Eastern Ski Writers Association
Eastern Ski Writers Association
Conference Schedules
2009 -- 2010
2009
Waterville Valley - December 4-6, 2009
Eastern Ski Writers Association Board of Directors
President: Martin Griff
First Vice President: Dan Cassidy
Second Vice President: Bill Clapper
Board Member: Iseult Devlin
Board Member: Mike Doyle
Board Member: Janet Essman Franz
Board Member: Roger Leo
Board Member: Gerald Pallor
Board Member: Mike Roth
Board Member: Dyke Shaw
Board Member: Bob Williams
Immediate Past President: Chris Dehnel
Executive Secretary: Kim Jackson
Counsel: Ed Blumstein
Treasurer: Matt Galella
Corporate Liaison: Stacy Lopes
Julia Ford of Plymouth, New Hampshire and Nolan Kasper of Warren, Vermont are recipients of the 2009 Don A. Metivier Gold Ski Award, sponsored by The Eastern Ski Writers Association. to learn more, thanks to press member Dan Cassidy, check out the following link:
http://maineoutdoorjournal.mainetoday.com/blogentry.html?id=13711
Note from press member Mary Kerr:
Mary and Fraser |
I recently visited Fraser Noble, ESWA's grand ole man, at his home in Westminister, Massachusettes to personally deliver my book: The Mountain Love Affair, The Story of Mad River Glen, in which I identify Fraser as one of my long time skiing mentors during numerous ESWA ski trips, including the infamous Bob Ensel bus tour- five ski areas, Bridger, Big Sky, Targee, Jackson Hole plus Yellowstone in four days, in 1981-
"Though confined to a wheelchair, Fraser at 93 is as sharp and full of mischief and good humor as he always was."
President's Message: Be Smart - double check and back up
By Martin Griff
The Smart Car was the focus of my attention at the local vo-tech school where earlier this month I photographed mechanics -in-training getting a first-hand look at environmentally friendly cars.
I got my first look at the Smart Car during the 2005 ESWA trip to Germany and Austria. For a guy who drives a subcompact Toyota Echo, the 8 foot-long, two-seat oddity zipping along the narrow streets of Garmisch-Partenkirchen was love at first sight.
I did some research on the Smart Car when I got home and looked forward to the day it would be imported to the United States. When it did arrive here, the numbers were disappointing.
Adapting the car to U. S. standards meant this was not the same vehicle puttering through the streets of Europe and the American sticker price-about five grand more than the Echo-did not justify a couple of miles more per gallon, or the lack of a back seat.
I take a lot of ribbing as a large man driving a little Echo, but it's easy to park, not a desirable car for thieves in the inner city where I often work, and with 40 miles to the gallon, I was doing the laughing this summer when gas reached four bucks a gallon.
After taking my photos at the vo-tech, I made some Smart Car small talk with the car's distributor as I headed to the exit. "That's not a Smart Car, it's a Noble," the distributor explained. I was all set to write a caption about this Smart Car before the chance exchange set me straight, and kept the egg off my face.
According to the distributor, the Chinese made Noble, which they are hoping will be approved for sale in the United States next month, is less expensive than the Smart Car, gets about 14 miles to the gallon more on the highway and is a foot longer, allowing for a back seat. Watching students pile clown-like into the tiny car should have tipped me off to the back seat and that this car wasn't so Smart, but it took a Noble gentleman to keep me from great embarrassment.
Journalistic lesson learned. . . Assume nothing, double-check everything.
When I got back to my keyboard, I attempted to go off-piste in my nj.com ski/snowboard blog with news of the Noble. I thought that a photo of ESWA press member Phil Johnson standing next to a Smart Car in Germany would fit nicely with a photo of the Garden State students with the Noble and began a search for the photo file on my computer's internal drive F, where I store all my personal and ESWA photos. The computer wheezed and coughed as it opened thumbnails of the European trip files. It couldn't complete the job and when I stopped the procedure to give it a second try I got messages that information could not write to disk, a fatal F drive error occurred, and the data lost. That data is (I hope not "was") about 25,000 photo files, including birthday's, family gatherings, dance recitals and photos from about 50 NASJA/ESWA meetings.
After numerous rebootings, Drive F came back to life, for a minute and then more messages of fatal errors and data lost.
In 2005 I had a major computer break down and learned the importance of backing up files. I last backed up Drive F in November 2006. I don't need to spell out this second lesson learned. My computer whiz neighbor confirmed that Drive F problems are mechanical and more serious than he can deal with, but he does believe the files still live on the drive, despite the fatal message. His colleague with experience that might free my photos from their digital jail is away for a couple of weeks. There is also the possibility of using a very expensive data retrieval company, so all hope is not lost, at least not yet. I'll keep you posted.
Last month I suggested that those who prefer to save a tree could read the Newsletter on line in the vBook. Press member Chris Solomon then sent me a note recommending that we send along the newsletter as a PDF file attached to an email, to cut down on sign-on screens and passwords. Thanks for the great idea, Chris! If you would like to receive the newsletter as an emailed PDF, instead of by snail mail, drop Executive Secretary Kim Jackson a note.
Gunstock offers quick rides and views of Lake Winnipesauke
By Joan Wallen
Longtime ESWA member Neal Estano (also a major network TV weather reporter!) first skied Gunstock 37 years ago when he strapped on a pair of wooden skis with beartrap bindings there. Dottie Crossley beat him by some unnamed number of years, having skied there back when it was known as Belknap Mountain. But according to a quick poll taken at the general meeting, this was the first trip to Gunstock for roughly 85-90 percent of the members attending the meeting Feb. 6-8.
