THE BINDING RELEASE

Since 1984
THE BINDING RELEASE
Volume No. 53 Issue No. 7 May 2016
IN THIS ISSUE:
Prez Sez …………Page 1
Annual General Meeting
….………..............Page 2
Ski with Mike..…...Page 3
Social Scene….…Page 4
Whistler Legends….Page
5&6
2016/17 Ski Trips....Page 7
Biking/Golfing……Page 8
2015/16 Ski Trips…Page 9
Sponsors ……….Page 10
Never been out to a
Ski Club event?
Come and meet us at our
monthly social and find
out what our club has to
offer. You may be
surprised to learn that we
do more than just skiing &
boarding!
We welcome new
members. Anyone 19
years or more may attend
one free meeting.
We look forward to seeing
you there!
The Prez Sez…..by Shelley Berg
The ski season is over for most club
members except maybe those diehards that purchased the unlimited
spring ski addition to their Edge
cards.
I will be one of those die-hards this
weekend, checking out conditions
maybe for one last time this year.
The executive is already hard at
work organizing trips for the
2016/17 ski season – booking dates
and securing hotels. For more
details see page 7.
As Sue Seagrave says “Pray to
ULLR” to deliver us another great
snow/ski season!
I hope to see everyone at the AGM
this year on May 28th at Steve and
Verena’s house.
Details to follow in this newsletter.
Shelley
CLUB NIGHT SOCIAL
Thursday, May 5
7:30 p.m. till 10:30 p.m.
Victoria Ski Club
May 2016
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Steve and Verena Sexsmith’s House
950 Arundel Drive, Victoria, BC
The Victoria Alpine Ski Club
Is a registered non-profit
Society of VICTORIA, BC
Website:
www.VictoriaSkiClub.org
The Victoria Alpine Ski Club is a
non-profit organization, now in its
30th year. The purpose of the club
is multifaceted: to promote skiing,
boarding and snow sports by
organizing ski trips and activities,
organize social and sporting
activities, create an atmosphere
that promotes a sense of
community, and most importantly,
to have fun!
Your 2015 – 2016 Executive:
President
Vice President
Shelley Berg
Steve Sexsmith
Treasurer
Secretary
Maggie Burnham Barb Snyder
Directors
Donna Kerkhoven Terry Crockett
Sue Seagrave
Ron Stengler
John Francis
Dee Rice
Verena Sexsmith
Andrew Rafuse
The Annual General Meeting according to VASC Constitution must be
held before the end of May so is scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m. on
May 28, 2016.
A barbeque will be held after the meeting so bring your barbecue item of
choice and your favourite beverage.
VASC thanks Steve and Verena for hosting this event!
Past President
Steve Sexsmith
Newsletter Editor
Maggie Burnham
Page 2
Victoria Ski Club
Mike McPeek is a CSIA
Level 3 Ski Instructor and
long-time
Ski
Club
member
What do you think about when
you ski?
Beginners and intermediates
tend to focus on body
mechanics: I need to keep my
knees bent; my hands forward;
my weight on my outside ski.
Difficult runs are those that are
difficult to ski down.
Advanced skiers are more likely
to be focused on outcomes;
speed management; direction
control; power or lightness.
Difficult runs become those
runs that are difficult to ski
down really well.
Paradoxically, you have to have
body mechanics mastered in
order to be able to have good
direction control and speed
management!
Especially on
difficult runs!
So what type of skier are you?
Do you want to get better? Do
you want the confidence to be
able to ski down more runs at a
resort? Regardless of snow
conditions?
Once proper basic skills, like
stance, turning and edging are
December 2015
developed to a high level, skiing
becomes easier, runs become
easier to ski. Once advanced
skills, like pressure control and
“timing” (how to expertly blend
all your actions) are developed
to a high level, skiing becomes
very easy.
It can still be
physically challenging – I don't
know of a single person who
can charge down double black
bumps as fast as they can
without feeling some thigh burn
or breathing heavy. But that
same skier has the ability to dial
it back several notches and just
do an easy cruise down that
same double black bump run.
athlete? The good news is then
you
can
probably
make
significant improvement with
less training i.e. less coaching
and less practice than an
Olympic athlete needs.
So how do we go from being a
beginner or intermediate skier
to an advanced skier? Mileage
and coaching. Mileage without
coaching seldom results in
improvements – if you do what
you did you get what you got :-)
Send your questions
comments to:
So go get some coaching, do
lots of skiing, and become the
best skier you have every been!
Need help improving your
skiing skills?
Come take a
lesson - please request me as
your instructor – and I can help
you take your skiing to the next
level.
and
[email protected]
Coaching without mileage –
practice – usually means
relearning or redeveloping the
same things over and over
again. Skiing is a ‘doing’ sport,
not a theoretical one. Perfect
practice makes perfect.
Basic skills need to be
improved and practiced until
they are second nature. Then
advanced skills need to be
improved and practiced. Skill
development is never-ending.
As we work on mastering the
mechanical aspects, we can
also focus more on the mental
aspects.
