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Sunday, January 24
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We are going skiing this year! This is a lot of fun, a chance to win
points for your team, and a great way to learn/practice a skill
crucial to any researcher--sliding down a mountain on one or two
pieces of wood. Family and friends are welcome. The guests can
also contribute points to the team of their hosts.
Logistics
We will go to Loon Mountain, New
Hampshire. The bus will leave from the Tech Square parking lot on
Sunday morning (I will know the exact time on
Thursday) and will bring us back after the lifts stop running
(expect to be back by 8pm or so).
You missed the deadline for a group sign up, so now you need to call
Boston Ski and Sports Club and sign up with them. The person
in charge of this trip is Ken Olsen, his phone number is 789-4070,
ext. 231. Tell him you are with the MIT group and would like to be
picked up at Technology Square with the rest of the group. Also, send me an
e-mail,
so I know you are coming.
If you are taking a beginner's package, sign up with Ken
for a bus ride only ($26), and bring the rest of the cash
with you to the trip. If you are taking
a beginner lesson or renting, it is especially important that
you send me an
e-mail,
as I need to know how many people will be doing that.
Here are the prices:
- Lift ticket only - $48
- Beginner's package (2 hour lesson, rental,
and a lift ticket to the lower part of the mountain) - $58
- Ski rentals (skis, poles, boots) - $20 adults/$17 kids
- Snowboard rentals (board, boots) - $26 adults/$23 kids
Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a parent. For
children between the ages of 14-17 who will be skiing without their
parents, the parents must sign a consent form. I have the forms in my
office (NE43-737).
Beginners
This is your perfect opportunity to try it out. And you will be doing
it with your friends. We are getting lessons for beginners. You can
choose to try skiing or snowboarding. Take a look at the scoring
system. You can bring many points to your team by having a good time.
Accessories
You can get more points for your team by wearing a costume, or an
unusual accessory. There are two themes for the accessories (or five,
depending on how you count): the
Olympics theme for this year
(or four of them) and the bison theme.
We will do the scoring of this item on the bus, twice: on the way
there and back. You get more points if your costume survives a day of
riding.
Scoring system
You can get points in several ways. First, participation gives you points.
Second, any beginner who tries a sport for the first (or second, or third)
time can bring points to their team. Then you get points for the costumes.
And, of course, you get points for performance. Similarly to the road race,
you will get points for every run you make. I still have to figure out
the implementation for this, but I will have one when we get on the bus.
- Participation - 1 point/person.
- Beginners who start skiing/snowboarding that day:
- Take a lesson, or just start learning - 7 points/person
- Also enjoy themselves - 9 extra points/person
- Costumes: any accessory related
to the Olympics theme or
the bison theme:
- That judges recognize as such - 3 point/person
- That stays on for all day - 3 extra points/person
- Slope runs:
- Green (beginners) - 7 points/run
- Blue (intermediate) - 3 points/run
- Black (advanced) - 1 point/run
- The best skier/snowboarder in their category (the most runs in that category):
- Green - one first prize: 5 points
- Blue - 2 prizes: 10 point (first) and 5 points (second)
- Black - 3 prizes: 20 points (first), 10 points (second), 5 points (third).
If two people come in first, we will give two prizes of the same number of points,
so you don't have to try to take your competitor out.
Ok, this is complicated enough. The winning strategy is to go on a trip,
wear funny costumes and, most importantly, have a good time!
Polina Golland