A couple of milestones already have and will be hitting our club… Bruce Ski Club will be 40 years old next season!
I can’t believe it has been that long since those early days of three-pin bindings, wooden skis and pine tar, knickers and the ever present wine skin (I don’t recall ever putting wine in it). The other milestone is a sadder one: the closing of the beautiful Rankin Ski Trail.
To commemorate these milestones some of our long-standing members have come forward with ideas to preserve our history.
Our club treasurer, Andrew Howlett, felt we needed something to remember Rankin, so he has requested that Bruce Ski Club members, former members and friends send him pictures, stories
and anecdotes about skiing and working on the Rankin Ski Trail.
This is Andrew’s request in his own words:
“Hi everyone. I have lots of great memories from Rankin Trail: working on the trail with friends, spotting an almost invisible white rabbit hiding in the snow, singing songs and eating chili at the lodge. Problem is I don’t take any photos and I’m a terrible writer. Do you have photos or stories you can share from Rankin Trail?”
Meanwhile Jackie Mersich has offered to write a history of our club as a whole to celebrate our 40 years. Then charter member and nationally acclaimed writer, Laura Robinson, came up with the idea of publishing a book about the club’s history.
We are still working out the details of how this will come together, but in the meantime we are asking all of you to start digging through those old snapshots or slides… You know, like the picture that shows dad spread eagle at the bottom of Freefall, or your little ones in Jackrabbits.
If you feel the urge, write what you remember about those early days. It doesn’t have to be long and perfect, just say what you feel and write it down. It will be fun to read what we come up with.
If you have information and photos to share with us, send us a message on our website.
We can scan snapshots and slides if you can’t and will return them when finished.