History
The Huntsville Ski Club started in 1963 with a handful of people that enjoyed traveling together and had a passion for alpine skiing. Later, as interest picked up, the group formalized itself by incorporating January 29, 1965 as a non-profit social club within the State of Alabama. The club officers for the first 'official' year were:
Bo Stokes President
A. W. Galzerano Vice President
Jo Anne Mattson Secretary
Beverly Smith Treasurer
The Club has many long term members. Bo Stokes and his wife Carolyn, along with Beverly Smith were very active in the club until the mid 1970's. Another long time HSC member was Tom Foster. He was an active club member longer than any other. Tom had been a member since 1965 and an active skiing member through 2012.
In 1971, Loren Gross and John Newton started the ski patrol at Cloudmount Ski Resort at Mentone, AL; and, the Huntsville Ski Club has several active members on the ski patrol at Cloudmount during the winter ski season.
The first HSC western ski trip was to Aspen, Colorado, in the mid-1960s, where the HSC members rode a bus to and from Colorado - what a party that must have been! By the early seventies, the club used air charters with one of the other affiliated ski clubs/councils. The first was in 1971 to Crested Butte, CO, and was coordinated by Bill and Joyce Holbrooke. On HSC's second chartered trip, John and Kay Newton coordinated the trip to Crested Butte, CO. Streaking without clothes on planes and other locations had become popular during that period in the US, and HSC participated a bit on this trip. We had two streakers who ran down the aisle from the front to the back of the plane, possibly the very first streakers on a US chartered flight! These two streakers married later that year. The HSC trips during that period were very memorable!
At this time HSC only ran one trip per year. There were close to 70+ travelers on the trips. The cost of a seven-day trip with airfare was less than $300 per person, including lift tickets.
Janet Emery ran the first HSC trip using commercial air in 1979 to Breckenridge, CO, on Republic Airlines. The HSC troop was nearly banned from flying with Republic Airlines as the HSC "party hardy" habits did not moderate with public transportation ...or so it seemed. Today, HSC members with such behavio rwould find themselves behind bars or talking to a judge ... Seemed like air charter was the way to go...
In the mid eighties, the club started running two trips per year and the club eventually grew into a year-round social club that skis the winter months---and hikes, bikes, plays tennis, dances, and travels on cruises and to interesting cities all year long.
Roger Chassay
Historian 2012/2013
Contributing editors: Jean Vreuls, Janet Emery, Tom Foster, and John Newton