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American Airlines Ski & Snowboard Club
January 2012 Slopescoop
www.aaskisnowboard.com
2012 Schedule:
Feb. 5-10, 2012 Snowbird, UT
Mar. 4-9 , 2012 Niseko, Japan
Apr. 1-6, 2012 Sun Valley, ID
Check out www.naasf.com for details on each destination.
President: Rick Schreiner C(972)896-5965 president@aaskisnowboard.com
Vice President: Rachel Rueter C(817) 946-3310 vp@aaskisnowboard.com
A-Team Captain: Mark Ralston C(203)417-9446 acaptain@aaskisnowboard.com
B-Team Captain: Susan Noel C(401)952-0259 bcaptain@aaskisnowboard.com
Snowboard Captain: Dennis Mellon C(303)949-2426 sbcaptain@aaskisnowboard.com
Eagle Captain: Natasha Lukes C(920)360-6006 eagle@aaskisnowboard.com
Webmaster: Earl Weintraub C(630)935-5190 admin@aaskisnowboard.com
Newsletter Editor: Jennifer Naylor C(817)300-5386 newsletter@aaskisnowboard.com
Japan Dad Mark Ralston C(203)417-9446 intlmom@aaskisnowboard.com
Sun Valley Mom Laurie Hanson C aprilmom@aaskisnowboard.com
From the President………………….……………………………….. Rick Schreiner
Hi fellow skiers and boarders! Well it has begun. We had our first week at Northstar, and despite the record “no snow” conditions, we had a GREAT time. They did a fantastic job making enough snow on enough runs for everyone to enjoy the week, which had beautiful weather, fun parties and great people. For a wrap up and some pics, please visit our website “aaskisnowboard.com”. I also encourage you to go there for all the latest and greatest information about the team and our upcoming events. I realize these are tough times, but life is what we make of it, and as we saw in Northstar, we can make the best of times just by getting together and enjoying the good things in life with each other. Thanks to all that showed up and made the week a success, and especially to all those that contributed to the team with their race participation. Of special note would be congratulations to Kent Johnson for his first place showing in the GS and Combined. Way to go KJ!
It goes without saying that we missed our special friends Jim Tullos and Rachel Rueter as they had to stay home and deal with the passing of Jim’s mother. As we all get older and we have to say good-bye to our parents, it’s never easy. It is a time, as Jim mentioned in his farewell tribute letter to his mom, to reflect on how truly “blessed” we have been. Love and prayers to Jim, Rachel, his family, and all of us who are going through the same things. Just another affirmation of the family bonds we all have for each other on this team.
Snowbird is coming soon. If you are planning on coming please let Jim know ASAP. He has volunteered to help room-mom the event so contact him at advskiscub@aol.com or (817) 946-5736 (text, or message) and give him the basic info. Who’s coming, what dates, what your racing, where your staying, and if you need help with roommate pairings. I hope to see many of you there. Memories are waiting to be made, points to beat Delta with are waiting to be won, and hopefully some new fresh Utah powder snow will be waiting to be skied and boarded.
Proud to be you Pres,
Rick
Vice President…………….………………………………….………… Rachel Rueter
Hi Everyone,
Thank you to everyone who attended our first meet of the year in Northstar, CA. Even though the snow conditions were not ideal, everyone had a fantastic time and our racers did very well. Our next ski meet is Feb 5-10 in Snowbird, UT and it will be one of the best! Snowbird is conveniently located approximately 30 minutes from the Salt Lake City airport so it is very easy to get to. Utah is known for having more snowfall than Colorado and the mountain is offering us very affordable rates. We have several Naasf members that live in the Park City area so I expect it to be one of the biggest meets of the year. So bring your Mardi Gras costume and come join us!
Hope to see all of you there!
Rachel
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A-Team Captain’s Report………………………….……………………Mark Ralston
There wasn’t ANY natural snow at Northstar, but the snowmaking crew had been out and conditions were better than I expected. Attendance was down, but I expect there will be a big showing at Snowbird.
