Newsletter Editor
Toby Kravet
(Click on Contacts for e mail addresses)
CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
Every Monday evening (except on holidays and, of course, during Hawaii Ski Week), at 4:30 PM, a group of ski club members and their friends play tennis at Keehi Lagoon Courts, off Lagoon Drive. Stay in shape and enjoy a "careful social hour" afterwards.
July 6 (Thursday), 5 PM Cookout/General Membership Meeting at Rainbow Bay Marina, Pearl Harbor.
August 3 (Thursday) 5 PM General Membership Meeting at Mangiamo, Navy - Marine Golf Course.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE:
First, if you are thinking of going to Steamboat this coming January but haven't signed up yet, please read the initial paragraph, in italics, at the beginning of the Ski Trips section below. Rooms are going fast, roommates are needed for several participants, and we are still shy of the minimum needed to get the "advertised" group airfare price. Thanks to the modern day international miracle of email, Alan, currently on vacation in Europe, has been keeping himself apprised of the status of the trip and continues to keep us informed. Mahalo Alan! Secondly, It was nice to see such a good turnout at Bevy's on May 25 and Special Olympics on July 6, and, as of this publication, we have forty four who have said they're coming to Rainbow Bay Marina on July 6. Although we don't have anything currently scheduled between July 6 and the next "regular" General Membership Meeting on August 3, we'll notify you by separate email if something, most probably a pau hana somewhere, develops. Since our last newsletter, we have three new members to welcome: Cathy Joseph/Joe Giannasio (from Oahu) and "Nikki" Janssen (from Maui). We have a couple of members on Kaui and have/had a number from the Big Island, but, Nikki, you are the first, in my memory (which some have been questioning these days), from Maui. Hope some of you neighbor island folk come to one of our meetings or activities if you happen to be on Oahu while we're having them and am looking to seeing many of you Oahu folk at Rainbow Bay Marina next week.
TOBY
UPCOMING SKI CLUB ACTIVITIES:
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING/COOKOUT
RAINBOW BAY MARINA
57 Arizona Memorial Drive
(next to Restaurant 604)
PEARL HARBOR
July 6 (Thursday) 5:00 PM (But Dinner served closer to 6:00
PM)
Come to our July General
Membership Meeting at Pearl Harbor where the food will be "on the house."
Still having some extra cash on hand from the "pandemic years" when we
weren't scheduling anything, we have again, thanks to Bill Hodges, been able
to reserve a cabana at Rainbow Bay
Marina for the event. This is the outdoor picnic area with cabanas on
the right hand side (facing towards the ocean) of Restaurant 604 where we have
held our October Kick-Off Meetings and, at least, a couple of Pre-Trip
Packet Pickup Parties in past years. For those of you unfamiliar with the
area, enter Pearl Harbor off Kamehameha Highway as if you were going to the
Arizona Memorial. There is no security to go through. take a right on the inner road (Arizona Memorial Place),
and drive approximately 1/4 mile. As soon as you go under the Ford
Island viaduct, you are there. This
is BYOB, and, at the end, please carry out your drink containers rather than
deposit of them in the refuse receptacles at the venue or we will forfeit
the return of a
$100.00 deposit we gave them for cleanup.
Please
note in your calendar to email me, pres@hawaiisnowskiclub.com
TOBY
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
MANGIAMO BY 604
NAVY MARINE GOLF COURSE
943
VALKENBURGH ST.
August 3 (Thursday) 5 PM
We're back to our normal venue, Mangiamo, for our August General Membership Meeting. Although the meeting won't begin until 5:30 PM, we'd like you to get there a bit earlier so you can get situated and order your food and drink. If you haven't yet been to Mangiamo, it is opposite the airport and off of Valkenburgh Street which runs between Nimitz Highway (under the viaduct) and Radford Drive. Drive almost all the way to Radford Drive and you'll see the entrance to the right. Mangiamo is on the second floor of the golf course's club house. See you there.
TOBY
PAST SKI CLUB ACTIVITIES:
PAU HANA AT BEVY
SALT AT OUR KAKAAKO
May 25, Thursday, 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
I counted as many as eighteen of us squeezed into two tables to offer toasts, break bread, talk story, and listen to member Clare Nelson sing while accomapanying herself on guitar. Unfortunately, at least for me, she was a little difficult to hear above the din of the patrons, but I'm sure she appreciated our support, I'm sure she'll be back, there or somewhere else, and I'm sure we will too. It's good to be getting together again outside of General Membership Meetings.
