Welcome to the latest edition of the SMC/Manganui e-newsletter.
Contrary to how I reported it was all over here, We managed to get going again in October! We got that dump we were hoping, two weekends in sucession giving us plenty of snow to ramp up the operation again. From Wednesday 7th-8th, and Sunday the 11th, we were all go again. Great spring skiing and warm conditions made for sticky snow in places. 5 months after our May 13 opening, we were skiing up here again, with the full field accessable and lots of snow around.
what we like to see and what we got twice - big H over Tasmania brings the southerly snow our way.
Ruapehu is still delivering for the NZ ski experience - they operate limited facilities (upper mountain) at Turoa till Nov 8th - and then that is it for 2009.
In this issue...
GOINGS ON' Around the Manganui Ski Area - Safety Services Coordinator end of season report, more funding secured for Warwick Brown building re-roof/re-clad project, Sunday 11th October pics, Manganui Lodge tidyness, SMC AGM date set...
JUNIOR SKI RACING AND TRAINING - SMC Jnr racing summary, North Island Primary & Intermediate Schools Champs - teams & boys GS results...
4 Mustang Dve Bell Block New Plymouth phone and fax (06)755 0005
The Nagel family on the walk to the ski area, Sunday 11 October
taking the board off to head to the top tow, Sunday 11 October
GOINGS ON’ Around the Manganui Ski Area
Wednesday 7th October
Safety Services Coordinator end of season report
Well, here I am in the U.S., and it's snowing in New Zealand and in Montana simultaneously! I knew as soon as I left Manganui it would snow, and the curse has held true! Foiled again! Ahh well. Folks have been skiing in Montana already, but the only skiing I have been doing so far has been water skiing on the lake that my in laws live on in Wisconsin; when in Rome, as they say. I am looking forward to another North American winter in earnest and will start working again at Moonlight Basin mid-November this season with opening day scheduled for December 11th.
I had a great time at Manganui this season, and I thank everybody for all of their help and friendship they provided throughout the season. Although it was a lower snow season many great days were had by everybody, and I learned a lot from Manganui in regards to my own professional growth in the industry. I have to say that I am very impressed with the history and organization of the club, and I really think the future is very bright for the area as a whole with a lot of keen skiers and snowboarders putting a lot of time and dedication to the hill.
I hope everybody enjoys their summer, and stays safe and healthy for winter 2010. I'll try and send some pictures from Moonlight this season, and please drop me a line if you get a chance: bradcarp@aol.com
See ya soon.
Brad Carpenter More funding secured for Warwick Brown building re-roof/re-clad project
TSB Community Trust is the latest to grant SMC $20,000 for part of our Warwick Brown building refurbishment (the Warwick Brown houses Ski Area Operations/Accident / Treatment/Maintenance/Storage). Combined with that from Taranaki Electricity Trust, this gets us underway, and it is our intention to get this kicked off as a major working bees activity for this summer.
We'll keep you posted on how this develops over the next 2 months.
SMC thanks TSB Community Trust and Taranaki Electricity Trust for their contribution for this important refurbishment/upgrade project.
Sunday 11th October pics
T-bar
Top of T-bar
Manganui Lodge tidyness
This season we have had an on-going problem with the condition the Lodge has been left in, after overnight stays, and day trips. We ask all users to please tidy up after themselves and keep the Lodge in good condition. This means doing all your dishes, tidying up rubbish, taking rubbish off the mountain with you, and generally respecting our wish to keep it clean and tidy. The vacuum cleaner is available, mops and all cleaning products are in the kitchen. We will be adding a duties roster board for overnight stays, to ensure the lodge is kept in tidy clean condition. We don't have cleaners in after a busy day, so every bit helps from members, their children, and their guests. We are attempting to get the Lodge Duties culture back again (as all mountain lodges in this country have), and ask all members to change their habits for the benefit of all. Every bit helps keep our Lodge in a constant enjoyable state! Lets make an effort to keep out lodge tidy for summer, next season and beyond. Enough said!
SMC Annual General meeting
Our AGM is on Monday 7th December at the FITZROY SURF CLUB, BEACH ST, New Plymouth at 7:30pm. The Bar will open before and afterwards. All welcome.