The winners of gold medals at
the Olympics receive lots of
coaching and do lots of
practice. Not a gold medal
Page 3
Victoria Ski Club
May 2016
THE SOCIAL SCENE
Club Night
On April 14th Club Night attracted a decent crowd at the Six Mile Pub. The date was delayed to the second
Thursday of the month which was due to the last trip of the season (Whistler Legends). Club Night is a great
way to see both skiing and non-skiing members.
The next Club Night is May 5th at the Six Mile, 7:30 or earlier. The following month, Club Night will be held on
Thursday June 2nd.
TGIFs
April 1
st
A good turn-out enjoyed the delayed March TGIF on 1 April 2016 at the Irish Times Pub. The Irish Times
facility is very good for our crowd, and a good time was had by all.
April 29
The Bard and Banker was our venue again, with fewer members attending than usual, about 22, probably due
to the glorious weather. Still, all who attended seemed to have a good time as usual.
I am planning a May TGIF on Friday 20th May, venue TBA. Mark your calendars!
Sunday Brunch
None was held in April. I am having difficulty finding a great yet economical venue. Any ideas? Mail me!
John Francis
Social Director
Page 4
Victoria Ski Club
WHISTLER LEGENDS
The end
of a great
season…
So, in what seems like the blink
of an eye all of a sudden it’s the
end of the season and we were
off for the last trip of the year
to the home of the club’s
favorite hot tub - Legends.
Even before the main body of
troops arrived on Thursday
night the advance recon Party
comprising of Tam and T-bar
were having some adventures.
December 2015
back to the truck only for Rob
to find he had no keys.
However the twist in the tale is
that astonishingly Tam was able
to go back, follow the seal slide
down and find the keys so it all
ended happily. Anyway that’s
the preamble to the official trip
notes which actually began
with everyone up bright and
early on Saturday.
Lots of sun the previous day
had generated classic spring
freeze thaw conditions with
huge variations in conditions
experienced from run to run
and within runs depending on
the angle of the sun and the
time. From icy rubble to soft
slushy hero bumps we had it all
but there was certainly still
some good skiing to be had
particularly in Whistler Bowl in
the afternoon. It was all quite
tiring though and eventually a
download to Dusty’s called for
most. Although there were one
or two dedicated stalwarts who
braved the ski-out which was
shrinking by the second.
The usual suspects had secured
some well positioned tables
good and early so Dusty’s patio
saw a happy crowd relating
their tales of daring though
lubricated by world famous
Caesar’s and other libations.
For the Pot Luck later that night
we tried an experiment with
booking the banquet room, this
worked well. Not only did we
have tables and chairs but table
cloths too.
The story begins with Tam
luring poor T-bar off Harmony
ridge, which rapidly resulted in
T-bar in what was described as
a ‘seal slide’ top to bottom (we
told you not to trust him).
Unfortunately the ‘seal’ had his
pocket open and his truck keys
in his pocket... well you can see
where this story’s going can’t
you? Sure enough they got
Page 5
Victoria Ski Club
Very civilised and “The Band”
were able to set up for an after
dinner concert.
Saturday saw the start of the
Ski and Snowboard Festival and
several members took the
opportunity to ‘flirt’ with new
boards at the demo tents on
Whistler. Similar conditions to
the Fri saw slightly fewer
people out for first lift than the
previous day.
The ski festival also saw a
freestyle comp being held over
on the Glacier, while not quite
in the same league as the ‘seal
slide’ manoeuvre some of the
stunts being pulled were still
May 2016
pretty impressive especially
with the snow conditions.
By the afternoon it had
softened up most places,
sufficiently so that Sue and
Paddy were once again lured
over Spanky’s ladder- this
turned out to a poor life
decision as it was still pretty icy.
By Sunday only the true hardcore were still skiing while
many other members had a
leisurely morning enjoying the
village in the Sun. So who is
the most hard core of them all?
Well Dave ‘Goat man’ and Sue
’43 days’ got off the hill feeling
pretty smug at their half day
stat count... only for Dave to
find that Mrs. C and her posse
were still out there shredding
to the whistle.
And so ends a fantastic season
of great trips, great snow, great
friends and gash dits. In the
immortal words of Arnie ‘Asta
la vista baby I’ll be back’.
Meanwhile over on Whistler
disaster had struck, poor
Andrew found himself with his
legs all about on both sides of a
mogul at once, before he went
flying into the air and managed
to break his leg. That evening
he lay in state having been
patched up and a drugged by
the clinic while a procession of
visitors came to sign his cast.
Sue Seagrave
Page 6
Victoria Ski Club
May 2016
2016/17 SKI TRIPS
The ski Club Executive had a planning session on April 21st to plan for the 2016/2017 season. The following
trips are proposed:
December 8 – 11, 2016
Whistler – This trip will only be offered as a three-day staying at Aspens on Blackcomb. For most people the
trip will take advantage of free skiing offered to Edge Pass holders before December 15.
Aspens on Blackcomb
This ski-in and ski-out resort on Blackcomb Mountain is 1.3 km from the Blackcomb Excalibur Gondola.