TOBY
VOLUNTEERING FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS
KAISER HIGH SCHOOL
HAWAII KAI
June 10, 7:30 AM - 1:00 PM or 12:30
PM - 5:30 PM
A big Mahalo to all of you, five on the morning shift and six or seven on the afternoon shift, who volunteered to help out for this very worthy cause. Although we had planned to be escorting the athletes through medical screenings prior to their events, we were changed, a few days before the event, to working awards at the track. After their events, the runners were taken to a holding tent where a card was prepared with the name of the event and their names and places. It was our job to escort them to numbered chairs in a second tent where we seated them according their places on the card, then to a podium where we, again, positioned them according to their places, and, after they received their awards, to a third holding tent. Since I left just before the afternoon shift began, I am not sure what happened, but we hadn't been as busy as expected, and I heard talk that a couple of us might be reassigned to preparing the awards. It was fun to watch the actual races, an opportunity we would not have had with our initial assignment, and, all in all, a rewarding experience.
TOBY
SKI TRIPS FOR 2023:
HAWAII SKI WEEK 2024, STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLORADO, JANUARY 19 - 27, 2024
(Per contact with Alan on Monday, June 26, the number of hotel rooms left is now down to 7. There are two condos presently booked, and we currently have 3, with possibilities to add more. We have a single female looking for a roommate in the hotel, and two single men interested in 2 more to share a condo. Other people looking for roommates should let Alan ( alan@hawaiisnowskiclub.com ) know so He can try to pair them up. Total number signed up 31, plus 3 others looking for roommates. He knows of 2 more who have taken group air for a total of 5. We need 5 more for the 10 person minimum to make group air happen. Ed.)
The total trip package includes group airfare on United Airlines non-stop
from HNL to DEN then a shuttle bus from Denver to Steamboat Springs. The
return flight leaves from HDN (the Hayden Airport is 25 miles from our
lodging) to HNL via DEN ($900 airfare)
Air
and ground transportation:
• UA-383W Depart: HNL 1/19/2024 at 08:40pm Arrive: DEN 1/20/2024, 06:16am
• Shuttle bus from DEN to Steamboat Springs
• UA-5559Q Depart: HDN 1/27/2024 at 07:25am Arrive: DEN 1/27/2024, 08:35am
• UA-384Q Depart: HNL 1/27/2024 at 11:35 am Arrive: HNL 1/27/2024, 04:03 pm
Lodging, shuttle, and lift tickets:
• Round trip shuttle to lodging $140.
• 7 nights double occupancy at the Gravity Haus $1545 (ski-in/ski-out hotel)
or the Lodge at Steamboat quad occupancy condominiums $1150
• Welcome Reception and Farewell Dinner ($50)
• 5 days lift tickets ($645, add $129 for additional days or subtract this
amount for fewer days).
All the above are per person prices. Add $200 pp if not in group lodging.
The total package price is as little as $2835 quad occupancy in a 2
bedroom/2 bath unit at the Lodge at Steamboat. This is adjacent to the
condos where the HSC stayed at the last time that we went to Steamboat and
is approximately 200 yards from the base gondola.
The
package price for the Gravity Haus, which is only 50 yards from the base
gondola is $3230 double occupancy hotel room with two queen beds. Breakfast
is not included but can be ordered in the hotel restaurant. This is the same
hotel (with a new name!) that the HSC stayed at the last time we went to
Steamboat and has been recently renovated.
A
$700 deposit is due July 1, 2023, and the balance due November 15, 2023. The
Ski.com cancellation policy: Individual member cancellation received from
time of booking up to:
• 90 days prior to departure: $50.00 per person plus any supplier penalties
• 89-60 days prior to departure: $100.00 per person plus any supplier
penalties
• 59-31 days prior to departure: $200.00 per person plus any supplier
penalties
• 30 days or less prior to departure: no refunds and no substitutions
Ski.com has provided this link to register for the trip. (We strongly suggest that you print out a copy of this Newsletter or just the paragraph of instructions below the link, before you click it, so that you can refer to the instructions, as needed, throughout the process. Ed.)
https://meetups.ski.com/hawaii-ski-club-2023-24
When you click on this link the first thing to do
is to enter the number of people who are registering and then click on
“search”. Note that you will be automatically booked for the Welcome
Reception and Farewell Dinner later on in the registration process. Next you
will choose your lodging option, either the Gravity Haus (double occupancy
hotel rooms) or the Lodge at Steamboat (quad occupancy condos).