KJ had his first first in the GS, with many more to follow – right KJ? Danielle finished 2nd in both the SL and GS, for second combined, and the old fart crew (Mike, Mark, and John) did well.
PLEASE drop me an email if you plan on attending and racing! I don’t want to leave anyone out, nor do I want to create extra work for those who have to put together the bibs.
Our A TD, Frank Kruse has been steadily escalating rhetoric regarding our conduct at race venues. While I don't think any American Airline A racers are involved, at the beginning of the season, I just want to reinforce in everyone's minds what is expected.
First - the race venue is not for free skiing. Think of it as a golf green whose turf we will need later in the week. While skiing from practice course to practice course, stay at a moderate, not racing speed. If you can stop without hesitation, your speed is probably OK. This is for the safety of other skiers, race crew, and preservation of conditions on the race venue.
Second - when race workers are working on the course, it's closed. Should you begin a practice course, and find workers below the start, STOP. Clear the course, and either wait for the workers to finish and clear the course, or continue by them, off the course at a moderate speed, again, if you can stop immediately, that's probably a reasonable speed. If they're 3 feet off the course they won't appreciate your show of skill, as you run the gate they just set, they will be concerned about their safety. Whether or not there is a sign that states this, you should do one or two runs on the practice course, then return to slip it as a courtesy.
Third - on race day, when you slip the course, you should be in a sideslip or snowplow. It is poor form to run one or two gates, then stop. Again, safety and course condition preservation are our goals. If you are done inspecting and merely want to get to the bottom of the course, exit the venue if you intend to haul ass. If there is no way to exit the venue, control your speed to the bottom.
As a group, NAASF has been warned by several race departments about this kind of behavior. At some point, people will be getting DQ'ed. Don't be the example Frank has to set, let someone else get tossed, and let's set the example of safety and courtesy.
Mark
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B-Team Captain…………………………………………………………Susan Noel
Hello to all the "Super B's".........
The Northstar Meet ended up much better then we predicted. The snow was pretty much "man made" but the group working at Northstar sure did a beautiful job and the runs were much better than expected!! It felt like spring skiing and we even saw a few guys (not ours) skiing without their shirts on.....in JANUARY!! We had quite a few "B" racers and made some great points for the team. The results are not out on the NAASF website yet. Take a look at the website in a few day because, they should post the top 5 racers in the slalom and GS.
The rules have changed slightly this year. If you are 55 years of age (as of December 31) you will be considered a "Master" this year. The "old" rule was age "50".....There is also a "new" "Super Master" division and that starts at age 63. This is one benefit of being older.....you can win in the "Master" or "Super Master" division even if you don't place in the top 5 in some races!!
I just talked to my girlfriend in Park City and she said it is snowing like CRAZY there so I sure hope that continues and we have TONS of snow for our Snowbird Meet in February. Everything you need is all at the Snowbird Mountain, all the parties, racing, and lodging are in close proximity. Hope you can all come out for the "Snowbird Meet" and ski, snowboard and MINGLE!! P.S. Let me know if you are racing....WE NEED THE POINTS!!!
Susan
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Snowboard Team Captain’s Report………………………….………Dennis Mellon
Hey!
Northstar was a lot of fun! Paula took Third in the snowboard race, wooo hoooo!!! Woke up this morning and checked the snow report for Snowbird. Again WOOO HOOO!!! "THEY GOT 14 INCHES." Yeah! So, I'm looking forward to seeing all of you there. Please, if you are racing, give me a holler.
Had a great time with GT, June, and Jennifer at Breckenridge this last week.
Plan on racing in the S/B race in Japan. Again, please let me know if you would like to race. See yas on the slopes. And, bring your Beads.
Dennis Mellon
American Eagle Captain’s Report………………………….………Natasha Lukes
Winter is finally here in Chicago, and I've been watching the weather for Snowbird. Looking good! Sounds like a few storms are in the forecast for the next week.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it to Northstar, but I heard there were a few Eagle members representing. Congrats to Bjorn Vandug who made it on the podium for the A Team! Also, Slavisa Kuljanin and Eric Cullis raced for the B team. Sorry if I missed anyone else that was there, but these are the only people I knew were there. Good work Team Eagle on scoring us some points!