AGENDA Welcome/Apologies Confirmation of 2008 AGM Minutes Presentation of the Annual Report / Financial Statement Election of Officers Election of: Honorary Surgeons, Auditor, and Honorary Solicitor General Business Subs/Season pass rates Season Pass - working bee qualifier
The following positions are up this year and nominations are invited for: - Vice President Secretary Treasurer Upper Lifts Marketing/Newsletter/IT Buildings & Maintenance Events/Social (vacant)
A nomination declaration will be included in the mailout newsletter, to be completed if you are interested in standing for any of the vacant committee positions. Nominations close on November 23rd.
Remember that you can now access the Snow.co reports on the go - just punch in snowco.mobi on any WAP capable handset and access both the cameras and full reports on your mobile.
JUNIOR SKI RACING AND TRAINING
Truman Edwards in action [right], about to accelerate and win this dual slalom in the senior boys division, NI P&IS
Truman Edwards was the only registered racer skiing for SMC this season. As a novice K1 and with no gate training his best placing was a 6th in a National Points GS at Turoa in August. His focus was the Youth National Championship SG GS SL, scheduled for the first week of the Sept/Oct school holidays on Turoa's Branchline. The event was abandoned on Thursday morning having had no racing only to have the inevitable great Friday morning follow. There was a strong South Island representation and even an Australian team ready to race at 7: 00 am every morning but only experiencing our often difficult weather.
North Island Primary & Intermediate Schools Champs 25 September 09 - teams results
INTERMEDIATE TEAMS
1. National Park 1 Int 89 2. ACG Parnell Col Titoki Int 88 3. Sacred Heart Colge Blue Int 86 15. FD Memorial College A Int 16 57
SENIOR PRIMARY, Yr 1-8
1. Kristin 1 Sen 94 2. Kings School A Sen 89 3. Kristin 2 Sen 88 7. Oakura Primary Sen 73 10. FDMC Combined Sen 70
JUNIOR BOYS GIANT SLALOM
SURNAME FIRST NAME SCHOOL / TEAM Time Points 1 Rich Jackson Plimmerton School White 18.82 20 2 Jones Gardner Jes Upper Harbour Primary 19.16 20 3 Mines Seb Ponsonby Primary Blue 19.35 20 9 White Angus Oakura Primary 21.5 19 50 Edwards Noah Oakura Primary 27.72 12
SENIOR BOYS GIANT SLALOM
1 Barry Conrad Kristin 1 21.69 20 2 Gavigan Faolan ACG Parnell College Titoki 22.25 20 3 Staub Ben Auckland Normal Int 1 22.51 20 23 Binsbergen Finnley Francis Douglas Combined 25.28 17 28 Edwards Truman Francis Douglas Combined 25.74 17 39 Looker Riley Francis Douglas A 26.54 15 46 Hareb Cole Francis Douglas Combined 26.93 14 54 Vickers Lao Francis Douglas A 27.5 13 57 Earp Jack Francis Douglas A 27.69 12 64 MacKinnon Saxon Oakura Primary 28.07 11 86 Jager Phillip Francis Douglas Combined 29.72 8 89 Hawken Ryan Hawera Intermediate 29.91 8 101 Plank Harrison Francis Douglas A - BALLOT 31.59 6 108 Butler Mather Isa Francis Douglas A 32.19 5
SMC PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Well it certainty has as been an interesting ski season. Great start, a little lean in the middle and a whammy finish which I might add I missed out on. We have just finished our last committee meeting for the year and I am really grateful and privileged to be part of a really dedicated team that does it best to make things happen on the mountain. The A.G.M. date has been set, so put aside the 7th of December at the Fitzroy Surf Club, 7.30 start. We have a couple of issues we would like to table so your input would be appreciated. There will be a small change within the committee. Chris Burr has deserved a well earned rest and there is a whisper going around that a fine young man by the name of Gerald could be interested. I would like to pay a special tribute to Chris, and thank him for all the work and passion he has dedicated to the Stratford Mountain Club to keep things going over the past few sessions. Brad our paid mountain services manager headed back home a few weeks ago. We would love to see him return and continue the great job he did over the season. On that note many thanks to the many people who made things turn prior and during the season, so many names to mention. The club has a busy summer ahead of us, with some major work to be carried out on the Warwick Brown building. And the Tee bar towers need some T.L.C. So strap on the buildings gear, we really need your help over these warm days to be able to ski the winter months of 2010. The club would also like to pay respect to Brett Manning who passed away on the 15th of September. Brett was a past committee member with his name etched in the concrete floor of the top tow building. He will be missed and at times it won’t be the same in the top tow shed. Well the wine glass is empty and its time for bed. Don’t forget the A.G.M. on the 7th hope to see you there.
