Why Ski Clubs for Occasional Skiers?

WHY SKI CLUBS FOR OCCASIONAL SKIERS??

Chapter I

When I was first introduced to skiing back in the 60's et al...

by " The Well-Seasoned Skier"

My first encounter with downhill skiing began at a Ski Club in North Woodstock, New Hampshire. It was a beautiful day in the mountains and being the adventuresome soul that I was, I could hardly wait to get up there..There being Cannon Mountain (definitely not for the faint of heart) in Famous Franconia Notch in New Hampshire's Mount Washington Valley.

I had made some new friends at work and they had encouraged me many times to come up to try downhill. Being really clever, I bought a pair of skis from another "friend" who sold me a pair of used 7'6" wooden monsters that were intended for ski jumping –long thongs and all!

One of the neat things about the ski club experience is car-pooling Since we were all working for a living or students, it was great for comraderie as well as cheap. We all chipped in for gas and the driver got a sandwich, too!

Those were the days when men were men and we used steel knuckle – killers, called ski roof racks. When the guys (and girls) picked me up, there was some buzz about my skis but nothing other than " are you a racer?" which I took as a complement because of my obvious athletic prowess. YIKES!! If I had only known what was coming!!

The four hour ride up was actually great fun and we sang drinking songs when we weren't sleeping. We were all quite chummy and mellow by the time we got to the ski "lodge" in North Woodstock about 11:00PM on a Friday Night. The club was a converted Boys school with three floors. The first floor was for parties and cooking with a huge fireplace, dance- floor, and bar.

I was very pleasantly surprised to find a group already congregating around the bar and fireplace -- a friendlier and happier group you couldn't ask for(gr). I was welcomed like a long lost friend and had a cold beer in my hands even before the introductions were finished. Great way to begin the weekend...Yaay!

The gang commented "we are always there at the mountain for the first lift of the day"... not knowing what they were referring to I said ..."Oh yeah...Count me in!!" After a couple beers I was escorted upstairs by the guys to the men's floor. Yes! ..the second floor was for men only and NO men were allowed on the women's third floor. (talk about rules..hmm?) The rooms were dormitory style with 2 double bunk beds in each room. The club could sleep roughly 50 people – so-- on an average weekend, you might have a room just to yourself! Party Weekends, which are set aside as something special, usually meant a good crowd. The rooms were Spartan but clean, and the men's bathroom could easily handle four guys at a time for shower and shave.

It seemed as though my head had just hit the pillow when the club 's alarm clock, also known as Joe O'Connor, marched up and down the men's floor alerting the guys that if we were going to be the first on the lift -- up and at'em!! . I had this sinking feeling that I was back in boot camp.

Breakfast was great –bacon, eggs, and pancakes and all you could eat for two bucks!

The Ski club experience was definitely growing on me. The gang welcomed me like a brother and it was upward and onward !

Coming Soon Chapter II-- My First Day on Cannon Mountain (gulp!!)