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
Sandra Robbins
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.
October 27 (Friday) 5 PM. Pau Hana at the aptly named Pau Hana Place, corner of Ala Moana Blvd. and Holomoana St., right over the bridge from Ala Moana Park and beside the Hawaii Prince Hotel. (See. Below)
November 2 (Thursday) 5 PM General Membership Meeting at Mangiamo, Navy - Marine Golf Course. In anticipation of going skiing pretty soon, we will have long sleeve club tee shirts for sale.
November 23 (Thanksgiving) The Ski Club has had a tradition, for many (except for the pandemic) years of having a contingent of members assisting the Salvation Army with serving a morning Thanksgiving meal to the needy at Blaisdell Center with a tailgate (just for us) before the serving. All Club members, not just those volunteering, are invited to the tailgate for a little early partying. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Mike Tsutsui, mike@hawaiisnowskiclub.com , so we can get an early headcount.
December 16 (Saturday) Annual Christmas Party again at the Esplanade in Hawaii Kai with "Major Mahalos" to "Sam" Wright for her hospitality (see below).
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
HOT OFF THE PRESS (1) A cancellation has produced an available hotel room at Steamboat so, if want it, get in touch with
Alan, alan@hawaiisnowskiclub.com immediately. (2) With our upcoming plans to travel to snow country, we will need warmer tee shirts, and to meet the need, Caroline will have long sleeve club tee shirts, along with a few more of the short sleeve kine, for sale at our November 2 General Membership Meeting at Mangiamo.
How did you all enjoy the Kick-Off last month at Rainbow Bay Marina? I think it was one of our better ones if not the best so far. Mucho Mahalos to Geof Chu for planning the menu, ordering, and cooking; Karl for printing up nametags with our names against a mountain background (a first for this event) and running the door prize lottery, Caroline, who, despite a demanding work schedule and the pressure of a family issue on the mainland, managed to get new club shirts printed much to the delight of eager customers; Anita, who secures the venue, always knows what we will need, like extra tables, knows what needs to happen during the event, and serves, behind the scenes in advance as well as an on-site "Ring Master," to make sure everything happens as it should; to all of you who brought the extra tables we needed, and to all of you who answered the call to contribute "profits" from the ski equipment exchange as well as door prize winnings to a fund for Maui in which, Anita tells us, we raised $170.00 (and I was taught in school not to write such long sentences). Talking about Maui, it was real nice to see Maui residents Leroy Lopez and Darlene Leialoha who flew in for the event (but I'm sure also had other things to accomplish in the "big city"). This WAS the Kick-off for the new membership year which began on October 1 so if you are one of the approximately 75 that haven't yet renewed your membership, you can easily do it through a link on our website, www.hawaiiskiclub.com . If you have joined since April 1 of 2023, you are considered current and don't have to renew. Also, don't worry if you see a message that our site is not secure: It isn't, but the link to the membership form takes you to a different\ site which IS (secure). We will not be having a General Membership Meeting in December at Mangiano as we are having our Xmas Party a little over a week after we would have scheduled it, but we are having a Pau Hana a couple of days from now, the November General Membership Meeting next Thursday, and our traditional Thanksgiving volunteer effort and tailgate party on Thanksgiving morning. Sorry to have to end on a sad note, but I am sure you older members remember Gordon Ng, our "Club Photographer" for a number of years, who bought a condo and moved from Honolulu to Park City, I believe, in 2016 or 2017--which is when he disappeared from our membership roster. Well, according to a mutual friend (non-skier), Gordon passed away in August about a week after surgery for a hip condition which had prevented him from skiing this past season. A Park City friend went to visit and found him non responsive. There were services in both Park City and here, in September, with internment of his ashes at Punchbowl. Back to a more positive note, I hope to see many of you at the upcoming meetings and activities.
TOBY
UPCOMING SKI CLUB ACTIVITIES
PAU HANA
AT
PAU HANA PLACE
CORNER OF ALA MOANA BLVD. & HOLOMANA ST.
