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| If you were wondering what was sparkling at MSLM last weekend… it wasn’t the freshly fallen snow, our instructors new goggles, or the smile of our Director, Laura Shepherd, excited to train with Level 4, Jason Young. No, that sparkle would have come from your instructors’ brand new uniforms, featuring our new HPSC logo! Not unlike our very popular previous uniform, it keeps the basic brand colours with a snazzy touch! We might be even more visible on the hills!! This new uniform is the result of an incredible effort from design to distribution! Kudos and thanks go to Apolonija Battiston, Kathleen McCabe, David Manning, Rocco Romeo, and Mike Romano for such a great uniform, another one which will make us proud! |
Downhill Day Trips
| Registration for day trips on December 16th and 17th are now open! Please register at: https://hpsc.ca/downhill-trip-registration-page There will be NO LESSONS on both days. All instructors are training in Mont Tremblant that weekend. January day trips will be open for registration before the holidays. Exact date will be announced on the next SnowBiz. Our awesome volunteer, Lisa Zielger, is creating each and every registration module. For just the month of January, there are 64 registration modules! Please be patient, the day trips team will open registrations as soon as we can. We also can’t wait to register for day trips in snowy January! |
Long Trips – What’s Available?
I was able to meet with many new and prospective members at the club’s Information Night this past Friday. There was lots of interest in our long trips so please don’t hesitate to sign up now! New members are snapping up the open spots. For some of our other trips, the due date is coming when we must release unfilled spots back to the tour operator.
Check out the trips on the HPSC website and contact the trip leader for specific questions on the trip. There is still limited space on Red Mountain, SilverStar (XC or downhill), Ottawa XC, Quebec City ski around (March break Downhill or XC), Killington Vermont, and Club Med Charlevoix /Le Massif. Join the waitlist (at no cost) if your desired trip is full. Spots can open up closer to the deadline. Kindly remove your name from any waitlists that you are no longer interested in so that those looking for a spot can get a realistic sense of how many others are ahead of them on the waitlist. When specific roommates (male or female) are needed, this will be posted on Facebook.
For those who have already paid their $100 deposit and have snagged a spot on a trip, be sure to watch for emails from your trip leader with instructions on how to pay the next deposit and final balances which may be to a tour operator or directly on the HPSC website, depending on the trip. Don’t lose your spot on a trip by missing these important notices and taking the required payment actions.
Kim Wiebe, Director of Long Trips
Ski School News – More New Instructors!
| As announced in the October 11 issue of SnoBiz, Ski School welcomed seven new instructors for this season. Today, we introduce you to Lina DiFelice and Izabella Wilczynska. |
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| Lina DiFelice I’ve been a member of HPSC for 12 years and started skiing when I was 11. Dad would sit in the chalet for hours, while my 2 sisters and I took ski lessons at Mount St. Louis/Moonstone, and Blue Mountain. We loved it and were hooked. My younger sister Donna went on to become a Ski Patrol, and was an active participant with HPSC in the 70’s. Fast forward… after a long hiatus, I followed in my sister’s footsteps, and joined HPSC and renewed my passion for skiing. I’ve enjoyed many extraordinary ski trips around the world, received phenomenal instruction from attentive coaches and teachers, and have made many friendships on and off the hill. With the support and guidance of the HPSC instructors, private lessons, and time on the hill, I grew as a skier. After retiring from a great career in teaching, moving to Collingwood, and growing my confidence, I decided it would be fun to give back the knowledge and gifts I’ve received. I’m excited to share my love of nature and the joy one feels gliding down the mountain. |
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| Izabella Wilczynska |
| I fell in love with skiing as a little 4-year-old kid watching Olympics, and promptly used my plastic cross-country skis on the tiny hills in my hometown (Torun, Poland) for my first attempts of hockey stops. I didn’t get a chance to really try skiing on proper skis and hills until much later- my high school got a donation of downhill racing skis from an Austrian ski club and took us on a trip to Slovakia. It was a great trip where I learned to fall well, and often (on my unsharpened 190s) but my passion for skiing remained. Finally, many years after moving to Canada and discovering the traveling ski clubs, I was able to take proper lessons. I joined as a step 3 and worked hard to overcome my newly found (grown up) fear of speed. Fast forward 7 years and I am proud to be joining the HPSC ski school as a new instructor. I want to share my joy of skiing with others who may not have had a chance to learn earlier just like me. As a cautious skier, I will be there to encourage you to overcome your fears, and discover the reason we have winters. In the off season, I am an avid stand-up paddle boarder (SUP), also certified as an instructor. I love the outdoors so if not on the water, I am camping, hiking, or exploring. |
Trip Sign-up #4 – Overnight Bus Trips
Our overnight bus trip sign up night is tomorrow, Thursday, October 26 at8pm sharp. We have an exciting line-up of HPSC favourites including a March break trip to Quebec City with 4 days of downhill skiing at local resorts. Many of our trips will also appeal to our Cross-Country crowd. Be logged onto the HPSC website at 8pm sharp for the best selection of trips. Please note that these trips have been set up as group travel with special rates for the types of rooms listed, so other modifications are not allowed. You can choose a ‘No Lifts’ option and single supplement (limited availability), but there is no reduction if you do not take the group bus Please read through the trip details in advance so that you choose the trips that are right for you. The $100 non-refundable deposit guarantees your spot and we will make every attempt to match you with a same sex roommate, if you sign up to share a double room.
