| HEAD OF THE LIFTLINE | By Christine March, President |
 Inner Skiing
Several years ago, I took my first ski trip
ever. As a matter of fact, it was my first time
at a ski resort and my first time up in snowy
mountains. It was a great trip and a really
great time. I took lessons every day and dug
deep to find resources to deal with the
physical restraints of having lived my entire
life in either the Great Plains or Houston,
both flat, and I dug deep to find the mental determination needed to keep
getting back up and trying again. After a week of feeling like a failure, yes,
I found success in both being able to make it down an actual blue run
without falling, as well as that emotional sense of accomplishment.
That sense of accomplishment, however, went to my head a bit
because I signed up for another ski trip a month later. Yes, I was a bit
too cocky and way too inexperienced and after skiing hard I tore my
ACL on the second day. Just to show you how nuts I was: I really did
not know how badly I hurt my knee and I got a brace thinking it was
just a sprain and skied on my poor knee for another full day. What
sobered me was the fact that nearly a month later my knee was still
hurting and not getting any better. An MRI showed the damage and
my orthopedist scheduled me for a reconstruction. That, plus 12
weeks of rehab turned the tables big time on any hint of cockiness. I had
the surgery in May and I scheduled to go on a trip to Taos that December.
It was hard enough strapping on some skis but going downhill on
anything including the baby hill (which is a bit steep at Taos) was
pretty frightening. I knew that it would he hard to deal with building
the physical ability and muscle memory, but I was so cautious and
my fellow skiers just interpreted that as plain fear. It was not plain fear. I
did not have enough plain fear and that is how I got hurt in the first place.
Regardless, one of my friends turned me on to a book titled “Inner
Skiing.” This was a phenomenal book, part of a series of sports
books; they also have one titled: “Inner Tennis.” Anyway, to make a
long story short, the premise of the book is that a modern coaching
strategy for professional athletes and Olympians involves mentally
going through all the sensations of an actual performance, visualizing
the entire run or pole vault or pitch or whatever. In the process of
visualizing your personal performance, you visualize that you are
exceeding your prior performances. You experience each sensation
that you would experience in life, in your mind’s eye visualize the way
the sky would look, see the color of the snow, feel the cold of the air
around you, visualize the sounds you may hear and try to feel the
sensations on your muscles and bones being pushed further than before.
You also visualize yourself enjoying every bit of it, your execution of each
move being flawless, natural, and easy in its familiarity.
The really cool thing about this strategy is that modern sports figures
have been using it to exceed all the barriers and records that have
been previously seen as ceilings for performances. And frankly, for
me, it has been both a wonderful and relaxing experience. It has
allowed me to feel more natural on the snow and to surpass all of my
prior expectations and notions of my personal performances. People
who have skied with me years ago have noticed a marked difference,
too. So I wanted to share this experience with you.
I highly recommend this book, especially if you have found yourself
at a performance barrier, regardless of where your current skill level
is. Both beginners as well as experts could benefit from doing some
inner-skiing now, before the season starts. Try it and let me know
how it feels to you. Once you have taken a few of those inner-skiing trips,
however, don’t forget to sign up for a real trip with Space City and see
how it works on real snow. We have some killer trips this season. |
| PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES | By Marc Fellows, VP of Programs |
 Our search for a new home is over! SCSC will
be holding its general meetings at Big
Woodrow’s on Chimney Rock. This venue has
a lot to offer to our club. The meetings will be
on the second floor; with its large bar, sound
system, and tables. The high ceiling and
wooden interior will dampen the noise much
better than our former venue. This will cut
down on distractions during our presentations
and formal programs.
For those who would rather socialize than watch a presentation or
program, we’ve got you covered too. You can continue your
conversations in the downstairs bar without concern of interfering
with the upstairs speakers. The level of excitement will be moved up
a notch with the close proximity to the general public in the
downstairs bar. We’ll get more potential new members from the
downstairs bar coming upstairs as guests to check out what SCSC
has to offer. After the meeting, members can go downstairs to eat or
catch the end of Monday Night Football.
