The Winterset Ski Club kicked off the 2004-05 season last month with its annual Raffle Night fundraiser at Edmond Town Hall.

Raffle Night opens the upcoming ski and snow boarding season and it’s the only fund raiser which helps to supplement day bus trips, weekend trips, week-long trips and racing clinics throughout the year.

Tables were set up around the gym providing details on the upcoming trips and showing off new Winterset Logo merchandise and new pins and luggage tags. Members can see descriptions of this merchandise on the web at www.wintersetskiclub.org.

Dozens of lift tickets were raffled off to mountains such as Okemo, Ascutney, Black Mountain, Bromley, Butternut, Catamount, Hunter Mountain, Jay Peak, Jiminy Peak,, Killington, Loon Mountain, Mad River Glen, Magic Mountain, Mohawk, Southington, Mt. Snow, Smuggler’s Notch, Sugarloaf USA, Waterville Valley, Whiteface Mountain, Woodbury Ski Area and many more, as well as gift certificates, tune ups, and ski paraphernalia.

This year the club raffled off a snow/skate board and two hand-made chairs made completely from skis.

Members used the evening to pick up their new membership cards from Linda Vitrella, Membership Director and Webmaster, and bulk buy tickets (previously purchased) from John Fitzgerald, Bulk Ticket Chairman, or to sign up new members. The club, as a member of the CT Ski Council, can purchase lift tickets from many mountains at dramatically reduced rates and offer them to its membership, one of the many great benefits of belonging to the club.

The Winterset Ski Club – based right here in Newtown – is a non-profit organization, subsidizing its trips, clinics and lessons in order to keep the exhilarating sports of skiing and snow boarding affordable to its members.

Founded in 1970 as a close-knit family club, it has grown to be one of the largest clubs in the area, consisting of singles, senior citizens, and a growing number of young families, and offering companionship and the camaraderie of kindred spirits.

So far this year, the club consists of 225 memberships (640 members) with 240 of them being kids. There are more than 50 single memberships showing that the club is great for both families and for individuals who either don’t have a spouse or has a spouse that doesn’t ski.

The club is planning some interesting events and special trips for this upcoming ski season. Some of the planned trips are:

Waterville Valley, New Hampshire (February 4-6) – Includes bus transportation, two nights accommodations, wine and cheese reception, gourmet dinner, breakfasts, and two days (Saturday and Sunday) lift ticket.; Whistler/Blackcomb, British Columbia (February 20-27) – Includes air transportation, seven night accommodations, five- or six-day lift tickets, and meals; “On-Snow Carnival” at Bromley (March 4-6) – Details to appear on the web site shortly. The club was the Silver Medal Winner of 2004. Rooms are limited. If you have booked a room and not made final payment, contact Nickie O’Toole through the club; SugarLoaf, Maine (March 20-25) – Includes five nights lodging in ski in/ski out condos, daily 90 minute lessons, health club and five-and-a-half day lift tickets (free snow shoeing or cross country rentals available).

Snow Boarding Logo

As the club logo consists of a Newtown Rooster on skis, and because snow boarding has become much more popular in the last few years, Winterset is having a contest to design a new logo for the club’s growing snowboarding crowd.

Entry forms can be printed off the web site (or contact Susan Brier or Nicole Anastas through the web site). The winning logo will be used on all snowboarder’s gear, sweatshirts, hats, pins, and stickers.

The winner (and the prize) will be announced at the Pizza/awards night in April. The criteria is:

4You must be a member of the club and a student under age 22

4The Newtown Rooster must be used in the design

4The words “Winterset” and “Club” must be in the logo

4The logo should represent the club in a positive way

4Ideas should be presented on an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper

4Limit of two designs per person

4Must be submitted by March 1, 2005.

CSC Racing

The Connecticut Ski Council Racing Series begins on December 13.

The Monday night Mount Southington Giant Slalom racing sign-ups begin at 6 pm until 7:30 pm and actual racing begins at 7:45 pm. The fee to race is approximately $25.

Winterset’s Monday night race team came in fourth place last year against many other CSC clubs. Also, members who are interested in racing are invited to attend the race clinic scheduled at Butternut on January 8th. Racers will receive instruction in the morning then have use of the race course in the afternoon. The club provides the coaches, gates and timers, and the cost for members and their families is only the $25 lift ticket.

Interested in becoming a member? Go to www.wintersetskiclub.org.