Issue 16 A Periodic Bulletin of Ski Club Hochgebirge February 21, 2023
Welcome
Like the phoenix, rising from the ashes, the Hochie Hearsay is back. We hope you enjoy this issue #16. The last Issue #15 published was back in 2015! The executive committee is hoping to publish 2-3 issues per year. We are always looking for content, member news, ski history, ski racing, photos so please:
Brad Trafford 1935 (m 1933)
Greg Anthony on Zoomer Chair 2022 (m 1995)
L-R Hans Huber (m 2001), Krystian Macek (m 2022), Ben Anthony (m 2022), Anton and Sarah Macek
2023 Calendar
01/21/23 85th Hochgebirge Challenge Cup Race
03/10-12/23 NESM Annual Hannes Schneider Event
02/25/23 SCH hosts FSC members at the Hilton (open house) 5:00PM-7:00PM All SCH members invited, come meet our sister club members!
05/??/23 Spring Work Weekend day to be determined
TBD Fall Work Weekend
12/05/23 Annual Meeting and Dinner
Too Much Snow… crushes fence…Bob Thomas’s excellent adventure
New Members Enjoying the Hilton
Krystian Macek (m 2022), wife Sarah, children Anton and Scarlett have been making the most of the Hochie Hilton during numerous weekends in January. Despite the lack of snow! To quote Sarah, "the kids just said they love it here!" By the way Krystian has stepped to the plate and is now assisting on the house committee under Hans Huber's tutelage.
Icing on the cake, Krystian w/daughter Scarlett & son Anton
John Jr. John 3rd & Bonnie Van Slyke
Brad Trafford
By Abigail Trafford
The education of a Hochie daughter would begin the day before as a thickening gray would darken the sky with the promise of snow and as a little girl’s heart raced—because if it snowed and tomorrow were Saturday, the whole day would be spend skiing with Daddy. Something wild and wonderful was about to happen.
Or, maybe it was something wild and wonderful about my father. He was a “total skier”—a Stem-Like-Hell racer and a member of the Tenth Mountain Division. And, of the few stories he would tell about the war when he was a lieutenant in the “Fighting Ninth” infantry division on the long march across Europe, was one he liked to recall of the time he went behind enemy lines and accomplished a critical mission ………………... Read More
submitted by Bonnie Van Slyke
Ground hog day has a special meaning. On that day in 1992……..
President’s Message
Welcome back to the Hochie Hearsay! The Hearsay was our “hard copy” club newsletter when I was president the first time, and we are relaunching it in digital edition to share information about the club, club members, the Hilton, ski history, and any other topics that are contributed! ……….Read More
Outfoxing COVID and Now Inflation
SCH Treasurer’s Report
Fortunately for fellow Hochies inflation does not eat away slope coverage like fog, but it sure can raise havoc with our annual budget…………
85th Running of the Hochgebirge Challenge January 21, 2023
The day dawned gray and warm. Our Honorary Hochgebirge Race Director Derek Griggs was up early to help set the slalom course on Gary's at Cannon. The Mittersill Taft giant slalom course was closed for lack of snow…
SCH offers New Racing Membership
HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN GOING DOWNHILL FAST?
Ski Club Hochgebirge (91 years of going downhill fast!) is excited to announce a new membership category designed specifically for rebuilding our dwindling race membership! Introducing our new Racing Membership.
What do you get?
Member rate lodging at the fabulous Hochie Hilton on the weekend of the SCH Challenge Cup race (only$25/night and a short drive to Cannon and all of Franconia/Lincoln/Littleton)
Member rate lodging and full use of the house and facilities during the off-season (May – Nov.)
Welcome to participate and all club activities, including annual dinner.
What do you give?
$100 membership fee
Required to Race for Ski Club Hochgebirge at the Challenge Cup race
Must be registered with USSA for the season
Know a racer who wants to become part of making ski history? Recruit them!
Hochie Hilton News
Hans Huber has come out of retirement for a return engagement as House Committee Chairman. Hans pictured above (left) with new House Committee member, Krystian Macek (center). Hans replaces Geoff Garth who has done a wonderful job the past few years.......Many thanks for your service Geoff. Chef Geoff, we'll miss those fine meals you cooked up at the work weekends!
Please contact Hans regarding the Hilton: hbrhnsp@gmail.com
“Thunderbird Released” Ben Anthony (m. 2022) flies down Alta in 2015
Hochie Hilton Wish List
Downsizing? Think of Ski Club Hochgebirge
Sofa & loveseat for the study
Upholster chairs for bedrooms and study
End tables
Lamps
Pots, pans, utensils and silverware
Drip coffee maker
Contact: Hans Huber
Hochgebirge Wish List
Sponsorship for the Hochie Hearsay, Ski Club Hochgebirge.org website and the challenge cup race
Content of any sort related to our Membership, Ski racing, Ski history, Photos, etc.
Donations to "The Trophy Fund". the money to be used to engrave our trophies which have not been updated in 3 years!
New Members-nominate like minded individuals to join us. Go to our new Nomination Form for New Members & Seconds for New Member Form
Contact: Greg Anthony
What To Do When New England Sucks?
Head west where any fool knows the skiing’s best!
Returning from a late January trip to Alta/Snowbird, Snowbasin and Powder Mountain, Bob Thomas reports that there is no shortage of snow in Utah.
The Alta/Snowbird segment, which included daughter Nonie Thomas, fellow Hochies Steve Masur and Kim Sceili, Charlie Ford, Patrick Driscoll, Willy Fox and Keith Boivin, and another 25 or so assorted friends and family, featured so much snow that it crushed the fence into the #2 hot tub at the Peruvian. At the time of their visit, almost 40 feet of snow…..Read On
SCH Members Patrick Driscoll (m 2019) and Keith Boivin (m2016)at the Peruvian Lodge, Alta, Utah 2023
New Gatekeepers Bonnie & John Van Slyke Jr. report:
Ground hog day has a special meaning. On that day in 1992, my son first beat me fair and square in alpine ski racing; 3 out of 5 timed training runs in GS at Waterville Valley. [Never mind that I had on my 223 downhill skis.] He got me by over a second on each of the 3 runs. On the other 2, I blew him away by around 2/10s on the other two. Since then, I have only seen the tails of his skis and ski boots receding over the horizon. He went on in ski racing at Holderness School, the USSA Junior Olympics with Bode, FIS Eastern Cup, UNH men's D-I alpine team, Brown University ski team, 4 years of coaching and on and on. All going back to that single glorious afternoon when a kid who had worked hard at his craft finally got his old man.
Oh. Then there is the you-know-what-eating grins of Forgan McIntosh and the Tom Barbeau, legendary head coach at the Waterville Valley BBTS.
Hochie Hearsay (Past Editions)