There will be plenty of parking. In addition to the Big Woodrow’s
parking lot, the parking garage of the office building immediately
north of Big Woodrow’s will provide Big Woodrow’s patrons free
parking. Since the September meeting has such huge attendance,
we also may use another spillover lot just for that meeting. Sound
confusing? Perhaps it may be a little confusing for the first meeting.
The plan for the September meeting is to have SCSC volunteers in
the parking lot areas helping guide people around. Of course, this will
only work if we get volunteers: please contact me to help. We are
also looking for volunteers to help with meeting set-up
Can you believe it will be ten years ago this December since Space
City held its first annual Sunshine Kids auction? This worthy charity
sends kids who are battling cancer on ski trips. This tradition of
SCSC support continues at the December General Meeting where
the auction will be the main event. The auction committee is already
forming and is looking for committee members. While December
seems far away, it is really just around the corner. Therefore, the
auction coordination work is starting immediately. If you are
interested in participating or have items to donate, contact the
Sunshine Kids Auction Committee Chair, Peggy Montgomery at
the.monts@att.net.
As always, contact me if you would like to lead an activity, volunteer
to help out with an activity, or have any other ideas or comments.
mjfreb@ev1.net. |
| FROM THE SKI DESK | By Lori Gilliland, VP of Trips |
 Who says, “There ain’t no cure the
summertime blues?” Sure there is…do what
ski addicts in Houston do. Plan for another
adrenaline-pumping ski season and sign up
for one or more awesome ski trips organized
by the pros at Space City Ski Club. When
you’re addicted to skiing, the saddest day of
the year is when the lifts at your favorite
resort stop spinning for the season. But, as
a member of SCSC, one of your happiest days of the year should
be during mail-in signup, when the TC of the trip you signed up for
calls or e-mails you with the great news that you’ve made it on the trip!
For those that missed early mail-in signup, don’t flip out just yet.
There’s a still a chance that we can find a spot for YOU on the trip
of your choice or at least put you high on a waiting list.
Plan to attend the coolest event of the summer, the September
General Meeting, Monday, September 20, 2004 at Big Woodrow’s
on Chimney Rock. This is the 1st club meeting of the 2004-2005
ski season and your chance to get up-close and personal with all
the Trip Leaders and various Resort Reps. Bring your checkbook
to lay down a deposit or get on the waiting list for your desired
destination. If you already have your reserved spot during early
mail-in signup, swing by your trip’s table, meet your TC/ATC,
insure you are on the roster, grab a trail map, get the current
scoop on your trip and meet fellow trip participants. This is a good
chance to start scouting out a roommate if you don’t already have one.
Looking to improve your skiing or break out of that intermediate
rut? Think you’re a “terminal intermediate?” Well, the best way to
see improvement is to ski, ski, ski and ski. The more ski days you get
in each year, the better you become. Plan your vacation time right and
you can take multiple trips. If you have already signed up for one trip,
consider adding another. Try something Familiar like Winter Park,
while enjoying a memorable Thanksgiving holiday. AND something
New like SCSC’s 1st adventure to world-renowned St. Moritz. Or, try a
Weeklong Club Trip to Park City, Vail or Whistler AND a TSC Short or
Long Trip to Snowmass, Copper Mountain or Heavenly.
Now that you know the cure for the Intermediate Blues, lets get
back to finding a cure for those summertime blues. Another way
to keep the blues away and skiing on your mind is to make sure
you stay in shape during the off-season by keeping the adrenaline
pumping. As of the general meeting on September 20th, there will
be only 64 days before our first trip departs, so keep yourself
slope-ready with adrenaline sports. Try trail running, in-line
skating, mountain biking, rock climbing - any sport that gives you
a rush. These activities will keep your lungs and muscles strong,
reflexes sharp and your mind prepared for skiing. Check out
Marc’s Programs/Activities Calendar. He may have a few
activities like these on the schedule. Or, offer to help him by
volunteering to be the Activity Coordinator of an adrenaline sport.