Descriptions of each are in the registration website. Next click on the “go
to lift tickets” at the bottom of the page and you can choose between 3-6
days at $129/day. Note that there are no senior lift tickets. Next click on
“go to flights” to register for group airfare. Next click on “go to
transfers”. There is a shuttle bus taking HSC members from Denver Airport to
your lodging in Steamboat Springs on January 20, 2024. On the return flight
to Honolulu on January 27, there is a shuttle bus from your lodging to
Hayden Airport and you will fly from there to Denver and then on to
Honolulu. Note that you can take either shuttle bus even if you didn’t
purchase group airfare, but you are responsible to make certain that your
flights are compatible with the group air schedule. The shuttle bus will not
wait for any delays except those associated with the group air schedule.
Click on “go to activities” and you will see $50 for the Welcome Reception
and Farewell Dinner automatically added to your registration account. Please
note that if you do not take one of the group lodging options, then you must
pay a $200 Activity Fee by check to the Hawaii Ski Club to attend the
Welcome Reception and Farewell Dinner. Click on “go to travelers” to fill
out required information. Click on “check out” where you will see a summary
of your registration information. Click on “continue to payment” and please
read the Ski.com cancellation policy and the dates penalties are assessed.
Then you are given three payment options: PayPal, credit cards (with 3.6%
fee), and ACH (direct payment from your checking account with no fee). After
clicking on your payment type, you can choose to pay a $700 deposit with the
balance due November 15, 2023, or pay the entire trip balance when you
register. You will have the opportunity to review your registration fees and
edit them if necessary. and you will need to fill out the required
information for your payment type. Finally click on “complete booking”.
Should you have any questions or encounter problems while registering please
contact Marcie at
marcie.hawks@ski.com
.
JAPAN
Furano, February 10-18, 2024 and
Rusutsu, February 17-25, 2024
Although we are still waiting for more details on final cost estimates for
our Japan trips, here are some dates and information that we can share with
you now. Similar to last year, the HSC is offering two back-to-back ski
trips to Hokkaido, Japan using Air and Sea Travel, a local tour company.
This allows you to spend a week skiing in either Furano or Rusutsu or go to
both for a total of two weeks skiing in the world famous Hokkaido powder.
Presently, we are booking nonstop group airfare on Hawaiian Airlines from
Honolulu to Chitose, Japan for both trips. We also have back up plans with
JAL if this route becomes unavailable.
Furano is located in central Hokkaido about a 2 hr.
shuttle bus ride from Chitose Airport. Furano Ski area is made up two zones,
the Kitanomine zone and the Furano zone. Both areas have a variety of
accommodation options and the town of Furano is only a 3-minute shuttle from
the Kitanomine zone and a 6-minute shuttle away from the Furano zone and is
home to a wide array of restaurants and bars and all the services you would
expect to find in a town. Both of these zones can be accessed on one pass
and are serviced by 11 lifts. Furano has an abundance of varied terrain for
every level of skier and snowboarder and a vertical drop of over 950 meters
making it one of the steepest mountains in Hokkaido. Despite receiving
slightly less snowfall than Niseko and Rusutsu, the snow quality is known to
be lighter and fluffier. It also has more blue/ sunny days than any other
resort in Hokkaido offering spectacular views. Furano has more of a
traditional Japanese feel compared to Niseko. We have reserved 16 double
occupancy hotel rooms at the Shin Furano Prince hotel, with buffet
breakfast, onsen access, and 5 day lift tickets. The hotel has 8
restaurants/cafes and is ski-in ski-out.
Rusutsu Resort and Hotel, 90 minutes from Sapporo
and New Chitose Airport, is Hokkaido’s largest all-season resort. With 4
gondolas and 14 lifts spread over three mountains, the ski area has 37 runs
that range from gentle, wide slopes where everyone can safely enjoy right up
to challenging tree runs that satisfy advanced skiers. Rusutsu Resort
combines dynamic, full-fledged winter sports with outstanding hospitality.
Rusutsu is a favorite among the members of the Hawaii Ski Club and two
thirds of the people who go are repeat visitors. The hotel is ski-in and
ski-out and has 8 restaurants, onsen access and 25-hour lift tickets. Daily
Western, Chinese or Japanese style breakfast included, along with three
buffet dinners, including all you can eat sushi and crab legs. We have
reserved 30 double occupancy hotel rooms exclusively for the HSC.
ALAN
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
HAWAII SKI CLUB IS ON FACEBOOK
Facebook is the best way to keep current on the Hawaii Ski Club. On your Facebook page on your computer, type "Hawaii Ski Club" into the search box on the top left. On your mobile device, tap the magnifying glass at the top to get the search box. Pictures from Ski Club activities and other items are posted as they are submitted. You can submit your own Ski Club pictures and other items you wish posted by emailing them to anita@hawaiisnowskiclub.com
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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 and on our Facebook page.
J