2024 Overnight Bus Trips
Mont Tremblant QC – Holiday Inn – Dec 15-17, 2023
Holiday Valley NY, USA – Microtel – Jan 12-14
Mont Tremblant QC – Holiday Inn – Feb 4-9
Gatineau /Ottawa XC – Holiday Inn – Feb 16-19
Quebec City QC ski around– Manoir Victoria – MARCH BREAK – March 10-15
Killington VT, USA – Killington Grand – studio kitchenettes and hotel – March 17-22
Mont Tremblant QC – Holiday Inn – March 22-24
Le Massif QC – Club Med Charlevoix – March 24-29
Good luck to everyone!
Ski School Announces New Instructors!
| Downhill Ski School is pleased to welcome seven new instructors joining the roster for the 2023-24 season! Today we introduce you to Matt Dimond and Lisa Price. Watch for more announcements in subsequent issues of SnoBiz. |
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| Matt Dimond Very happy to have returned to High Park (2022/23 season) where I first started my ski journey with Peg Mc Phedran at Blue back in 2018. I was coming from 10 years of snowboarding. I decided last season I needed a bigger challenge than just skiing for myself and hoping for small improvements. So, I started on the instructor training development opportunities with CSIA and within HPSC ski school. I am looking forward to this next chapter in my ski journey as I continually develop my teaching skills to best serve the High Park club members. My home base hill now is Mount St Louis. My other activities on the snow are trying to get in a few days of XC skiing and snowshoeing when in Quebec. My off snow activities are mainly focused on stand up paddle boarding (SUP) and refining those skills with some novice races. I recently obtained a Paddle Canada Instructor certification.I look forward to connecting with High Park members every week. |
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| Lisa Price I am thrilled to be joining the High Park Snow School as a Ski Instructor this year. I recently achieved my L3 certification, and I am excited to share my skills and knowledge with the High Park Ski Club community. I have been skiing since my early teens and absolutely love the sport, the environment and meeting like-minded people who love to ski. Winter is my most favourite season!I have taught for many years at Devil’s Glen and Snow Valley. See you all very soon! |
Trip Sign-up #4 – Overnight BusTrips
Charter trip sign-up night was a great success with virtually all members getting onto the trip of their choice that night. Our strategy of doubling up on the most popular destinations and offering multiple trips on the same weeks worked.
Overnight bus trip sign-up night is coming on Thursday, October 26 at 8 pm sharp. As the bus company has just finalized pricing, we will be re-working and finalizing our prices for these trips this week. Don’t forget that you must be a member to sign up and participate on a trip, and be logged onto the HPSC website at 8 pm sharp for the best selection of trips. These trips have been set up as group travel with special rates for the types of rooms listed, so modifications are not allowed. As with charters, you can choose a ‘No Lifts’ option and single supplement (limited availability), however unlike charters there is NO price reduction if you do not take the group transportation to the destination (by luxury coach). Please read through all of the trip details in advance so that you make the choice that fits your needs. The $100 deposit guarantees your spot, but note that it is non-refundable once it is paid.