From the beginning of the meeting, it was clear that there was plenty of news for ESWA members to report. Gunstock is all about kids and family. From the multitude of school groups enjoying the area during the week to the family and bus groups there on the weekend, the area offers something for everyone. Literally thousands of school children arrive on weekdays for instruction, skiing and riding. As we arrived late Friday afternoon, one wave of school groups was just departing while another made its way in for early evening skiing. While we were enjoying a reception in the Pistol Pub Friday night, the mountain was lit up for night skiing and the tubing park was active. A few members of our group had a chance to explore some of the cross country and snowshoe trails Friday afternoon with a guide from the cross-country center.
The ski area is a blending of the old and the new. The base lodge has the feel of an old time ski lodge with rustic décor and long picnic tables. The food service area is the older style cafeteria line, a somewhat daunting sight at lunchtime. However the half dozen or so employees working behind the counter were so efficient and quick that what seemed might take forever was actually a reasonable trip through the line.
A nice touch in the lodge was the Reading Room. Furnished with a couple of comfortable recliners it's a comfortable, and quiet retreat for a non-skiing member of the family. Base Camp, which operates all the children's programs, is housed in a separate building which also has its own food court.
After a hearty breakfast in the main lodge Saturday morning, everyone headed out to check out the mountain. A detachable quad speeds skiers to the summit of the main mountain. While the line appeared long, the chairs swallowed up skiers at a good clip. Those of us making use of the singles line found only a brief wait. The Tiger Chair, serving some of the more difficult and expert terrain, had little or no waiting most of the day Saturday. The weather was good, and conditions held up very well throughout the day. Although not crystal clear, the view from the summit was still awesome looking up the length of Lake Winnipesauke with its irregular shoreline and many islands.
Following a great day of skiing, the corporate meeting and the board meeting, our leader Martin Griff presided over what may be a record setting business meeting. Going through the agenda quickly to literally " beat the band" - a rather loud rock group was playing just outside our meeting room - while on their break, we attended to business and concluded the meeting in just 34 minutes. A slate of officers and board members was nominated and, another first, notification was emailed to the membership on the spot (thanks to new ESWA Executive Secretary Kim Jackson).
On Saturday night, we were treated to a fabulous dinner at the Lobster Pound at Weirs Beach. While most people reveled in the delights of twin lobsters, other excellent choices were available for the non-shellfish crowd. All reported a delicious meal. During dinner we heard a brief history of the restaurant from the new owner. Gunstock General Manager Greg Goddard welcomed us and Marketing Director Bill Quigley gave an informative presentation on the history of Gunstock. Breakfast on Sunday morning was followed by a professional development seminar and more skiing and riding.
Joan Wallen is a freelance writer based in New Hampshire. Before moving to the journalism side, she worked in marketing including serving as the PR manager for many years at Loon.
Gunstock cross-country trails add to resort's "complete" recreational area
By Bill Clapper
I was lulled into a sense of deep peace and calmness by the rhythmic movements of my arms and legs and the gentle swish-swish of my skis in the snow as I made my way along a trail in the woods adjacent to Gunstock Mountain Resort.
Rounding a turn, I was startled out of my reverie by a traffic jam on the trail ahead. There was a mom, attending to baby in a pulk that was harnessed to dad. I stopped next to them and asked if they needed help. "No, we're fine," said the woman. " It's just that he (the baby all bundled up in the belly of the pulk), doesn't like to be outdoors."
We exchanged pleasantries about the weather, and I went on my way as dad started to shuffle along pulling the pulk with its fussing passenger.
It was late on a Sunday morning, the last day of my stay at Gunstock and I was coasting along the cross-country trails feeling atone with nature. The sun was shining, the snow was perfect and I noted the early signs of the forest freeing itsel f from winter's frozen grip.
With 32 miles of trails used for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, Gunstock is truly a complete winter recreational area. "We have broad appeal," said Paul McNeil, manager of the Gunstock Cross-Country and Snowshoe Center. "A lot of people come to the mountain and don't downhill ski." The center offers an alternative to sitting in the lodge, said McNeil.
Indeed, there is no shortage of gear to get non-downhillers going. The center has about 200 sets of cross-country gear (skis, boots and poles) and about 60 pair of snowshoes, according to McNeil, which means there is always equipment available.
A number of schools use the trails at Gunstock for race training and events, but most of the time people are content to leisurely traverse the circuits. "There is a misconception out there that cross-country skiing is grueling and a real workout," said McNeil. On the contrary, "it can be a pleasant, quiet walk in the woods. People work all week in stress-filled jobs, and they are looking for a way to get some quiet time."
A nice feature of Gunstock is the interconnectedness of the Alpine and Nordic facilities. There are trails from the Nordic center that lead to the base lodge at the mountain. "It's great," said McNeil. "People can ski here and then ski over to the lodge and eat lunch with their family."
With so much to do and so much fun to be had, it's a wonder that people even stop for lunch when they are at Gunstock.
Bill Clapper, ESWA Second Vice President, is a freelance writer and former director of PR for SIA, Snowsports Industries America. He has written frequently about all aspects of the ski industry including business, resort, equipment and competition.
