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AUSBLICK Newsletter
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February 2012
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President's Message Bob Turowski It seems hard to believe we've reached mid-season already. Stranger yet is the realization that we've been skiing since December 18th. amid temperatures warm enough to green up our lawns at times. This season has presented its challenges, and yet Dennis, Wes and those behind the scenes have managed to open the club for skiing under weather trends we've not encountered in recent memory. There's a photo essay on our website ( http://www.ausblick.org ) capturing the essence of their pre-season efforts. Check it out, the photography is beautiful. The snow guns were running this past Friday and Saturday adding to the base and while at this point in the season we don't have the base of typical years, our ski runs are sufficiently covered enough to expect our season to continue well into March. And speaking of March, it's important to remind everyone that the Ski Patrol Carnival is scheduled for Sunday, March 4th. This is the only event dedicated to raising funds for the operation of the ski patrol at Ausblick. This year's theme is a "Retro" view of how things were years ago. More information is further within this e-mail. Please consider dropping by and showing your support. I'd like to remind everyone of a few housekeeping and safety items at this mid-season point: * Guests of members should be reminded in advance that we do not allow ski/snowboard equipment in the lodge. * During busy days within the lodge, offer to share table space if you observe someone looking for space. * Please cleanup your table space upon leaving the lodge for the day/evening. * Front office staff are the only ones authorized to tend the fireplaces. * Please be vigilant of children roasting marshmallows in the lodge fireplace. Safety is a concern using pointed objects, as is marshmallow dripping onto the new carpeting. In closing, I'll remind everyone that late February and March are exciting times at Ausblick. While it might appear the season is winding down as you look around your home, I encourage you to check our website and webcam to inquire about Ausblick's current conditions. You might be surprised! Our ski runs often afford great spring skiing early in the day, followed by sunny deck friendships throughout the afternoons. The next several weeks may just turn out some of the best memories of the season. And don't forget to say "Thanks" to Dennis, Wes and Ian before the close of season. They are the Team responsible for affording us the ability to ski during one of the most challenging seasons yet. Sincerely, Bob |
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General Manager's Message
Dennis Evinrude
Hello Friends,
In spite of what you might think about this season we are pleased with the amount of snow we have been able to make and the number of runs we have open. The weather caused us a 2 & ½ week delay in opening all runs. We had to spend a significant amount of funds on electricity but deemed it worth it as our job is to provide you with skiing/snowboarding if at all possible. This is not the first time we have seen this weather and it will likely not be the last. We continue to strive to make improvements that will enable us to endure a season like this. I am very happy with the response from the membership as to what we have to offer. You have been very supportive and understanding. Spring weather appears to be here early so I urge you to spend time with us now as you never know what is around the corner. Happy Skiing!!!
Sincerely,
Dennis
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Ski School's Message
Jim Polaski
It is not too late...
Ski School has been having a record turnout again this season and on track to set a new record for number of lessons taught for the 3rd year in a row. We have completed over 630 lessons in just 23 days of teaching so far this season.
While it has been hard to get reserved spots at times this season, we would just like to say THANK YOU for you cooperation and patience. We have had an unusual number of injuries and illnesses go through our staff. To date we have lost 10 instructors since the beginning of the season. I continue to hire new staff to meet our needs in the future and will do every thing I can to meet your lesson requests.
You should keep in mind that we are available for lessons Saturday and Sunday from 10am-3pm. However, the most popular times go quickly, so call ahead to avoid disappointment.
Those of you that have "pre-purchased" packages of lessons should call me soon to reserve times. Do not get caught by surprise with an early spring thaw. We intend to be available for lessons until the middle of March, but Mother Nature always has the upper hand. We may also find it necessary to not hold "afternoon" lessons late in the season due to overly soft snow conditions. We have found that this can become a safety issue for our little ones.
You can make an appointment by call the Ski School Office:
262-820-3616 (weekends between 10am-3pm)
OR During the week call: Jim's Cell:
414-254-9011 (days and evenings)
You can also email ANYTIME:
skischool@ausblick.org
website: www.ausblick.org/skischoolpage.htm
All of us in the ski school feel blessed to work with such a great group of members every weekend. We love what we do and want to deliver the very best lessons that we can. If there is ever anything we can do to better meet your needs, do not hesitate to let us know.
See you on the Snow !!!
JIM
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Ski Patrol's Message
Scott Livingston
Dear Members,
Ski Patrol has once again finished up all requirements associated with Outdoor Emergency Care, CPR and our On Hill (toboggan) refreshers. We certainly appreciate all your patience when loading and unloading the toboggans this past year and have come up with the solution to utilize the ATV's in the future to allow the lifts to run without stopping on a regular basis. We have 3 new patrollers David Skaggs, Scott Robertson, and Ted Skelton who since July have been attending classes every Wednesday night since Mid-July to accomplish all the National Ski Patrol requirements. It is a very large time commitment and the three of them passed with flying colors. We are grateful for all the safe skiing going on out on the hill and it is nice to see so many people wearing helmets.
