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3.ZeVan, Cont’d from page 1.Aspen and to meet and ski with Stein. Itwas a two day trip that morphed intofour because of bad weather. Stein hada bad cold while we were there, thusmy first meeting with him involved aphoto op, some grins and goodbye.When I moved to be on television in the Twin Cities, I continueddoing my ski program in addition to theweather. One of my guests on the showin 1970 was a fellow named Don Urbanwho owned the Minneapolis Ski Showat that time, and for man y years afterward. He told me I could have as manyof his star skiers on my program whowere participating in his vendor-heavyshow. One of them was Stein. Heremembered our time at Snowmass andthat resurrected an almost 50-yearfriendship.Over the years we kept in touch, alot. He once told listeners to my skiprogram on WJR in Detroit (where Ihad moved in 1978) that I had donemore for the ski industry than any othermedia person he could name. That wasquite an honor, coming from him.Stein had a strong Detroit connection, as it was a former DetroitStudebaker dealer name EverettKircher who bought and developedBoyne Mountain and enticed Stein tocome to the U.S. shortly after Stein’sOlympic victories. In addtion to offering the Director of Skiing position atBoyne, Kircher also offered him a freeStudebaker. Stein told me that car offerwas the clincher, and he moved to theU.S.After Stein’s years atSnowmass, he eventually was tapped tobecome Director of Skiing at DeerValley, Utah. Two years before DeerValley opened, Stein invited me to testthe runs there, being transported to thetop of the mountain on a snow-cat.Deer Valley used a pre-opening publicity shot of me raising my hands in theair with a thumbs-up on the back of thesnow-cat. That photo was on pre-opening postcards sent to potential visitorsto the new area. We repeated that thenext year, one year before Deer ValleyEQUIPMENTopened. One morning, he and I went tothe top of the mountain alone and heskied through deep powder in front ofme. Like playing tennis with a bettertennis player improves one’s game,Stein had me skiing almost like himwhen I followed him down the mountain. He knew I’d never skied deeppowder well, or at all, and when wepaused to get our breath, he asked,“What is this crap about not being ableto ski deep powder? What IS it? See,you DID it!” He then skied off at about70 miles an hour down the hill and Ijust stood there petrified because Iknew I couldn’t replicate what he’d justhad me experience a few minutes earlier. I eventually made it down theremainder of the mountain but I’llnever forget that unique time with theworld’s great skier as my tutor.I was Stein’s guest at theopening and later stayed, as his guest,at his Stein Eriksen Lodge. I’ve beenone very lucky boy.Stein spent his summers at aranch he owned near Ennis, Montana.We often talked on the phone, not onlythere, but also in Deer Valley. Aboutfour years ago, very sadly, nice personhe was, he tried to avoid hitting a littlegirl on one of Deer Valley’s runs andwas seriously injured enough that hecould ski no more. When Stein passedaway last year the ski world lost itsmost wonderful role model and I definitely feel a void in MY life, too. I hopethe Elan Vital’s visitors to Norway willbe able to find and visit Stein’s birthplace this June. I’ve written about Steinand other ski experiences in my book,Barry ZeVan – My Life Among TheGiants, A Memoir, and subtitled Thankyou, Jerry Stiller for urging me towrite this book (which he did). It’savailable on Amazon with half the salesproceeds going to a different charityeach month.Barry ZeVanEditor’s note: You can reachBarry at bnz1@aol.com. He welcomesideas for future columns and is available as a speaker at club functions.ELAN VITAL InformationContact Carol DeVore - 320-217-2583ORsnowfoolin@outlook.comAsk us. We’ve been there.XC SKIS (CLASSIC-SKATE-TELEMARK),ACCESSORIES, CLOTHING, SERVICE612-339-3433Weekdays til 9, Sat. 10-6309 Cedar Ave. S., Mpls.Park free across the street or