See you at Woodrow’s! |
| BIG TIME IN BIG SKY - MARCH 2004 | By Hope Flynn |
 It was a BIG TIME in BIG
SKY in March when 52
Space City skiers headed for
the mountains of Montana.
The trip started without any
hitches for most of us. The
group was gathering bright
and early at the airport,
ready to go, and then our
first accident occurred. Jo
and Gary Evans “accidentally” left their identification at home in
Clear Lake. Discovering it on the way to the airport, the Evans
succeeded in breaking the land speed record from Clear Lake to
IAH. Jim Kane and Eileen Kendrick anxiously awaited their arrival
so that their 20-year reunion would proceed as planned. Family
members Ann and August Koedding joined Bill and Eileen
Kendrick for a ‘mini-reunion’ at Big Sky. Unfortunately, a couple
of others had to cancel due to medical reasons, but they stayed in
our thoughts all week.
The flights to Montana were smooth and uneventful and the
breakfast muffins were plentiful. After a quick bus ride, we arrived
at the rustic Huntley Lodge. Founded by newscaster Chet
Huntley, this resort had everything, including fireworks on the first
night of our arrival. A prompt and efficient check-in was followed
by a wine and cheese reception in Hope and Pat’s condo.
Our group included first-time skiers as well as old hands but all
had a terrific time. Of our beginner group, Marnie Lamb, who had
only been on skis 4 days prior to hitting the slopes in Big Sky, was
“skiing the blues” by the end of the week and mastering those
moguls! Expert skiers Janet McKenzie and Bruce Baird took
Marnie under their wings and taught her the “secrets” of a
successful Space City Ski trip. Ski and have a good time! Bruce
did not realize that “denial” is a river in Egypt. Yes, Bruce, you did
fall and we have it on film. All that practice and friendship paid off!
Marnie will be assisting with a trip for 2005. Congratulations Marnie!
Unfortunately, one of our first time skiers, Harry ‘Zack’ Zachau
took a tumble the first day in ski school and broke his hip.
Requiring 3 pins to repair, Zach joined the fun for the final night party
and promises to “try it again” once mended. What a great attitude!
Of course, there are always the mischievous ones, and Bill
Bomberger and Bob Debell take the award for being the
“menaces” in Big Sky. The nice certificates they received from the
ski patrol made them feel like kids again.
It was questionable if Yellowstone was going to be open during
our visit, but adventurers Sharon Rance, June Cullum and
Concietta Ruggiero succeeded in having an exciting visit to the
park. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the wildlife that made it so exciting.
The snow bus they were traveling on went out of control and ran
“out of bounds,” a bit like Bill and Bob. The bus was promptly
stopped by a snow bank and the passengers only slightly bruised.
Luckily, they made it back to Big Sky safe and sound!
Susan Wicker found shopping to be a success and secured a
beautiful new pair of ski boots. Her old ones were graciously
donated to charity which will enable others less fortunate to ski
and have their own equipment. Thanks Susan!
Generosity abounds in the mountains. Big Sky has a wonderful
reimbursement program for those who suffer an inconvenience
due to mechanical failure of the “state of the art” equipment. A
cup of hot chocolate was given to Joe Daleo, Susan Blome, Cindy
Moore and Hope for just “hanging” around for 45 minutes! The
stalled chair lift named Southern Comfort was no comfort and was
avoided like the plague for the rest of the trip. A little “Southern
Comfort” would have gone a long way with that hot chocolate.
TSC final showdown would have not been complete without the
Welcome Party! Again the wine flowed freely and we welcomed a
couple of new members to the fold with an appropriate
celebration. Carol Newman joined us from San Antonio and
quickly caught on to Nora Cortez’ contagious laughter. We all
laughed and listened to the “tall mountain” ski stories from the day.