January 12 – 15, 2017
This Whistler bus trip to Legends is always a club favourite. The format for this trip is unchanged from 2016.
Legends Whistler Creekside
Set at the base of the Creekside Gondola, this ski-in, ski-out condo-style hotel is 3.9 km from Whistler
village.
February 3 – 4, 2017
Mount Washington 2-day bus trip. **Dependant on snow conditions** This trip will not be confirmed and
sold until December.
February 19 – 24, 2017
Whistler weeklong at the Inside Edge Cabin and Tantalus. Format as per previous years.
Whistler IE Cabin
The Whistler Lodge is conveniently located at the junction of Hwy 99 and Nester Road.
Tantalus Resort Lodge
This lodge-style hotel is a 7-minute walk from Whistler Village Gondola.
March11 – 21, 2017
Week-long plus to the interior of BC
We will be visiting three ski resorts over 11 days (10 nights). The first three nights will be at Apex, followed by
four nights at Big White and three nights at Sun Peaks. Each location will be sold as a separate trip so skiers
can choose to ski at any or all three of the resorts. More details to follow in upcoming newsletters.
April 6 – 9, 2017
Whistler Legends – the format for this trip is unchanged from previous years.
Ron Stengler
Page 7
Victoria Ski Club
May 2016
BICYCLING DAY TRIPS 2016
In previous years, we have had several regular cyclists come out to the Sunday ride. However, for the past
two years, very few people have shown up.
So, for 2016, anyone wanting to start up a cycling
group within the ski club is more than welcome. If
anyone wants to cycle with me during the week,
please let me know at [email protected]
For 2016, I have joined the Cross Canada Cycle Touring Society on their Sunday rides. The local CCCTS website
is http://cccts.org/victoria/ - the membership cost is $30 for the calendar year.
Donna Kerkhoven
GOLFING 2016
Hey all you golfers. We’re starting up the season early this year. This past Tuesday, we golfed at the Ridge.
We’ll likely continue to golf at the Ridge until Mt. Doug Golf Course dries out.
Anyone can join our group, but you should have some experience with golfing. You definitely do not need to
be an expert golfer; our goal is to have fun. After golfing, we usually have a cold one at the Monkey Tree Pub
and share golf stories.
We usually meet at 4:00 or 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays.
For more info, please contact either Donna Kerkhoven @ [email protected] or Mark Turner @ [email protected]
Donna Kerkhoven
Page 8
Victoria Ski Club
TRIP
Whistler 1a
@ Tantalus
Lodge
Whistler 1b
@ Tantalus
Lodge
Whistler 2
@ Legends
BUS TRIP
Mount
Washington
BUS TRIP
Revelstoke
Silver Star
Road Trip
Whistler 3
@ Inside Edge
Cabin
U-Drive
Whistler 3
@ van Citters
Cabin
U-Drive
Whistler 3
@ Tantalus
Lodge U-Drive
Whistler 4
@ Legends
U-Drive
May 2016
NIGHTS
EARLY
BIRD
PRICE
# OF
SEATS
EARLY
BIRD
DATES
2
$115
SOLD
OUT
Oct. 8 –
Nov. 5
Dec 10 – 13
3
$160
SOLD
OUT
Oct. 8 –
Nov. 5
$180
Sue Seagrave
[email protected]
Jan 14 – 16
3
$340
excludes
ferry
SOLD
OUT
Oct. 8 –
Nov. 5
$370
excludes
ferry
Shelley Berg
[email protected]
Feb 12 – 14
2
N/A
30
N/A
$250
Maggie Burnham
[email protected]
Feb 27 – Mar
4
7
$500
SOLD
OUT
Oct. 8 –
Dec. 3
$550
Ron Stengler
[email protected]
March 13 –
18
5
N/A
SOLD
OUT
Oct. 8 –
Jan. 7
$220.00
Terry Crockett
[email protected]
March 13 –
18
5
N/A
5
Oct. 8 –
Jan. 7
$220.00
Terry Crockett
[email protected]
March 13 –
18
5
$390
20
Oct. 8 –
Jan. 7
$430
Sue Seagrave
[email protected]
April 7 - 10
3
$150
SOLD
OUT
Jan 7 –
Feb 5
$165
Shelley Berg
[email protected]
DATES
Dec 11 – 13
REGULAR
PRICE
$125
CO-ORDINATOR
Sue Seagrave
[email protected]
Page 9
Victoria Ski Club
May 2016
15% off year round for Ski Club Members
A Note of appreciation for our sponsors:
Our sponsors have been supporting the Victoria Ski Club for many years with prizes, giveaways
and discounts.
Did you now that Sports Rent offers a 15% discount on their services? Certified Athletic
Therapist Stephanie Kruger has provided a very informative presentation at our Club Night
social.
Lighthouse Brewing Company supplies us with T-shirts, toques and various other items for door
prizes and giveaways and happens to have some very tasty product as well. Please, whenever
you can, consider patronizing our sponsors – they are a great group of folks.
Page 10