If you are planning on going to Snowbird, PLEASE let me know so I can seed you for racing at the Captain's meeting at Snowbird on Monday night. I look forward to seeing everyone out on the slopes in 2 weeks! 920-360-6006 Natasha
International Room Dad ………………………………….…………..Mark Ralston
The deadline for Niseko is rapidly approaching – if you are interested in attending, PLEASE, RIGHT NOW, email me and I’ll see what I can do for you.
There are 20 people signed up, and some of us will be going over early. We can always use volunteers for the cross country races, and need suggestions for what we might serve for the on snow party Thursday afternoon.
The theme for the Wednesday night party is ‘Turning Japanese’, from the song by The Vapors. I don’t think our hosts actually know what this song is about – yet. With this crowd, though, someone will come up with something that illustrates the song’s meaning. Bjorn Vandug is helping us work up a t-shirt and ‘coozie’ for trade.
The organizers say we have over 400 participants signed up, there’s 9 meters of snow in the village already and 12 meters have fallen at the top. Yes – METERS. Let’s see - that’s 39.37 inches per meter – so that’s 350 inches at the village and 470 inches at the top. Hope to see you there!
Mark
mralston2@earthlink.net 860-355-4569 Home 203-417-9446 Cell
“Fowl Remarks” by your Uniform Coordinator…….…………..…..……Jim Tullos
NEW UNIFORM ITEMS
There are several NEW Items that we are working on (Fleece, Hockey Jerseys, Jackets, Turtle Necks). We are trying to arrange for all (or at least MOST) of the new uniform items to be pre-ordered for the future so we don't have a lot of club resources tied up in inventory.
FLEECE
We are currently taking orders for TeAAm/Club FLEECE. These new fleece have the AA Crest Embroidered near the left breast. We have both male and female (dart for breasts and tapered around middle) models. They have an adjustable elastic waist band/draw string that can be loosened so that it isn't tight and won't ride up OR you can tighten it if you like it snub around the hips. They seem to run pretty true to size (Rachel wears a Medium).
We had several people order fleece before Northstar, but I was unable to make the meet. I would like to get an order in to our stitcher ASAP, so if you want a fleece delivered to Snowbird, let me know ASAP.
HOCKEY JERSEYS
We are still working on getting "Hockey Jerseys" ordered and delivered prior to Japan. I will have more information shortly.
MOCK TURTLE NECKS
These are NOT ready YET, but hopefully will be ready for the NEXT news letter.
CURRENT UNIFORM ITEMS IN STOCK and "ON SALE"
JACKETS
We have virtually all sizes except LARGE and Extra Small. These jackets run LARGE in size. Most men that wear a Large will fit in a Medium or those that normally wear an XL would require a Large.
We have lowered the price of our current TeAAm/Club Jacket to only $150. They retail for over $500 and the TeAAm/Club sold them for $275 until this year. This is a REAL bargain.
HATS and FANNY PACKS
We still have a good supply of Blue Jean Hats and a few Team/Club Fanny Packs. The hats are $10 each or TWO for $15 and the Fanny Packs are $15....BOTH are useful and a good deal. These also make GREAT trading material for the International Meet, so if you are headed to Niseko, consider picking up three or more to take with you to Japan.
DALE of NORWAY TEAM SWEATERS
We have a FEW (2 Large and 1 Medium) black Dale of Norway Sweaters. If you are interested in one, give me a call. These sweaters sell for a couple hundred dollars over the counter, our team sold them for $125 originally, and we will let the final few go for only $75. They are both WARM and FASHONABLE.
SPEED SUITS
If you are an "A" Racer and don't have a TeAAm speed suit, let me know. We only have TWO Speed Suits left in our inventory. These too sold for more than $200 but we are NOW offering them for only $100. (Carmen has one reserved for Danielle..Woo Hoo !!! )
I look forward to seeing everyone in SNOWBIRD...and we WILL have the TeAAm/Club Store in Utah for YOUR shopping pleasure.