Although it was a bit wet, the group enjoyed a fabulous sleigh ride
and dinner at the Lone Mountain Ranch thanks to the
recommendation of Kathy Young. It was like traveling back in
time. The cabin was totally lit with candles and lanterns. Prime rib
was slowly roasted and fresh bread was baked on the 100-year
old wood burning stove that once prepared meals for the railroad
workers. Wine, laughter and song flowed freely. Topping the night
off, we all joined in singing “Deep in the Heart of Texas”.
The food was great all over the mountain. We gathered bright and
early every morning to discuss the upcoming day’s events and
significant points from the day before at the fantastic breakfast
buffet. This was a great way to start the day.
Dinner plans turned out to be a bit harrowing for the first group to
venture down the mountain in the motor coach, a.k.a. old,
dilapidated school bus with a crazy driver. Taking an icy curve at
60 miles an hour was a bit much. We’re an adventurous group but
not just that much. Upon arrival at the restaurant, the group was
quite shaken up. The Mi Luna restaurant made the trip
worthwhile. The highly acclaimed restaurant Buck T-4 served us
well. Just about everyone made a trip there during the week. Bob
Debell enjoyed it so much that he decided to stay longer and
almost missed the bus back to the lodge. |
| BIG TIME IN BIG SKY - MARCH 2004 (CONTINUED) | |
 St Patrick’s Day found us a bit spread out. A large group ventured
a couple of hours away to Bridger Bowl for some glade skiing.
Upon arrival to Bridger, we were greeted by a wonderful group of
ski ambassadors to
show us the
mount a in. Of
course, après-ski
did not pass us by
and we all enjoyed
spring-like weather
on the deck.
TSC Final Showdown
would not be complete
without the races
and SCSC was well
represented on the winners’ podium. Our most determined
finisher was Shannon Powers who crossed the finish line on one
ski, earning SCSC another all important point. Thanks Shannon.
A wax lesson provided by Bill Bomberger (he swears) resulted in
Lori Gilliland and Janet McKenzie’s medals (oh, yea, it’s been
said that they may have beat him!) Our medal winners, each of
course with a great story to tell, included Sharon Simandl, Carol
Newman and the phenomenal skier Karin Schidlowski. Our men
made a good showing as well with Bob Wray, Bruce Lowther,
Phillip Vice, Kurt Schidlowski, David Whitehead, Jim Hodges, Bill
Bomberger, Joe Daleo, Dennis Stockton and Merrel Smith.
Space City camaraderie was not short on the dance floor as
fellow trip-goers Lori Gilliland, Cindy Moore, among several of the
gentlemen like Bruce Lowther and Joe Daleo danced to a little bit
of country and a little bit of rock n’ roll.
Memorable sayings always come along with a group trip and this
trip was no exception. Of course, the adage, “What happens on
the mountain, stays on the mountain” creates an air of
misbehaving, however, in Bruce Baird’s case it’s all a matter of
falling and we have photos! It was reported he was in denial that
the summersault-type fall occurred. Hardnosed skiers Phillip Vice
and David Whitehead dared not to stop and view a map! Echoes
of “put that map away Man, you’re burning daylight” could be
heard periodically the first couple of days.
We take care of our own, too. Janet McKenzie kindly went to
advise them that fellow skier Jeff Kovacs’ binding had broken and
he was walking down the mountain. The innocent question from
the lift operator of “what color is his jacket” resulted in endless
laughter as the story was retold. “Hey, he’s walking down the
mountain!” His bright yellow jacket was a great thing for the newer
skiers; he was easy to follow down the mountain. Daily, you’d
see the more expert skiers unselfishly skiing with the less
experienced. Christine March took a group on an adventure.
Departure day was equally exciting due to bit of overbooking that
resulted in 4 newly found friends jetting off to Cincinnati on Delta.
