Got a question?  Ask Boch, or just read our FAQ below.

About the club

The club exists solely to promote skiing and snowboarding for Boeing employees and is incorporated as a not-for-profit organization.  Currently, there are about 170 members, 150 non-members and a total e-mail membership list of about 500 people.  Each year we have about 170 people traveling on a club trip. 

The club is about 15% beginners, 70% intermediate and 15% advanced skiers and boarders.

We organize weekend and week long group ski trips for the club, which are typically at a serious discount to “rack” prices (often about 30% off).  There are usually 2 weekend, 2 week long trips and 1 local Midwest zero vacation day trip.

Family and friends are welcome on any club trip.

Tell me about the club trips?  What should I expect after I sign up?

The club plans both week and weekend ski trips that are offered as a package (insert link to trips).  All trips usually include lodging, air, lift and ground transportation as part of the package price.  European trips offer lift passes ala-cart to allow members to tour or ski based on their schedule.  Ground transportation to/from the airport is usually a charter bus. Weekend trips typically have a welcome party, one lunch and one dinner included; week trips sometimes add an extra dinner.  We also try to plan for a NASTAR race on all trips.  All trips are priced for double occupancy.  The trip flyer and your trip captain will detail this information.

Trips are announced in late July via the web site, e-mail or a sign-up night flyer.  If you attend one of the summer events (ballgame, golf, etc) you will probably hear where we are planning on going earlier; although we won’t have all the prices laying flat.  The sign-up night is typically a Thursday or Friday evening.  It is not uncommon for a trip to sell out on sign-up night so plan to get there early.  You can meet the trip captain, learn more about each trip, and pay your deposit at the event and meet others going on the different trips.

About one month before each trip you’ve signed up for, you will receive information about a pre-trip event.  These events are usually held the weekend one week before the trip.  You will receive your airline tickets, rooming assignments, and trip itinerary at this event, so if you can’t make it contact your trip captain for alternate arrangements.

When you sign-up for a trip you pay a deposit then two more payments.  If you like, you can pay for the entire trip at the time of sign-up.  You will receive a receipt for each payment that will show the next payment date and amount.  We schedule the payments to coincide with the clubs payments to the tour operator so please pay on time!

Weekend trips – These typically leave on Wednesday or Thursday and return on Sunday or Monday and typically require 2-3 days of vacation and have 3 or 4 days of skiing. 

Week trips – We typically leave and return on Saturday and have 5 days of skiing.  Most people ski 3 days, take a day off, and then ski another 2 days.  There are a few diehards that ski the entire trip.

Who are the trip captains?

Trip captains are ski club board members who love to ski and volunteer their time to plan and organize a trip.  They plan the pre-trip and on-trip parties and events.  On the trip, they coordinate any events and assists with any problems encountered during the trip.  Trip planning begins just before the sign-up party and continues right up through the trip.  Remember, the trip captain is volunteering their time and is not a concierge.

What type of lodging does the trip use?

The club uses both condos and hotels for lodging.  All trips are priced for double occupancy.  Families with small children can all stay in the same room and the room pricing can be adjusted accordingly.  We try to get condos for week trips as they have a kitchen, which makes getting ready in the morning much easier.  Condos can be 2 or 3 bedrooms, and usually have two twin beds in one room and one queen bed in the other.  When making condo arrangements, we try to get one bathroom for each two people.  Condos can be requested with one queen bed in each room, but these are sometimes difficult to get.

I’ve been renting ski equipment for the last few years, what should I buy first?

This is probably the most asked question and the easiest to answer; boots.  Boots are what connects you to the skis, what transfers all the leg power to the ski, and what provides stability while skiing.  Having boots that fit can make the difference between having a really good day of skiing, and having a rotten day.  “Your” boots will be customized to your foot, which reduces “hot spots” and greatly increases your comfort. 

If you ski more than 8-10 days per year or are a more advanced skier, you might want to invest in skis.  Like having your own boots, having your own skis reduces the variability of the equipment between trips.  There are a number of folks in the club that own boots, but rent skis, as they can rent a very nice pair of skis for around $30 per day.  This also reduces the airport hassle with dragging a ski bag along with your other luggage.  With modern ski technology, you can expect to get about a 120 days of skiing out of a pair of skis, or about one skiing season if you ski every day so purchasing skis can be a good investment.  Remember, skis don’t last forever, so even if you have less than the useful days on the skis, they may still need replacing.

Buy a helmet.  These cost from $100 - $250.  You can buy cheaper helmets if you don’t think your head is worth the cost.  Frankly, most of the club in recent years have either bought a helmet, or are going to buy one.  Its cheap insurance against scrambling your noggin.