behind storeTHIS SPACE AVAILABLE 100 per yearCan change every issueContact:Alice at 651-429-6606or 612-221-8424aliceskier@comcast.net0LGZHVW 5HWDLOHU RI WKH HDU 6NLLQJ )LVKLQJ XQWLQJ &DPSLQJ6KRS RQOLQH DW MRHVVNLVKRS FRP JLYH XV D FDOO DW RU VWRS E\ (DVW &RXQW\ 5RDG % 6W 3DXO 01 WHITEFISH MOUNTAIN RESORTRanked Number 9 Best ResortYou have the opportunity toexperience some of thebest skiing of your liveswith 3000 acres of snow fields withhelicopter and Snow Cat skiing as well.Ranked No. 9 Best Resort Overall bySKI Magazine Readers. Whitefish isknown for consistent snowfalls inMarch of 5”-8” as opposed to infrequent huge dumps of snow.Terrain includes 3,000acres, & 105 trails withHellfire as longest run (3.3miles). Elevation is easy onyou with a 6,817’ summit.Two or three bedroomCondos are available on the hill.Whitefish is known for its hospitalityand reasonable prices. As a bonus therewill be an optional ski trip to Fernie inBritish Columbia for those who want totravel to Canada.magine rolling out of the historic St Paul Union Depot fromyour sleeping compartmentmade up for you by the car attendant.We depart at 10pm on March 3. In themorning the attendant makes up yourbed into a seating compartment whileyou enjoy breakfast in the dining car.Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner areincluded with sleeping compartments.Restrooms and shower rooms are justIsteps away. If you chose the less expensive coach option, you have a recliningseat with electrical outlets and restroomsteps away. Remember the seats arelike first class size in a plane and thereare no middle seats. Coach or sleeperyou could chose to stay up all night inthe Sightseer Lounge that never closeswith friends or meet new people.Arriving in Whitefish about8pm we will make a shortride to stop for groceries andalcohol. Then a 15 minuteride to our condos. We willfly back on Delta on March11th. We also have a landonly price for the low low cost of 749if you would like to fly both ways.e sincerely hope youwill join the 36 peoplewho have signed up byDecember 20th- we have room for 4more skiers. The first class nostalgia ofa train ride with friends outbound,World class skiing, possible visit to ourNorthern neighbors, and a jet flight fora quick return can be yours. Our contact info is in our ad in the Sportster please don’t hesitate to email or call uswith any questions you have.erry RatliffWJULLR SKI, BIKE & SOCIAL CLUBWhat is ULLR Ski, Bike andSocial Club? ULLR is more than aski club! We offer year-round activitiessuch as hiking, bicycling, and socialevents, as well as downhill & crosscountry skiing and snowshoeing.The ULLR Ski, Bike & SocialClub was founded in 1950 with“downhill skiing” being the primary focus. Today our club offersa variety of activities for singlesand couples. These events includewestern ski trips, cross-country &downhill ski weekends and day trips,social events, golf outings, day andweekend bike trips, and many activitiesjust for the singles in our club. Ourmembership numbers around 300 andthe age range is 50 and up.Our first snowshoe gathering started in December and continues throughthe winter. If not enough snow, we willhike. Wednesday weekly skiing atWelch Village is ongoing all winter. Inaddition, we will be skiing at AftonAlps. From January 31 to February 2 atrip is planned for Granite Peak inWausau, WI. Our western trip will be toPark City February 26 to March 4.Hiking will begin again inearnest in April. And then we willsoon be on our bikes. The annualfour-day trip to Nisswa is thebeginning of June and is a greatway to start off the summer.In between these physical outdooractivities, card parties, social/culturalevents, and dining out happeningsoccur. Find out more at www.ullr.orgor come to our monthly meetings at theKC Hall, 1114 American Blvd. W inBloomington. The next one is ThursdayJanuary 19th.Sandra Shearer3M Ski, Snowboard & Social Club - Silvia Fousters sfousters@mmm.comElan Vital Ski & Social Club - Alice Williamson - 651-429-6606Four Seasons Adventure