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Dashing Through The Snow See the World on Skis with the Atlanta Ski Club While North Georgia is known for its location in the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, it certainly isn’t famous for giving Metro Atlanta residents easy access to majestic, snow-covered peaks with slopes that beckon avid alpine skiers. So what would convince more than 1,500 people to join an organization like the Atlanta Ski Club? Upon hearing the name of the organization, it sounds like an oxymoron. But the answer is pretty simple. “People will say to us, ‘The Atlanta Ski Club? But there’s no skiing in Atlanta.’ And we say, ‘Well, there are airplanes,’” quipped Susie Chalden, marketing director and 2008 Snow Girl for the all-volunteer nonprofit group. And the Atlanta Ski Club takes complete advantage of those magnificent flying machines, using them to transport members to spectacular and exotic ski locations throughout the United States and across the globe. In fact, each winter season, the club organizes more than a dozen trips, giving passionate skiers and snowboarders the chance to go swooshing down the sides of mountains in Colorado, Utah, Alaska, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, France and just about everywhere in between. According to Debbie Creasy, the club’s president, nearly three-fourths of the trips take members out West, and the rest are international. It’s rare to find a local trip to places like North Carolina and West Virginia, but it has been done before. It’s just that, since its establishment in 1964 by a small group of Atlanta residents who simply loved the sport of skiing, the club has been dedicated to bringing individuals with similar interests together and giving them the chance to have the most exciting ski experiences possible. Which is probably why the Atlanta Ski Club has become one of the largest and most successful ski clubs in the world.
Be an Explorer “I’m seeing the world on skis,” said Louise Mulherin, who joined the Atlanta Ski Club a couple of years ago and has since been to the Matterhorn in Switzerland, as well as slopes in Italy, Chile and Argentina. And this season she’s heading out to Andorra, which comes complete with an excursion to Barcelona. “You have skiing in all different parts of the world, so the Atlanta Ski Club gives you an opportunity to travel and see things through the eyes of skiing that you may not see otherwise,” agreed Scott Chalden, vice president. “It’s amazing. Europe and South America — all of these places have their different layers and different concepts. [The ski trips are] a great way to try new places, travel to new destinations and explore the world with others.” Offering “no hassle” weeklong ski trips, the club develops each travel season with the last season in mind. “We don’t go to the same places — we make sure that we go somewhere new every year,” Creasy explained. “Most of our trips come at the suggestion of a member, so we’re giving the people what they want.” The 2007-2008 winter season, which extends from December through March, exemplifies this effort. Domestic trips on the docket include Big Sky, Mont.; Park City, Utah; Lake Tahoe, Calif.; and Crested Butte, Copper Mountain, Snowmass Mountain, Breckenridge and Beaver Creek in Colorado. International jaunts will take members to Andorra and Barcelona, Spain; Whistler and Vancouver, Canada; and Morzine and Paris, France. Normally, an extra trip to South America or somewhere comparable will be added to the list for the summer, making it possible for the most dedicated skiers to travel south of the border and enjoy snow-capped peaks during North America’s hottest months of the year. As many as 40 people can participate in each all-inclusive trip, which typically costs between $1,000 and $3,000 per person, depending upon the destination. The Atlanta Ski Club’s full-time ski trip director works with travel agents and tour operators throughout the year to find the best deals for the travelers, including airfare, ground transportation, accommodations, dining, lift ticket prices, ski equipment rental rates and more. And the bargains are almost too good to be true; the globetrotters can save up to 50 percent on lift tickets, 30 percent on ski and board rentals and 20 percent on lessons. What’s more, 70 percent of the time, the trip attendees stay in cozy condos with no more than four people in a two-bedroom suite; the other 30 percent of the time they enjoy four-star hotel lodging or better. Many of the sites are ski-in, ski-out resorts, allowing the skiers and snowboarders to hit the slopes just outside of their accommodations. And oftentimes, the club is able to arrange a deal that lets members sign up an hour before anyone else for first tracks (or the first snow of the morning). This is ideal for people of all experience levels — even the beginners who stay on the bunny slopes or choose to take lessons all week. Of course, while most people ski every day, there’s so much more to the Atlanta Ski Club trips. Creasy revealed that locations are chosen based on a number of criteria, including surrounding cultural activities, historical sites, good restaurants, shopping opportunities and the local nightlife (also known as après ski). Additionally, the trip leaders, who are Atlanta Ski Club member volunteers, extensively research the area before the trip so they can set up other recreational opportunities, like sleigh rides and snowshoeing expeditions. “We probably have a third of the