Concietta, June, Marnie and Sharon Rance were the adventurous
ones who took advantage of the “overbooked” offer from Delta
and jetted off to Ohio for the night. It paid off though, and they
took the opportunity that Sunday morning to wait yet again for the
next flight for more compensation. These girls are smart and were
immediately planning another trip!
Old time friends Walt Duemer and Tommy Thompson were quite
the pair seen here there and everywhere throughout the whole
week. Quite the wild ones! A lot like Philip Vice and David Whitehead!
Oh yea, Philip, beer does freeze.
All in all we can say we had “a Big Time in Big Sky!” |
| AIA SANDCASTLE COMPETITION WEEKEND | By Ellen Eastham |
 Space City Ski Club volunteered
to work at the AIA (American
Institute of Architects) Sandcastle
Competition on June 5, 2004.
This is the first year that an
organization, other than Houston
Proud, assisted as volunteers.
The group was named the “Ski
Team.” AC Ellen Eastham
handed out t-shirts, wristbands,
and parking passes to the enthusiastic group of 29 volunteers. The
weekend of fun in Galveston began with Friday Night Beach Bash on
June 4. Seven hundred tickets were sold to the Luau party held at the
Hilton’s swimming pool. A group from the “Ski Team” attended to enjoy
the tropical evening of fun.
The Saturday, June 5, 6:00 a.m. shift saw a faint sunrise in the sky
as volunteers were dispersed to entrance locations to control beach
access. Other volunteer jobs were, for example, marking off with
tape the 85 team sites, 22’ x 25’, taping the judges’ viewing aisle,
and driving stakes in the sand. Houston Proud and SCSC completed
a multitude of tasks throughout the morning.
Wristbands allowed the group to have free food and drink from the
sponsors’ tents. Locating free “goodies,” hats, koozies, temporary tattoos,
and other items was fun! Sandcastle construction teams began at 10:00,
and immediately encouraged signatures for the “Public Favorite Award.”
Bribes included handing out leis, beads, tattoos, and cups by gals in
bikinis. The architect groups were busy in preparation of molds,
digging up sand, using a hose attached to a pressure pump from the
Gulf, wetting the sand in their molds, using stencils for cutting out
letters and figures. “Stompers” packed the sand, and some worked on
finite details. It was amazing to walk along the 85 teams, watching their art
unfold. The morning shift watched the groups in action.
The afternoon shift began at 2:00 p.m. SCSC was assigned to work
with judges, lead them through pathways, and follow to keep crowds
away. Houston Proud and SCSC volunteers picked up and tabulated
the voting for the “Public Favorite Award.”
The threat of rain existed throughout most of the day. The sun would
come out, then lightning could be seen on the horizon. However,
Cathy Milkie, head of the Houston Proud group, was confident as
she predicted no rain and it stayed away all day! Awards for
Sandcastle Competition winners were announced for the Golden
Bucket (1st place), Silver Shovel (2nd place), Bronze Shovel (3rd
place), and a dozen other awards.
In the afternoon, people were everywhere along the beach viewing and
photographing the sandcastles. Some of the “Ski Team” met at Casey’s
for dinner, some spent Saturday night on the Island, and most drove
home afterwards. All agreed it was a fabulous and worthwhile day.