Club - Joe Senden - sendjhs@aol.comHiawatha Bicycling Club - Bob Bowen - president@hbcmail.orgNorth Star Ski Touring Club - Lee Wenzel - president@north-stars.orgRed Eye Ski & Snowboard Club - Brad Linn president@redeyeskiclub.orgSitzmark Ski & Social Club - Julie Bromleypresident@sitzmarkmn.orgSki Hawks Sports & Social Club - Gayle Maroney - nnws@att.netSlope Slurpers Ski Club - Tony Swerman - ssmusicman@charter.netSnofuls Ski Club - Tom Kolhoff - 763-428-8149Traverski Ski, Sport & Social Club - Terri Bonnertlbevergreen@yahoo.comTuesday Wipe-outs - Judi Peterson - 715-377-5674Ullr Ski, Bike & Social Club - Jim Habeck - ullrprez@ullr.orgYodelers Ski Club - Mike Holland - mjhollandski@gmail.com

4.SKI LUTSEN MOUNTAINSSOLBAKKEN RESORT on SUPERIORCabins, Suites & Roomson Lake SuperiorFree shuttles to Lutsen Mountains-4 miles57 km XC out our doorMid-America’s olbakkenresort.comWISCONSINTHIS SPACE AVAILABLE 100 per yearCan change every issue“Mountain Skiing inthe Heart of Wisconsin”700 ft. mountain - 74 runs715-845-2846Lift & Lodging Specialswww.SkiGranitePeak.comContact:Alice at 651-429-6606or 612-221-8424aliceskier@comcast.net2016 WINTER CARNIVAL RECAPMany of the “usual suspects” madethe scene at the Winter Carnival atGiant’s Ridge in mid-December.Although the weather leading up to theweekend was unseasonably warm, wehad plenty of snow on two runs and agood time was had by all participants.Because the Giants Ridge staffsaid they would prefer that we hold thewine and cheese party somewhere elsethan on the main slope becauseof limited space, we decided tohave the wine and cheese partyand the turtle races right outside the Giants Ridge Lodge.As it turned out, it was a perfect spotbecause there was a fire pit right outside the large great-room.The turtle race course was 100 feetaway and was a perfect venue:4 inches of snow over a 50 footsloped runway was a perfect track forthe races. 2016 was the best turnout yetfor the races with almost 40 peoplecompeting. Winner of the turtle men’sdivision races was Greg Parker, and theWoman’s race winner was GayleWhiting. Winners of the couples’ racewere Brad Rosenberger and Gail W.also who barely held on for the winbecause Brad was a Turtle Maniac! Asit turned out, all the winners were fromthe Ski Hawks Ski Club, so the otherclubs need to step up next year!Congratulations also to the winners ofthe T-Shirt Contest, featuring BryanStadtler as grand champion.Results of the bus surveys is alwaysone of the most important activity of theweekend: 99% of the respondents saidthat the trip either met or exceeded theirexpectations. 59% said they wanted toreturn to Giants Ridge. 17% said theywanted to go to Indianhead and 9% saidthey would go to Indianhead if theyoffered one other nearby resort. 15%said that Lutsen would be their firstchoice. The question was askedwhether you would like to movethe Winter Carnival one weeklater to the weekend closer toChristmas. The majority saidno, and because of the extra expense ofmoving to trip to New Year’s Eve orJanuary, the majority said to keep theweekend when it is currently heldalthough next December that weekendfalls on December 9-11th. But I alwayssaid sooner or later we would get anaverage snow year because of the law ofaverages-this didn’t happen to be one ofthose years!The Winter Carnival venue will beup to the new leaders of the trip. I wouldlike to personally thank Gary Heaserfrom 3M club for doing extensive workon the trip, and Gary has agreed to be theco-leader of the trip in 2017. We arenow looking for another Trip Leader tohelp Gary put on a great show. Thanksfor all your support and enjoyment of theWinter Carnival and we look forward toseeing you next year!Chris MickmanNext Sportster Deadline - April 1Eau Claire, Wis.www.redeyeskiclub.orgTUESDAY WIPE-OUTSWinter is here! And so is theSNOW!!! Yay!I was lucky enough to attend theMSC’s Winter Carnival December 911, skiing at Giants Ridge with five ofmy Tuesday Wipe-outs buddies. Weenjoyed the skiing, the new chalet just ashort walk from the bottom