How should I store my ski equipment?

Store your skis and boots in a cool dry area.  Don’t store them in your attic or garage.  Skis and boots are designed for a cold environment and do not tolerate hot weather for long.  Take your skis to a local shop for an “end of season” tune-up.  Or, coat the bottom of your skis with a thick coat of wax to protect the metal edges.  Put some cold temperature light machine oil in the binding pivot points.  Also, take a screwdriver and unload the tension on the bindings as this reduces the stress on the bindings and makes them last longer (don’t forget to jot down the DIN value so you can retention them next season).

How should I maintain my ski equipment?

The easiest and probably best option is to take your equipment to a good ski shop.  They have the expertise to properly maintain ski equipment and will test your bindings for safety and proper settings.  A shop can also repair your skis, and put grind a nice base and edge that is not easy to do at home.  Purchase some quick wax to apply each day.  A very popular brand is “Swix”.

You can maintain your own skis, and there are a number of books on the market on that you can purchase to learn how to do properly this.  Ask one of the board members for some advice, as improper ski maintenance can literally be fatal.

I don’t own skiing equipment, what are my options?

For club trips, we work arrange group rental rates that are about 30% under list cost.  All resorts have rental shops that will rent you skis, boots and poles.  The shops can be part of the resort or a local establishment.  Rental equipment comes in packages based on your skiing ability; beginner, intermediate and advanced.  The intermediate and advanced packages are sometimes called “sport” and “advanced”.  We recommend that everyone rent at least the sport packages, as these tend to be newer skis and boots and will have better performance that will help you enjoy your day of skiing.  Renting costs around $20 per day and depends on the resort.

Ski shops also rent “demo” equipment, which are that year models and are intended to give prospective buyers a chance to try equipment before they buy it.  You can keep trying different skies the entire time, and if you decide to purchase at that shop, they will deduct the rental cost from the total.  This is a great way to try a number of different skis or boots to see what you like.

How could I become a trip captain

The trip captains are all members of the club board of directors.  Most have been board members for a few years before running their first trip.  Contact one of the board members and let them know your interest in running a trip and joining the board.

What kind of ski clothing do I need?

You need to look for quality equipment that will keep you warm and dry while on the mountain.  Most equipment will last for many years and can be used for non-skiing events.  Synthetics and other “technical” gear is very popular. 

Don’t wear cotton.  Cotton does not wick sweat and will make you cold.

There are a large number of brands offering all kinds of ski jackets and ski pants made from many types of material.  Look for clothing that at a minimum are water resistant that will keep your warm.  Remember to dress in layers.  Many jackets have a zip in/out liner that allows you to layer very easily.  Many jackets also have a type of lightweight hood that stores in the collar.  This light hood can be very useful if you encounter heavy snow or winds.  Ski pants keep your legs warm and dry. 

We don’t care who you are, you will ultimately spend time sitting in the snow!  Ski pants come in two basic styles, pants and bibs and picking which is for you is very subjective.  Bibs are a good choice for people learning to ski, as they keep your legs and mid section covered and protected from the snow.  Don’t underestimate the importance of ski pants.

Gloves need to be waterproof and breathable.  There are a number of brands that make a breathable waterproof glove that will keep your hands warm and dry.  You can buy either mittens or gloves.  Gloves give you more range of motion, while mittens will keep you warmer in really cold weather.  Be sure to dry your gloves after each day of skiing or your hands will get quite cold the next day.

Most people need a hat, headband or earmuffs to keep warm.  If you wear a helmet that will be warmth enough.  You loose most of your heat from your head, so keeping covered up is important.  You will have to experiment and find what works for you.  Most people keep a knit hat with them in case it starts snowing, or gets really windy and cold.

Goggles or sunglasses allow you to see on the mountain and are a must.  The sunlight reflecting off the snow can be very bright.  Good glasses or goggles will not fog or come off if (and when) you fall while skiing.  Most people that ski with sunglasses, also have goggles for when it gets windy.

The sunlight reflecting off the snow can also cause sunburns very quickly.  Most ski resorts are many thousands of feet in the air that can also increases the burning effect of the sun.  Carry a small tube of waterproof or sports sun block of SPS30 or greater to apply to exposed area while on the mountain.  Be sure to reapply at lunchtime.  Ditto for lip balm.

Everyone should have at least the following equipment:

Helmet (you really should consider one)

Ski jacket

Ski pants

Ski socks

Long underwear

Gloves

Hat, headband or earmuffs

Goggles or sun glasses

Suntan lotion (SPF 30 or higher)

Lip balm with sun block

Optional equipment to bring on the mountain would be

Fanny pack (holds all the little stuff)

Camelback or Water bottle (you dry out quickly on the mountain)

Ski Boots

Skis

Ski Poles

What is NASTAR?

