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Q I cl ra i 1/ S' xU? S' lu •m> £ys iC» '^u mô SECTION TWO WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1987 With eight T-bars and one cable-tow at the hills, the to the top. And, as the sign says, they also work to ensure Oshawa Ski Club can make sure everyone has access that everyone has a safe ride. Once at the top, skiers can choose from a number of runs. Besides adding variety, the different runs also help keep the "free-stylers" away from the general skiers. 1 I Photos and Story by Rob Savage by Rob Savage To look at the Oshawa Ski Club now, one would hardly believe it started from humble humble beginnings. The hills in Kirby offer 27 runs, with eight t-bars, one cable tow, two chalets and a 40-metre jump hill. However, the history of the club shows that those facilities facilities were not always available available to members of the non-profit organization. And the history is being given a special significance this year as the club observes observes its 50th anniversary. Celebrations of the anniversary anniversary have already begun, with a dinner held earlier this month for all past members who could be found. Ski Club Co-or- dinator Mike Fairhart says the dinner was a success, and featured all the original original members from the first executive formed in 1937. Other events to mark the anniversary will include a barbecue day, a draw for prizes and a contest to design design a new brochure cover for the club. / The anniversary is also recognized in the free pamphlets pamphlets which give a detailed history of the club. It's in those pamphlets that one learns of the humble beginnings beginnings of the organization. The group officially started in 1937 and organized organized the skiers who had been using the Oshawa Golf Club, the Downsview Golf Club and some hills at Raglan Raglan during the 1930's. The membership that first year was 170. A volunteer executive was formed, consisting of J. H. Beaton as Honorary President, Lloyd Magill as President, Dean Patte as Vice-President, Ada Kelly as Secretary-Treasurer and Ive Richards, Harrison Murphy, Cliff Chilcott and Harold and Jean Armstrong as the membership committee. committee. They began by renting hills in Raglan and.holding meetings in the back of Patte's Paint store and Ward's Dry Goods in Oshawa. The humbleness of the group's organization was matched by a simplicity in skiing techniques. Most only skied a straight run down the hill, with, a few managing some left and right turns. In 1939, torches were in, place and the group was able to offer night skiing. This was also the year that skiing 1 instructions began, with qualified teachers from the Ontario Ski Zone. About one year later, the first tow rope was put in place. It was during the 1940's that the Kirby hills were discoverd, although Raglan remained the primary ski location for some time. More and more activity did move to Kirby, however, and the final move to that location was in 1954. Once again, facilities were put in place by the volunteer volunteer executive to expand the operations at the site. The first tow rope was installed installed in 1955, followed by the creation of a clubhouse in 1956. The growth continued, leading to the large-scale operations offered to skiers today. Of course, the growth in facilities has been matched in size by the number of members in the organization. organization. The club now has 5,000 members, with a 1,000 person person waiting list. r~7 £ ffj) ïPRf! The club offers instruction instruction programs for people of all ages, along with racing and jump meets. They have a jump meet coming up on Feb. 14 and 15, and anticipate anticipate about 60 participants from as far as Lake Placid. "I think this is about the most reasonable place in Ontario to ski as a member," Mr. Fairhart said. "There's just nowhere else in Ontario Ontario where you ski at such a reasonable rate as you do here." Knowing all the skiing techniques isn't everything. For if the skis aren't on tight,, the chances of a fall are still pretty good. Of course, such mishaps can be avoided through the use of tight boots (and a little help from your friends). The two chalets, which feature a cafeteria, are a welcome break from the cold weather outside. Leslie Blogg (left) and Angela Theriault are seen here enjoying some coffee indoors. I 1 l 1 X..- JBLmt This young skier is seen making his way to the tow. And although he didn't need any help, the ski club does offer lessons to beginners of all ages. This group is busy learning from one of the many professional instructors who teach at the site. Judging from tlie speed that most picked up the skills, it's a safe bet they were soon headed for the larger hills.