Be Safe !!! Have Fun !!!
AdvSkiScub@aol.com
817-946-5736
Jim
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From the Editor………………………………………………..……Jennifer Naylor
Thank you, Jim, for volunteering to be our Room Mom/Dad for the Snowbird, Utah meet. Please be sure to contact Jim, to let him know you are planning to attend. Let your Race Captain know, too. Snowbird is always a fun place to race and ski!
Check out this web site http://www.wasc-japan2012.com/index.html and let Mark know, you want to come join us shredding the MOUNTAINS of SNOW in Japan!
I am glad to hear the new race season has started well for our TeAAm, I mean Club! Keep up the good work! I am also sorry to not be at the first two actual meets. I am keeping up my skills with a few riding days, here and there in Colorado. I am also looking forward to joining everyone in Japan for some fantastic winter fun! In fact, I am popping over a few days early to play in the snow. See you there, or in lovely, Sun Valley, Idaho!
Jen
SNOWBIRD, UTAH
February 5 - 10
Snowbird will be the next stop on the NAASF 2012 Tour. Snowbird is easy to get to, reasonably priced, has had more than 2 feet of snow in the past week (and it is still snowing), will hands down be the most heavily attended NAASF Ski Week of the year, all parties and hot tubs are in ONE building, world class ski in/out lodging, fantastic mountain, Mardi Gras, and MORE. It WILL be FUN!!
OK, so why wouldn't anyone want to join us?
GETTING TO SNOWBIRD
Snowbird is 29 miles from the Salt Lake City Airport. The drive is easy and takes about 30 to 45 minutes.
Fly to SLC on AA/AE from DFW (5 AA flights/day), ORD (3 AE flights/day), and LAX (4 AE flights/day)
There are other non-stops on a variety of carriers from SFO, JFK, DEN, and other points of origin.
From SLC you can reserve a spot on a private "shuttle" with as few as 3 people or OR you can rent a car.
www.Utahmountanshuttle.com offers $88/3 passengers
www.Kayak.com has cars for $25/day or as little as $140/week including all the taxes.
LODGING
NAASF will be staying at The Cliff Lodge and Spa, which is the "flagship" of Snowbird Lodging. The rooms are hotel type rooms that you can put one to four people in, depending on how "friendly" you are.
Room
Single Rate
Double Rate
Cliff Lodge
$140
$140
Lower Village - Studio
$140
$140
Lower Village - 1 Bdrm Condo
$278
$278
Arriving before the 5th or staying the 10th of after, the rates will be $169/night
All rates are exclusive of the current 11.6% state room tax and $5.00/room/night resort fee.
The Cliff Lodge and Spa has a super work out facility, FOUR outside hot tubs, a world class spa that offers NAASF discounts, and several very nice dining options for breakfast or dinner. There are also FREE lockers for storing your equipment so this is TRUELY ski in - ski out.
Bottom line - Lodging will cost $80/person/night based on double occupancy for a world class ski in/out resort.
You will be responsible for making your own reservations. Note - You may cancel until 10 day before your arrival with no penalty. Just call Snowbird Central Reservations 1-800-453-3000
LIFT TICKETS
"Tram & Chairs" lift tickets to NAASF participants at $45.00/day for 1-day to 4-day tickets.
5-day “Tram & Chairs” tickets will be $42.00/day.
Partially used multi-day tickets are non-refundable.
Only fully-registered participants will be allowed to purchase discounted lift tickets. Lift tickets must be purchased at registration: No discount tickets will be sold to NAASF participants at the regular ticket windows.
REGISTRATION
NAASF participants fully registering for the ski week will be entitled to all scheduled events: Welcome Reception, Mountain Barbecue, Theme Party, Awards Banquet and Racing.
Registration fee is $75.00 per person
THEME PARTY - Mardi Gras
"Mardi Gras" is the theme for the Wednesday night costume party. Grab your beads, mask, and/or favorite Mardi Gras costume and join in the fun. "Hey Mister, throw me something"
SCHEDULE
Sunday, February 5, 2012 All-day: Arrivals 8 - 11 a.m. and 3 - 7 p.m. – Registration in The Cliff Lodge lobby. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. – Slopes are open. Evening – Après-ski specials.