Regards Kevin Rowlands
WHAT THE SMC COMMITTEE IS UP TO
The SMC committee has a number of projects on the go. These include…
Warwick Brown building re-roof/re-clad project - consents process.
Top Tow maintanance - on going.
Field and Access track clean up.
Working bees tasks identify - we have lots of work this summer
Harris Mountains Heliski just in case you consider heliskiing, and can afford it!
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The Sahalie Ski Club is a non-profit organization, located on a hill just north of I-90, at the crest of Snoqualmie Pass, Washington State USA. Our spacious 4-story, 14,500 square foot ski lodge sleeps up to 180 people, and is situated on 80 acres of skiable terrain. A rope tow serves our private, night-lit ski hill. Four well-groomed commercial ski areas surround us. The free Snoqualmie Pass shuttle bus stops in front of the lodge in our parking area. Sahalie is a family ski club and several three-generation groups are to be found among the membership. Sahalie parents often teach their children to ski on our hill at the tender age of two or three. Our talented teenage snow-shredders are the terror of the Snoqualmie Pass ski areas, and several have gone on to be contenders for the US Olympic Team and other high honors.
extract from Sahalie Sentinel - Issue 2 (2009-2010), Sept 2009
Sister Ski Club in New Zealand?
In August two Sahalie members visited a now “sister” ski club on the North Island of New Zealand. Steve Lepper, of Lepperton New Zealand, along with Carson and Chris Rathe are shown here visiting the Manganui Ski Area. Sahalie’s new “sister” ski club, the Stratford Mountain Club (SMC) and their Manganui Lodge. This is true ski-in ski-out ccommodation!! Rebuilt in 2004 (after a fire destroyed the old lodge in 2002) it is spacious, comfortable and warm. Perfect for families. This lodge is a 20 minute walk from the Plateau car park, similar to the “old days” at Sahalie. Manganui Lodge and the Mangunui Ski Area are run by the SMC the offers ‘Club Field’ modern style accommodation for up to 33 people, with shared living areas. More information including a webcam of their mountain can be viewed here: http://www.skitaranaki.co.nz/Snow+Report/default.aspx Another webpage shows the ski area with a full covering of snow, something we were too late in the season to see on our trip in late August, along with elevation statistics for the mountain: http://snow.co.nz/manganui/
Steve and Rose Lepper, here standing in front of the Stratford Mountain Club (SMC) and their Manganui Lodge. The Lepper’s were first introduced into the Sahalie ‘family’ by Rich& Janet, Tom & Lee, Cameron & Karen and Karen & Gary during a Canadian Ski trip to Big White a few years ago. With their dairy farm interests, and Cameron’s work with PriTest for testing dairy and beef cattle for tuberculosis, a long-term relationship has ensued. They ask that anyone from the extended Sahalie Ski Club ‘family’ to be sure to consider visiting them up on any trip to the North Island of New Zealand. They can be reached by email at: Steve Lepper leps@xtra.co.nz
Mt Taranaki in the Egmont National Park on with Western side of the North Island of New Zealand, with close proximity to New Plymouth, surrounding on three sides by the Surf Highway, a 100 km of west coast surf line from New Plymouth to Hawera, around the Taranaki Bight. You can be skiing in the morning and surfing in the afternoon in this particular New Zealand location. This area is a four to five hour drive from either of New Zealand’s two largest cities, Auckland or the Capital, Wellington.
If you would like to post a classified advert (buy/sell gear etc), please post it on the SMC 'Garage Sale' page of our website.
We now have a link from the Taranaki Daily News online website homepage direct to our Manganui Ski Area snow report/webcam page. Thanks to
PHOTO OF THE ISSUE
The view from the Manganui Gorge, on the ski area side, Sunday 11 October
5 Day Snow Forecast