of the lift,great food at the Burnt OnionRestaurant (in the new chalet)and at the banquet in the Lodge.We had fun with members of theother clubs at group activities,and bonded with our TWO pals.hanging out in our condo, the hot tub, working a jigsaw puzzle, etc. Fun, fun, fun!And then we were off to Afton the dayafter we returned from Giants Ridge!Oh, how I love to ski!Fall activities this year.Since Iwork for a Segway tour company, I setup a Magical History Tour for theTuesdayWipeoutsinearlySeptember. Seventeen of us enjoyed amorning of riding Segways, and learning the history of the Mississippi riverfront with lunch at a nearby restaurantafterwards.Our Lanesboro trip was anothergood one.thanks, Rose, for setting itup for us. Our Wipe-outs again broughtwonderful potluck food, and we bikedmany miles on the beautiful trails.Gloria hosted a hike and lunch atthe Landscape Arboretum this fall. Itwas fun to see the variety ofFall/Halloween inspired scarecrows that were scattered aroundthe grounds.Regina’s Halloween CostumeParty/Potluck was lots of fun again thisyear! We had several witches, a jellyfish, Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy,and even Hillary Clinton showed up forlunch.Coming up this winter.Lots ofSKIING!.Tuesdays at Afton, Welch,and Wild.a 3-day trip to Giants Ridgein February.and our big week-longjaunt to Park City, February 4-11.Go to www.tuesday-wipeouts.comfor our schedule on the MSC website.See you on the slopes!Colleen BelgumNORWAYFebruary 26-March 4, 2017 with Elan VitalNational Geographic has ratedNorway, “the most beautiful landscapein the world.” Norway gives one theanticipation of experiencing somethingnew, something different, somethingbeautiful and unknown. From cosmopolitan Oslo, to the crashing waves inthe south signaling the arrival of summer, and to the world famous fjords ofWestern Norway, the land of the“Midnight Sun” provides an anticipation of experiencing something different, something beautiful and theunknown.Norway has many scenic railways,two of which we’ll be taking called theFlam and Bergen. From your windowyou will see mighty mountain ranges,river valleys, waterfalls, lakes, glaciersand fjords. You will travel throughauthentic and charming rural communities. From the variation in altitude, in asingle trip you might experience bothsnow and glaciers and the green fieldsof summer.We’ll be going to Oslo,Lillehammer, Bergen, Voss and Flamon this ten day trip. Fjords, mountains,waterfalls, lakes and trains will makethis one of the most exciting trips you’llever take. Norway is ideal for outdooractivities – the country is made forexpeditions on foot, by bicycle and forfishing. Not to mention, for the mostamazing summer holiday in the world.Contact Sue Miller 612-280-5618 orgrassylakeiii@aol.com for more information.TRAVERSKISki, Sports & Social ClubHello from down south! We arealive and well. Our Farewell toSummer Camp-out was in Septemberat Hidden Meadows RV Park. Checkout our picture in the Sportster thisissue. Traverskis have long been knownfor their tie dyed clothing, so the groupmade tie dyed shirts as an activity during the campout, along with great conversation, food, and spirits.On October 20th, TheTraverski Ski Sport and SocialClub celebrated their annualMembership Party. Eight new memberssigned up, and there were some interesting door prizes along with freememberships to one new member andone returning member. The night wasvery well attended with both returningand new members! The evening wasfilled with good conversation, tripinformation updates, door prizes andexcellent food from Charlie’s EateryRestaurant. Here’s to another fantastic,fun-filled year with the Traverskis!Almost twenty people are headedfor Steamboat Springs, along with afew Ullrs, for a fun filled week. Thetrip is February 24 through March 4,with lodging at Canyon Creek in EagleRidge Condos.Meet & Ski events this winter:Sitzmark has three planned, so TrishReilly will be coordinating a few inbetween the Sitzmark dates. Watch forupdates