2024 Overnight Bus Trips
Mont Tremblant QC – Holiday Inn – Dec 15-17, 2023
Holiday Valley NY, USA – Microtel – Jan 12-14
Mont Tremblant QC – Holiday Inn – Feb 4-9
Gatineau /Ottawa XC – Holiday Inn – Feb 16-19
Quebec City QC – Manoir Victoria – MARCH BREAK – March 10-15
Killington VT, USA – Killington Grand – studio kitchenettes and hotel – March 17-22
Mont Tremblant QC – Holiday Inn – March 22-24
Le Massif QC – Club Med Charlevoix – March 24-29
There are still a few spots left on some charters, so do not hesitate to sign up before they are gone!
Trip Sign-up Night #3
Before you know it, Trip Sign-up #3 will be upon us–September 28! Eight Charter trips will begin sales. The first two charter trips sold out quickly! Be sure to review the materials, talk to your ski buddies, and make your decision in advance.
If you have your heart set on one or more of the trips, make sure you are 100% ready to go at 8:00 pm. Some of these trips will sell out promptly, even in as little as a few seconds! A couple destinations have always sold out super fast, so this year we have doubled up on trips to Sun Peaks and Banff.
If your favourite trip appears sold out, you can register for the Waitlist. This is especially important for trips that travel later in the season, since cancellations are more frequent at that time.
Consider your insurance options in advance, since this must be purchased at the time you make the initial trip payment. We are happy to announce that “Cancel For Any Reason” coverage will once again be available.
Note that your $100 deposit is NON-REFUNDABLE. So, please take this into consideration when signing up.
On Thursday, September 28, 2023 at 8:00 pm, the following Charter Trips will go on sale:
C3 Red Mountain, BC – Jan 21-28, 2024
C4 Sun Peaks-1, BC – Jan 27-Feb 3, 2024
C5 Panorama, BC – Feb 3-10, 2024
C6 Winter Park, CO – Feb 3-10, 2024
C7 Banff-1, AB – Feb 10-17, 2024
C8 Sun Peaks-2, BC – Feb 10-17, 2024
C9 Silver Star, BC – Mar 4-11, 2024
C10 Banff-2, AB – Mar 9-16, 2024
Click here to go to the Long Trips page.
Our overnight bus trips will go on sale on October 26. Mark your calendars!
2024 Charter Trips
Japan (Tokyo and Niseko) – Jan 11-21 (Due to the popularity of this trip, which filled up within seconds, we will work on a trip for the 2025 season)
Peisey-Vallandry, France: Club Med – (Les Arcs/La Plagne Paradiski) – Jan 20-28
Red Mountain, BC: Josie Hotel – Jan 21-28
Sun Peaks, BC: Cahilty Lodge (hotel + kitchenette units) – Jan 27-Feb 3
Panorama, BC: Approach Hotel (new) – Feb 3-10
Winter Park, Colorado USA: Vintage Hotel – Feb 3-10
Banff, AB: Banff Aspen Lodge – Feb 10-17
Sun Peaks, BC: Grand Hotel – March 3-10
Silver Star, BC: (Cross Country or Downhill) – Vance Creek Condos – March 4-11
Banff, AB: Banff Aspen Lodge – MARCH BREAK – March 9-16
2024 Overnight Bus Trips
Mont Tremblant, QC: Holiday Inn – Dec 15-17, 2023
Holiday Valley NY, USA: Microtel – Jan 12-14
Mont Tremblant QC: Holiday Inn – Feb 4-9
Gatineau /Ottawa XC: Holiday Inn – (FAMILY DAY WEEKEND) Feb 16-19
Quebec City, QC: Manoir Victoria – (MARCH BREAK) March 10-15
Killington, VT USA: Killington Grand – studio kitchenettes and hotel – March 17-22
Mont Tremblant, QC: Holiday Inn – March 22-24
Le Massif, QC: Club Med Charlevoix – March 24-29
Club Med Trips Sign-up on August 24
Sign-up for our 2024 Club Med trips (Club Med Paradiski France and Club Med Charlevoix) is almost here!
While membership renewal opens on September 1, if you were a member in the 2022/23 season, you will be able to log on and sign up August 24. But please note that you will need to renew your membership by the end of September in order to keep your spot on the trip. If you joined after March 1, 2023, your membership is already valid for the 2023/24 season.
Before August 24, be sure to log on to the HPSC website and become familiar with the sign-up night procedures. Sign-up opens at 8 pm EDT sharp and some trips have been known to fill up within minutes.
As noted below, the remaining charter trips will open for registration later in September and overnight bus trips in October.
Detailed descriptions and pricing for most trips are already posted on the HPSC website