The National Standard Race (NASTAR) is the largest public recreational grassroots ski race program in the world and was first developed in 1968.  You compete against a set handicap that is based on your age and gender

The club tries to have a non-competitive NASTAR race on every trip.  This is a fun only race for only those on the trip.  We place everyone into a club race category so you are competing against people of your ability.  The club race rules spell out all the details.

I want to bring my kids, is that ok?

Only if you don’t mind the kids skiing better than you!  Ok, seriously . . . we can easily accommodate children on any trip.  Hotels and condos can have rollaway beds brought into the room.  Ski rentals and lift tickets are cheaper for those under 12.  All mountains offer ski school and most resorts offer a babysitting program where you drop the kids off in the morning, and one of the resort instructors takes the kids out on the mountain for the day (for a fee).  Please contact the trip captain for more information.

I’ve never skied before; can beginners go on a trip?

Absolutely!  Everyone had to learn sometime, and there is no better way to learn than with a bunch of other folks that like skiing. 

All resorts offer ski school where they will teach you everything from the wedge turn through Christy turns.  Ski lessons are usually taken with a group of like ability skiers.  Typically a new skier will take a series of half-day lessons and spend the other half-day practicing what you just learned. 

On the trips, there are always a number of groups of different skiing abilities, so finding someone to ski with will not be a problem.  Probably the most fun is listening to other club members reminisce about when they first learned to ski.

The club is a bunch of die hard, super expert skiers, right?

Not true.  The majority of club members are intermediate level skiers.  On any given trip there are usually 20% beginner, 60% intermediate, and 20% advanced skiers.  Everyone had to learn to ski sometime, and being on a trip with other people is a great way to learn to ski.  There are a number of club members who love to teach and they are a great resource to improve your skiing technique.

I snowboard; can I come on a trip?

The club has a number of snow boarders, and there are a number of club members who have given up skis for a snowboard.  There are some resorts that still do not allow snowboards, but their numbers are becoming fewer and we try to avoid these where possible.

I’m signed up for a trip, but have to cancel.  What now?

Unfortunately things happen that you might need to cancel a trip.  The club has a standard cancellation policy.  We make every attempt to minimize the cost impact for anyone that has to cancel.  The best outcome is if someone else can take the trip for you.  The club starts incurring more costs the closer to the trip date as we might have to cancel airline tickets, or lodging.  Please be sure to read the cancellation policy, which is part of each trip contract.

How does the club decide where to go skiing every year?

We start planning the next season’s trips around April.  The entire skiing season is considered one “event” with a number of individual trips.  We take survey information from the past years trips and use this to determine potential trips for the next season.  Geography actually drives some of the trip selections, as some places are harder to get to than others.  So we might go to some places only for a week, while others work well for both week and weekend trips. 

The board of director’s forms a trip committee whose make the initial selections, and obtain bids from tour operators.  The club only uses tour operators as this has proven to be very effective in getting good package deals.  Once all the bids are in, the trip committee selects the trips based on location, potential demand and cost.  Trips are almost always planned every other week from January through March, which allows someone to go on all the trips (it does happen!).  The committee presents the selections to the board at either the June or July meetings for a vote.  Once the trips are selected, we then select trip captains.  The trips are announced in late July or early August in time for the annual sign-up party at the end of August.

To add more variety and predictability to the trips, we have started a trend of traveling to Europe every other year.  On the odd years, we are traveling to more interesting places (Alaska).

How should I get in shape for skiing?

Skiing is a very physical sport.  People can get hurt when they get tired, so being physically fit is very important.  Club trips are at least 3 days, and a typical ski day lasts 6-7 hours so you need to have the stamina to keep going.  Ski resorts are also at high altitude, which puts even more demands on your muscles.  Expect to burn around 600 calories per hour while skiing (that works out to 3000+ calories for 4 hours of skiing).

Beginning skiers get tired much more quickly than they realize and frequent rest during the day is advised.  Late in the day, caution is advised because the beginning skier may not realize he/she is REALLY tired and this is when people get hurt.

Skiing Magazine  has a number of articles on exercises for skiing.  Contact a trainer at your gym or your doctor who can get you into an exercising program.

How can I get more involved in the ski club

The best way to get involved in the ski club is to become a member of the board of directors.  There are 8 officer positions and five members at large.  The directors plan events and organize the ski trips.  The club membership elects the board annually.  To get on the ballot, simply contact one of the current board members.  The board meets on the third Wednesday of each month.

Swami says, “Take me Home!”