October 27 (Friday) 5 PM
This is the casual outdoor site with food trucks where the Ala Wai Canal meets the ocean on the Ewa side of the Hawaii Prince Hotel, right over the bridge on Ala Moana Blvd. from Ala Moana Park. Some of us old timers might recognize it as the site of the old boat repair service and marine fuel dock as well as the site which was going to be developed as a wedding chapel after the boat repair service and fuel dock were demolished. Anyhow, thanks to Anita and Bill who checked it out a couple of weeks ago, there is parking right there, good selections at the food trucks, and entertainment which begins at 5:30. If. for some reason, parking is gone when you get there, park at Ala Moana park and walk over. It is presently BYOB so bring your own beverages, alcoholic or otherwise, and if we get wind of this changing in the interim, we will let you know. See you thereand wear your Ski Club tee shirt if you have one.
TOBY
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
MANGIAMO BY 604
NAVY MARINE GOLF COURSE
943 VALKENBURGH ST.
November 2 (Thursday) 5 PM
We're back to our normal venue, Mangiamo, for our November 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. Although we had previously "advertised" a presentation on our club's history on Mauna Kea, we were unable to get that together (sorry!). We, however, will have long sleeve and some more short-sleeve tee shirts for sale at the meeting. If you already have a club shirt or two, wear one to the meeting.
TOBY
TRADITIONAL THANKSGIVING VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY
SERVING AN EARLY THANKSGIVING DINNER TO THE NEEDY
AND PRE-EVENT POTLUCK
Blaisdell Center
777 Ward Ave.
November 23 (Thursday) Time (TBA)
This is the 49th Annual Salvation Army Thanksgiving Day Dinner served at the Blaisdell Center and, if it all comes together (we're still in discussions with the Salvation Army) will be, at least, the 28th year that the Hawaii Ski Club has joined with over 1000 community members from a variety of civic groups and schools volunteering to make this event special for those people who are less fortunate. This is an event where “it feels better to give than receive.” You’ll enjoy your family Thanksgiving dinner more after you have served meals to the elderly and poor of our community.
Although our club volunteers for only 1.5 hours on Thanksgiving morning, we have a pre-event tailgate potluck outside the auditorium, in the grassy area between the parking structure and the arena, for all club members. This is an annual tradition where we enjoy the fellowship of other ski club members before we serve dinner. Every club member is invited to join this tailgate even if you are unable to volunteer inside the auditorium.
We are still in the process of making arrangements but, in the meantime, we need to get a "ballpark" count of who and how many might come so please email Mike Tsutsui, mike@hawaiisnowskiclub.com , if you currently plan on volunteering. Mahalo!
ANITA, TOBY
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY
The Esplanade, 500 Lunalillo Home Road
December 16 (Saturday) Time: TBA
Sylvia "Sam" Wright has come through yet again to get us the recreation room/terrace at her condo, The Esplanade, on Hawaii Kai Drive. This is both pot luck and BYOB. Also, if you want to participate (almost all do) in the traditional gift exchange, bring a grab bag gift with approximate value of $15.00 You will be given a raffle ticket, and when your number is called, have the option of choosing a gift from the "pile" or one that has already been chosen, thereby forcing the original chooser to choose from the pile again: This can get pretty funny, satisfying, or frustrating depending upon whether you are victor, victim, or spectatorat that particular moment. and victors can turn into victims at the next ticket pulled. Also, (Trumpets, please), this is the same date as the annual Hawaii Kai Christmas Boat Parade in which boats, adorned like Christmas trees, sail through the waterways, and we should be able to view it from outside the building. The party will probably be starting at 6:00 PM, but we may want to get there earlier due to others looking for parking to view the boat parade: To get to the Esplanade, turn left off Kalanianaole Highway at Lunalillo Home Road, the last traffic light before the highway goes up the hill towards Hanauma Bay. Drive in the mountain direction approximately .6 of a mile and look for the looming white building complex on the left. While parking is limited at the building (eleven guest stalls in the circle at the entrance) there is normally plenty of street parking available on the other side of the street and on side streets off the other side. The recreation area is right on the ground level beside the lobby.