Monday, February 6, 2012 All day: Arrivals 8 - 11 a.m. and 3 - 7 p.m. – Registration in The Cliff Lodge lobby. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. – Practice courses open 9.30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. – Complimentary guided tour of the mountain 7.30 p.m. – Midnight – Welcome reception at the Golden Cliff (Cliff Lodge level A)
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 8 - 11 a.m. – Registration in The Cliff Lodge lobby. 10 a.m. - 3.00 p.m. – Practice courses open 10:30 a.m. – Snowboard Race followed by Newcomer’s Race Noon - 2 p.m. – Mountain picnic, Creekside Lodge 9:30 a.m. and 10.30 a.m. – Complimentary guided tour of the mountain Evening – Team night
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 10:30 a.m. – Race event 1 p.m. – Race event 7:30 p.m. - Midnight – MARDI GRAS party at The Golden Cliff, The Cliff Lodge, Level A.
Thursday, February 9, 2012 10:30 a.m. – Race event 1 p.m. – Race event 6:30 p.m. – Midnight – Awards dinner at The Cliff Lodge Ballroom, Level A.
Friday, February 10, 2012 Departures – Have a great weekend and ski you next year! Please note that schedule of events is subject to change.
ROOM MOM
American Airlines and American Eagle have a Room Mom service. The Room Mom coordinates roommates, ride shares, team dinner reservations, and notifies the race department of those attending (for seeding purposes). It is VERY important that EVERYONE contact the Room Mom so we know you are attending.
Your Room Mom for Snowbird is ME, Jim Tullos.
JIM TULLOS
AdvSkiScub@aol.com
or
817-946-5736
If you need help finding a roommate or want to share a car or shuttle, let me know. If you already have made all your arrangements, PLEASE let me know you are coming so we can plan accordingly. .
Be Safe !!! Have Fun !!!
Jim
AdvSkiScub@aol.com
817-946-5736
AMERICAN AIRLINES SKI & SNOWBOARD 2011 - 2012 TEAM APPLICATION
ANNUAL DUES $30
Rick Schreiner, President Rachel Rueter, Vice President
president@aaskisnowboard.com vp@aaskisnowboard.com
Cell: 972-896-5965 Cell: 817-946-3310
LAST NAME______________________________ FIRST______________________________
ADDRESS___________________________________________________________________
CITY____________________________________ STATE______________________________
HOME PHONE____________________________ CELL PHONE________________________
EMAIL______________________________________ DOB_______________ SEX_________
JOB____________________________ BASE________ EMPL #________________ AA or AE
EMERGENCY CONTACT (Name)_________________________ RELATIONSHIP__________
PHONE NUMBERS (cell or home)_________________________________________________
Would you like your email address available on the “Private Forum” YES________ NO_______
(So other team members can contact you regarding rooms,etc.)
NEW MEMBERS – Sponsor (or person who told you about the Ski Team______________________
How did you find us? Poster______ RES_______ Flagship News______ Website______ Other______
Interest (Check all that applies):
Recreational Skier_______________
Snowboarder___________________
B-Team Racer__________________
A-Team Racer__________________
Nordic Skier (IASF Meet)__________
This Years Weeks:
For planning purposes, check the weeks you will try to attend.
______Steamboat Springs, CO – AA Team......December 4-9, 2011_______
______Northstar, California – NAASF.…………..January 8-13, 2012_______
______Snowbird, UT – NAASF……………...….February 5-10, 2012_______
______Niseko, Japan – IASF…………………...…...March 4-9, 2012_______
______Sunvalley, ID – NAASF………………..……….April 1-6, 2012_______
Dues $30=_________
Please make checks payable to American Airlines Ski Club and send to:
American Airlines Ski & Snowboard Team
c/o Rick Schreiner
2255 Clayette Ct.
Raleigh, NC 27612-3725
