Lafayette Ski & Snowboard Club Newsletter

First Run:
January 2011

There's lots to cover here. We'll start with December events.

            X-Mas Parade: On a cold, blustery Sunday, December 5th, several brave souls from the Lafayette Ski and Snowboard Club marched in the Lafayette/West Lafayette X-Mas Parade. John Copeland drove his van, which was well decorated by Jenifer Olehy and others. Several others walked in the parade and carried signs, handed out candy, or both. Dave Dull skated the route wearing his snowsuit and X-Mas lights. Despite the weather, we had our best turnout we've had since participating in the parade. Thank you to John and Gail Copeland, Brian and Jenifer Olehy, Alice Abbott, Janet Alcini, Diane Velten, Rita Wyman, Dave Dull, Steve Kelley, and Frank Arnold for participating. A special thanks to John Underwood, who helped us with our signs.

            Jay Peak: Diane Velten, Rita Wyman, and Helene Freiser went to Jay Peak in Vermont from Dec. 17th-22nd. This is always a (relatively) cheap, fun trip with great food and company.

January Events

             Monthly Meeting: Wednesday, January 5 at Monical's Pizza in Lafayette in the K-Mart Plaza at 7:00 P.M. Signups for the day trip to Swiss Valley on February 5th and also for the Boyne weekend trip March 4-6 will take place. See "Trip Events" below for more information. All are welcome to attend.

             Ice Skating: We'll skate on Thursday, January 6th from 7-9 PM. All ages are welcome. If the weather remains warm, we'll likely have to postpone the date.

             Big Sky Ski Trip, January 16-22: All participants are encouraged to take lots of pictures and send them to our webmaster Dave Dull at dave@dullville.com. Just a couple of weeks away

             Board Meeting: Tuesday, January 25th at 7:00 P.M. at South St. Smokehouse located on SE corner of Earl Ave. and SR 26. All members are welcome to attend.

Trip Update

Swiss Valley Day Trip: Saturday, February 5th:

            We'll have round-trip charter bus transportation from Meijer parking lot in Lafayette. We leave at 7:30 A.M. SHARP, leave at 6:00 PM, and return to Lafayette at approximately 9:30 P.M. Signup sheet is attached to this email. Trip includes:

·         Snacks, drinks, and (movies?) on the bus.

·         Fee includes transportation, lift tickets, ski/snowboard equipment rental, and complimentary one-hour lesson (if necessary)

·         Cost: ages 13 and over with ski rental: $90 ($75 without); youth (12 and under) with ski rental: $75 ($60 without)

Contact: Frank Arnold at mein2008@yahoo.com or (765) 714-0236. Payment before February 1st is much appreciated.

Boyne Mountain Weekend Trip: Friday, March 4-Sunday, March 6

            Sign-ups will occur at Wednesday's meeting. Signing up before end of January is highly recommended. Membership is required for attendance ($25 individual, $40 family). Please bring checkbook for payment.

·         Transportation: carpooling. Arrangements are TBA.

·         Lodging: Toledo Ski Club lodge--located in Walloon, MI, 9 miles NE of Boyne Mountain Ski Resort. It sleeps 51 persons dormitory style and has a commercial kitchen, dining room, party room, and television with DVD player.

·         Dining: tentative plan--eat breakfast and dinner Saturday at lodge, breakfast Sunday at the lodge, lunches at the resorts

·         Cost: $24 per night for adult, $17 for youth 11 and under. Discounted rates for Toledo Ski Club members are available. See www.toledoskiclub.net for details.

·         Lift tickets for Boyne Mountain/Highlands and Nubs Nob: purchased on site. Group rates may be available with enough participants.

Contact: Frank Arnold at mein2008@yahoo.com or (765) 714-0236 

Steamboat Springs, CO: Saturday, March 12-Saturday, March 19

            We currently have 8 of 10 spots filled. (A family we thought was going on the trip with us had to cancel.) We have another spot that is likely filled, but if you're still interested, there's a good chance we can accommodate you if you respond soon. Contact Frank at mein2008@yahoo.com or (765) 714-0236 for more details.

2010 President's Report

            2010 was a year in which the club combined events that we've done since our founding with things that debuted in this calendar year. This combination made for an interesting year and has set the stage for another fun, interesting year in 2011.

            Business as Usual: We continued our tradition of having two long-term (5 days) or more ski-trips out west. This year, it was Jackson Hole, WY in January and Park City/Deer Valley/The Canyons, UT in March. We also joined the OVSC in Jay Peak in December as we have for the last several years. We continued to hold monthly meetings (except for summer months) on the first Wednesdays of the month at Monical's.

            Better Late Than Never: We held our 10th annual day ski trip in February, two weeks after our originally scheduled date. Due to a misunderstanding, our bus didn't show on the scheduled date, so we postponed the trip and went two weeks later-with no charge for the bus! (Sorry, we'll have to pay for the bus this year-but it should still be a great trip.) Swiss Valley has been good to us and vice versa.

            Survey Says: One of many new things we did this year was to use online surveys to determine preferences for skiing and other activities. Using the results, we booked trips to Big Sky and Steamboat. Big Sky is sold out, and Steamboat has at least 8 of 10 spots filled. Thanks to all who compiled and/or filled out surveys-your input is valuable.

            Soccer Success: Our U-10 Boys soccer team finished 3rd place out of 24 teams this fall. They played well and with good sportsmanship-I'm certainly proud of them.

            We Enjoy Flat Areas in Winter, Too: Ice skating at Riverside Skating Center is becoming a favorite place for Ski Club members in winter. Beginning last winter, we're continuing in 2011. This was our 3rd year of participating in the Lafayette/West Lafayette X-Mas Parade, and as mentioned above, it was our biggest turnout.

            Not Just for Winter Any More: A goal for the LSSC at the start of 2010 was to have at least one club activity in every month of the year. While brutally hot weather cancelled a scheduled canoe trip in August, we had at least one activity every other month of the year. Given the number and variety of events, this more than compensates for August. Anna Welch organized our June canoe trip on the Tippecanoe River (with lunch hosted by the Blochs) and held a weiner roast on a brisk October evening at her place. We went to an Indianapolis Indians game in June. We held a Saturday afternoon picnic in July at Prophetstown State Park. The weather was very hot that day, but at least we weren't caught in the storm that took place (2+ inches of rain and 50+ mph winds that forced cancellation of "Dancing in the Streets" festival) just 5 hours later.

            Website Updates: While the road to improvement is always under construction, our website is more comprehensive and up-to-date than it has been in years. Thanks to Dave Dull and all those who have helped keep the website updated.

            Final Note: As I said at the start of 2010, the LSSC is what we make it. It is not my club-it is OUR club. Events in 2010 have proven that you have taken this seriously, which is why I'm happy about the previous year and looking forward to 2011. If there's any activity you'd like to help lead, we welcome your time and effort. Thank you for all you do.