TOBY
PAST SKI CLUB ACTIVITIES
PAU HANA
AT
MURPHY'S BAR & GRILL
September 28
About 12 of us showed up at Murphy's on the last Thursday of September where we were given our "old table" in a room all to ourselves just like in the "old days" when we had our meetings there. Good conversation, mainland style pub food, and, from what I understand, even though I parked in Harbor Court, free parking on the adjoining streets for some of the lucky(?) ones. A big Mahalo to Sandra for setting it up with Mr. Murphy.
TOBY
VOLUNTEERING
AT
THE HAWAII FOOD BANK
October 7 (Saturday)
I thought counted 7 Ski Club members, though Mike tells me it was 6, almost all wearing our Hawaii Ski Club shirts, to assist the Food Bank in sorting and packing food for later distribution. We worked together with a number of other organizations, interestingly enough, also wearing their "colors." We stood around metal tables where we opened cartons of fruit and vegetables which had apparetly been pulled from the shelves of stores or distributors because of age, pulled the bad ones from the bunch, and repacked what was still edible. While some of us sorted and repacked, others pulled away the boxes of rejects. There weren't too many bad apples, but there were lots of bad bananas. After getting into the rhythm of the operation, good conversation flowed, and it became fun. We finished in 2 hours rather than the 3 for which we had been prepared. I quick poll at the end revealed that we would be game to do it again.
TOBY
SKI TRIPS FOR 2024
October, 2023 ski trips updates:
Please note that if you are registered for the Steamboat Springs trip, your final payment is due by November 15. See details below for online payment using credit cards or electronic debit from your checking account.
Please note that your final payment for the Japan Ski trips is due October 30. All rooms not paid in full by this date will be returned to the hotels per contract agreements. We presently have 81 paid reservations to go to Japan this year, with 20 individuals going on both trips.
Steamboat Springs, Colorado Ski Trip January 19-27, 2024
We presently have 48 HSC members who have registered for this trip and due to a last minute cancellation we have one double occupancy room at the Gravity Haus Hotel. We still have three men looking for a fourth to share a 2 bedroom 2 bath condo. Details and prices for the Steamboat Springs Ski Trip can be found in the August, 2023 Newsletter. Final trip payment is due November 15 on-line.
https://meetups.ski.com/hawaii-ski-club-2023-24
For final payment, Marcie Hawks will be sending each person their ski.com confirmation, which is easy to navigate, to make the final payment. Look for an email (or it is the same confirmation sent previously) about a week prior to final payment. Once you open your confirmation click on the payment link on left hand side: and then scroll down to the bottom part of that section (after Terms and Conditions) and choose how you want to pay the balance. It is recommend not doing it on a cell phone as you have to click on the "I agree to the Terms and Conditions" which is a bit above the bottom and click the "Pay Now" button at the very bottom which may not be immediately obvious and sometimes get cut off by the small screen of the phone. If you do want to try using your cell phone, see if it works sideways to reduce the chance that the small screen will cut something off.
Furano February 10-18, 2024.
We have 38 HSC member reservations to this central Hokkaido ski resort. Due to high demand, the Shin Prince Furano Hotel is completely sold out of additional rooms during the week that we will be there, which coincides with Chinese New Year on February 10, 2024. For the few who still haven't made their final payment to Air and Sea Travel the last day to do so is October 30, 2023.
Rusutsu February 17-25, 2024.
We currently have 43 HSC member reservations to go to Rusutsu, Japan's largest and most popular Hokkaido ski resort. That leaves us with only 3 double occupancy rooms left. If you are still thinking about going to Rusutsu, you must register and pay for your trip in full by October 30, less than two weeks from now. This payment deadline also applies to anyone who paid a deposit to Air and Sea but still hasn't made full trip payment yet. Details of the Rusutsu trip, cost and registration information can be found in the Trips tab on our HSC website.
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
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.
October, 2023