Our Winter Carnival has been moved back this year to March 4th with the anticipation of great weather.
This year's theme is "Retro Party" bring your favorite old clothing and dress up for the costume contest. For safe skiing all around, we request that old equipment be left at home for safety concerns.
If anyone is interested in joining the Ausblick Ski Patrol please see any patroller for an application located in the patrol room.
Enjoy the fine skiing we have going and hope it continues for awhile.
Sincerely,
Scott
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Social's Message
Julie Lawrence
Socially Speaking...
Even though Mother Nature has not been on our side this winter, we still have enjoyed some great social gatherings at Ausblick this year!!
But we're not done yet...please DO NOT miss out on the
LAST Ladies Day & Men's Day of the season.
Ladies Day is February 22 & the deadline to sign up is February 18th.
Men's Day is March 8th & the deadline to sign up is March 3rd.
Please understand that there is no exception to these deadlines as we must give the caterers their final counts. We can't stress enough how important it is to get your registrations in before the deadline!
Who cares what the weather forecast says......
Let's all say "good-bye" to the ski season together...enjoying the wonderful ski conditions with great food & cheer with our ski friends!
Sincerely,
Julie
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Web Chairman's Message
Jim Stein
Members and web visitors,
You ought to be enjoying our frequent picture updates. I have to assume "no news is good news" (Does that mean "all news is bad news"?)
I am preparing a History page update, long in the planning. Still to arrive is a contribution from a ski patrol member's dad who was a member in 1970, Bruce Robertson. What it is will dictate how the page is rearranged. I hope I am piquing your interest.
Sincerely,
Jim
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Race Team's Message John Siepmann
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL WJR ATHLETES IN WINNING THE WJR TITLE
WJR CHAMPIONS 12 OF THE LAST 13 YEARS!
A special thanks to Dennis Evinrude, his staff and all the parent volunteers who helped make the final WJR Race at Ausblick a huge success.
Good luck to all the High School athletes competing at the state meet in Lacrosse February 19-20. Ausblick athletes in the past have dominated this event and this year our athletes are looking to do it again.
The USSA age class championships will be held in Marquette on February 23-25. We wish all of our J-3 and J-4 athletes good luck qualifying for the Junior Championships to be held at Vail, CO (J3) and Steamboat Springs, CO (J-4).
The Ausblick Race Team FIS athletes will be traveling to Lacrosse, WI February 25-26th to compete in the Nagy Memorial. This year top athletes from around the country will be competing against our racers. We wish them all the best taking on Damnation!
If you would like to follow our athletes at any of these races go to www.livetiming.com
Sincerely,
John
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Long Range Planning's Message
Jim Polaski
It has been a while since we have updated you on our Long Range Plan Status. While I do not have a great deal to report at this time, I do have some exciting news to share.
This season we hope you noticed a few changes out on the hill. The Handle Tow and Learning Slope were fully operational. The other change is the area at the bottom of Devils Delight and the way you exit that run. Hopefully you are all enjoying the ability to continue straight out of the slope and hold your speed up.
Our Snow Making and Grooming team has been defying nature and has maintained outstanding conditions in the warmest winter in club history. They have also built and maintained several new terrain features scattered across the entire property. We hope to continue offering these opportunities for excitement and keep them changing throughout the year. The initial feedback from you all has been great. Please be sure to share your feelings or suggestions.
Plans for this coming "off season" have already begun and we hope to complete the next phase of our Master Grading Plan. This will involve the removal of the rope tow (temporarily), moving dirt on the area between the Maintenance Facility and Lower Bunny Run and from the Lodge to the Top of Lower Bunny. The goal of this Dirt project is to eliminate the current double fall line and provide a consistent slope. It will also allow us to open this entire area to skiing and riding, thus eliminating the often dangerous crowding that takes place on Lower Bunny Run.
We will also turn the Handle Tow around so that it runs UP the hill and will double it's length. This will provide a more reliable learning area for the beginners and very little ones. We are also researching the "possibility" of retrofitting our chairlift to allow for the speed to be reduced at times. It is unclear if this is actually possible, but how great would that be?
Once the dirt project is completed, we plan to begin the process1st phase of building our new underground pipeline for the Snow Making System. The entire project will take several years. In the meantime, we are researching the options for using this new pipe and the associated snow guns in combination with our existing snow system. While this is a short term solution and will put a high demand on our 40 year old system, we feel this will allow us to open more terrain to the members in a shorter time frame.
This year was a very loud reminder that we must continue to improve our snow making capabilities and replace worn out component of the current system. The old system is getting the job done, but, it was pushed beyond it's capacity this season and is not a viable option for the future long term.
We will keep you posted as these plans take shape. If you ever have any comments or questions regarding this committee, feel free to let us know.
Sincerely,
Jim
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COMING EVENTS:
Ladies Day is Feb 22 / Deadline to sign up is Feb 18
Ski Patrol Carnival is March 4
Men's Day is March 8 / Deadline to sign up is March 3
For all details visit:
www.ausblick.org
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