people who come on the trips that do not ski,” Creasy observed. “They come for the mountains. They’ll sit and read a book by the fireplace and look at the beautiful snow. Then they’ll go shopping, snowmobiling or ice skating. So we try to find a place that’s good for everybody.” Become an Adventurer “Our main charter as a club is to support and enhance the sports of skiing and snowboarding, but we don’t stop there,” Scott Chalden noted. “There are 365 days [in] a year, and we’re all anxious to get out there and do things.” That’s why the Atlanta Ski Club has broadened its horizons over the years and become an all-out adventure club. “Every year we talk about changing the name of the club, and every year we decide not to,” Creasy said with a chuckle. “So we just tell people we’re a club for all seasons. We do things all year. It started out being a ski club, but now it’s much more.” Outside of the winter ski season, members of the club gather for a wide variety of adventure trips, from hiking, camping and mountain biking to whitewater rafting, rock climbing and scuba diving. Last summer, a group took an exhilarating Windjammer cruise, while others took small cruise ships through the Greek Isles. Just this past September, another group of members journeyed to the Alps, hiking hut-to-hut on Mt. Blanc in France. Creasy has even been on a camping trip through Alaska — a popular destination for the last three years. And with many of the adventure trips taking place in the Southeast, members who can’t make it to faraway destinations can experience trips like the Swim with the Manatees outing to Crystal River, Fla., coming in February 2008. While not quite as daring, there’s also the upcoming Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colo., among other interesting cultural trips, beach excursions and mountain getaways. There will even be some family-oriented trips, both adventure and ski, added to the club’s repertoire soon, as a new family arm of the organization was recently established. “It used to be that skiing was our anchor, but now it’s probably 50 percent adventure activities and 50 percent skiing,” Creasy stated. “Everybody’s really impressed with our offerings and taking advantage of them.” Just like the ski trips, the adventure trips are arranged from beginning to end by the Atlanta Ski Club so all members have to do is put down their deposits and show up. Also like the ski adventures, the off-season trips include three local pre-departure meetings, during which trip participants can gather and collect the information they’ll need to prepare themselves properly for their expedition. The pre-trip get-togethers also give trip leaders the chance to become acquainted with their group members. “It’s great because they’ll have a couple of opportunities for people to get to know each other before you even leave,” Mulherin asserted. Creasy concurred, stating, “Everyone can meet each other and some camaraderie can be formed. And some people have never been on a trip [with us] before, so they’ll have lots of questions. It’s a great way to keep everyone well informed.” And each trip, Mulherin added, is followed by a photo party, during which everyone assembles to share their pictures and memories of a great time together. Experience the Real Rush Zig-zagging down slopes and hiking through some of the country’s most breathtaking state parks undoubtedly keeps members of the Atlanta Ski Club busy and delighted, but it’s actually the people who make up the organization that keeps everyone coming back year after year. People of all ages and backgrounds. Singles, married couples and families. Residents from Metro Atlanta and North Georgia, even people who live in other states and other countries. “Our members are from all walks of life. It’s a good mix of people,” Creasy commented. “Of course, with 1,500 members, you won’t see everybody at every activity.” However, so many close and perennial relationships have been formed over time that many members make sure they sign up for the same trips each season. They also make sure to attend the monthly socials the club holds and participate in the Metro Atlanta outings hosted at various times throughout the year. The effort is well worth it, especially since the annual fee is only $45 for individuals and $75 for families. “[The members] want to see each other again,” contended Scott Chalden, who actually met Susie, now his wife, on a ski trip to Vail, Colo. “The Atlanta Ski Club is a volunteer nonprofit organization that offers a way to meet like-minded people,” Scott Chalden declared. “This is a great group of people that have made this club exist since 1964.” PN For More Information Atlanta Ski Club Let’s Go To The Swap Shop If you have ski gear in the garage that you never use or have upgraded your ski equipment and need to divest yourself of your older items, the Atlanta Ski Club’s Annual Swap Shop is the place for you. From Friday, Nov. 30 to Sunday, Dec. 2, the Galleria will play host to the club’s highly anticipated yearly event, during which you can buy and sell new and used equipment, from skis and snowboards to poles, boots, jackets, sunglasses and more. Seller merchandise check-in will take place on Thursday and Friday. Shopping hours for the Swap Shop are: Friday, Nov. 30: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. All unclaimed goods that are not sold will be donated to the Special Olympics. For more information, visit www.atlantaskiclub.org. |
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