Special Thanks to Volunteers: Greg Botard, Stacy Burns, Deb Cini, Ann Dorn and
daughter, Ellen Eastham, Cheryl Esposito, Yvonne Guy, Tor Lileng, Ronnie Livingston,
Marsha Lutz, Patti Maudslay, JoAnn McClain, Cindy Moore, Leyla Ozkardesh, Brenda
Parker, Marianne Pearce, Dan Petersen, Janell Peyton, Sue Radoff, Barbara Rossetti,
Peggy Schillinger, Sue Sedwick, Steve Shaddox, John Sims, Brenda Soileau, Chip
Stokes, John Thayer, and Marda Waters. |
| ON THE WATER SPECTACULAR WEEKEND LIVES UP TO ITS NAME | By Cindy Moore |
 A week before the On the Water Spectacular Weekend fellow
organizer, Inga Birkenstock, and I had a sudden terrifying thought…
what if it rained on any part of our weekend? Should we make an
alternate rain plan? As the final hectic planning went on, we both
forgot about those worries. The snow ski and sailing gods smiled
upon us as we got a weekend with no rain until our event was officially
over at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday! I didn’t know just how lucky we were
until I drove home in a blinding downpour in Houston! The second
annual big event, July 23-25, which mixed members and guests
from the Texas Association of Single Sailors (TASS), Space City Ski Club
(SCSC) and a few from the Clear Lake Area Ski Club (CLASC), was an
astounding success as 212 people attended the various activities!
The Friday poolside dinner party featuring the Kelly McGuire
Band pulled in 123 people. The band played outside until 10:00
p.m. and then the fun turned to the inside one-man band and
music machine. He kept the attendees dancing until after
midnight. The water of the pool was tempting, as the heat was
oppressive at first. Later the wind kicked up and even the
mosquitoes were held at bay as the concrete shook from the dancing.
Saturday’s Portofino pool party, barbeque and sailing had 154
people checked in. As the sun beat down, the pool was the “cool”
place to be when not on a boat. During the afternoon, the
powerboats delighted all participants. The owners, Ross and
Diane Baker, Bill Lodato, Pat Fitch, Bob Gottlieb, Bob Span and
Jet Ski owner Andrew Clark, were lifted to almost sainthood as
the thanks poured forth from the members and guests.
The sailboat owners, Gary Pollock, Steve O’Brien, Cheryl
Morvillo, Brian and Natalie Reagan, Malcolm Jones, Susan King,
Tal and Carolyn Rogers, and Rus Records, were likewise placed
on a pedestal as anyone who wanted to sail was given the
opportunity. I personally went on an
evening sail with 19 others on
Voyager, a 47-foot Vagabond
wooden beauty. We watched an
incredibly red fireball set, and an
equally impressive moonrise on the
3-hour tour! The pool party was still
going strong as we docked.
The weekend ended with a splash at
the Sunday Seabrook Beach Club
brunch and water volleyball
tournament with 72 people! The food
was fabulous and SCSC took the
honors of the first place trophy,
beating out TASS 3 games to 1. After
that, the water volleyball continued with mixed teams just for fun!
As I left, the poolside band was just getting started while ominous
clouds began rolling in from the north. |
| WINE-TASTING EVENT | By Ron Rodriguez |
 Shall I try the Merlot or the Cabernet?
What about the Pinot Grigio and
Chardonnay? Why not just try them
all! These were some of the
comments heard at Ron and Dawn
Rodriguez’s 3rd Annual Wine Tasting,
held at their home on June 19.
The guests arrived in style and on
time, with Ron Hayes and Judy Shiro
arriving first, but wondering whether or
not there was even a wine-tasting
event. Deborah and Larry Christie
walked in eager and ready to taste,
while Tor Lileng was put to work as
soon as he entered, meticulously slicing the Rotisserie Chicken,
which was to be served for dinner. As is customary at a
Rodriguez Wine-Tasting, the event is to commence and sampling
to begin at Ron’s signal. However, Marc Fellows had other ideas.
He was ready to start as soon as he arrived, as were Gary
Barrett, Carmen Mikhail, Gloria Lopez, etc., etc., etc.
As the evening progressed, it appeared that all involved were having a
blast. The wines were good and bad, the food was excellent and the
camaraderie fruitful. Door prizes were awarded to lucky participants,
with Anne Dorn and Chuck Albright winning, just to name a few.
In summation, the evening was a success, with only minimal breakage of
wine glasses and other dishes. Perhaps next year we can break more
glass and take a dip into the swimming pool. Until then, see ya… |
| WINE-TASTING EVENT Participants | |
|