from your local clubs.Along with our numerous monthlyHappy Hour gatherings, membersalso participated in Color MeMine,andCanvasandChardonnay; both painting adventures. Our annual Christmas party wasDecember 2nd with our ever-popularwhite elephant gifts.Volunteerism; quarterly ChannelOne Food Bank, coordinated by WendyHickey, and highway cleanup organized by Jennifer Hansen. Once again,Ann Vail organized and collected cashfor our Adopt-a-Family, for Christmas.One mom and her two children will berecipients of Traverskis’ generosity.T Travel with us to SteamboatSprings, Colorado this year for ourannual Winter Ski trip!Connie Sherman

5.ELAN VITALOver the summer, our group washosted by the McCarthys at their summer place near Clearwater (choweddown at a scrumptious chicken andcorn feed), and enjoyed a house warming at the Aros’ gorgeous new home.We invaded Alice’s place in Septemberfor our Fall Membership Party.Now that winter has finally decided to grace us with snow andbone-chilling cold, the perfectfix is to get out there on skis,boards or snowshoes to warm usup and remember why we have chosen to live in this frozennorthland because playing in thesnow is so much fun!To test out that theory, in January,a group of Élan Vital members aregoing to Giants Ridge in January. Idon’t think our club has missed a winter’s trip to Giants Ridge as long asthere has been a Giants Ridge. Thisyear is no exception. We’re going mid-week; the dates are Sunday, January29th to Wednesday, February 1st, staying at the Villas. If you’re interested ingoing along, contact Florence G. atiqa6016@umn.edu.Sue Miller is planning anotherexciting European trip, this time toNorway! It seems that Norway is a popular destination this year, helped by astrong dollar, so Sue’s timing isright. But forget the wintergear; enjoy. The dates are June24-July 5, 2017, when the sunshines day and night. The price is 2,399. For all the details, see the adand an article elsewhere in this paper.Élan Vital is a small ski and socialclub, but while quite a few membershave reached the non-skiing age, westill enjoy our socials. Club dues are abargain at 10. Our activities will beposted on the new MSC website,http://midwestfun.org.Carol DeVoreSKI HAWKSThe Meet & Ski events are beingscheduled! This is a great opportunityto meet or catch up with people from allthe local ski clubs. Even if you don’tski, come out and enjoy the day and aBBQ. We have a great social team thatkeeps adding get-togethers to the calendar. The calendar of events can ki Hawks are headed forTelluride, CO in February.Before it was a great ski destination, Telluride was home tothe Ute Indians, experiencedthe mining boom in 1800s, and almostbecame a ghost town. The mining yearsleft behind 350 miles of mining tunnelsrunning beneath the mountains ofTelluride. Wilson Peak is the iconicmountain featured on the Coors beerbottles. In the 1970s, Telluride SkiResort opened. Today, Telluride isknown as one of the top ski areas incountry.In April, the Ski Hawks head backout west for spring skiing at Keystone,CO, another resort that got its start inthe 1970s. This resort was founded byMax Dercum and his wife, Edna.Keystone was also once a mining andlogging town and today the chairliftsand trails are named after the peoplewho lived there and in the surrounding towns; Jack Whacker,Saw Whiskers, the WildIrishman. I think there was someserious fun being had by all!MSC – Midwest Sport/Ski Councillaunched a new website and the clubshosting Meet & Skis will be listed –check it out for dates, places andtimes.midwestfun.orgJoin us for fun! whether youski/board or not!Marcia WoodwardCLUB NEWS InformationEditor is Carol DeVore - 320-217-2583You are to send you

Published by the Midwest Sport/Ski Council www.midwestfun.org Volume 12, Number 1 Jan/Feb/Mar/April 2017 Happy New Year! 2017 will bring . Learn more at www.north-stars.org NORTH STAR SKI TOURING CLUB. 3. Aspen and to meet and ski with Stein. It was a two day trip that morphed into four because of bad weather. Stein had