Eastern Division NSP's News Magazine
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Division Director News
Bugs and heat still dominate here in North Creek, New York, but winter is never far away, and we’ve been busy! On May 5, at the Division Spring Officers’ Meeting, Cal Goldsmith stepped down after four years of dedicated work and the Region Directors elected me as the next Division Director. The election was competitive; I appreciate the respect shown by the other candidates and repeat my pledge to equally serve all fifteen regions. The DD works for everyone in the division.
I feel honored to serve and very grateful that Cal’s tireless efforts left the division in good shape. My first act as…
TWO GREAT EVENTS – Register Now
The Certified Boot Camp will be held at Holiday Mountain, NY on Friday, August 16 to Sunday, August 18. The Enhanced Patroller School will be held at Swain Mountain, NY, on Friday September 13 to Sunday, September 15. Click below for details.,
New Certified Chair Inspired by the Best Trainers
My name is Bill Zink. I started patrolling in 1994 at Ski Roundtop, a little hill in the southwest section of the Eastern Pennsylvania Region of the Eastern Division of the National Ski Patrol. I received my rust and blue coat on February 13, 1995, from one of the best trainers, Gordie Bell.
The next night, in my rush to get out on the slope and patrol, I promised my wife Natalie I would be home by 8 pm on Valentine’s night to celebrate our new house. Somewhere around 7:30 pm, while riding the chairlift, I witnessed a high-speed collision of two skiers…
The Certified Program: How it all began
In 1964, National Director Chuck Schobinger forwarded a committee report from the Southern Rocky Mountain Division to George Wesson, Jr. to work out the details for a ‘Certified’ program.
The Eastern Division put together a committee of inspiring New England patrollers to work out the details and proficiency requirements for a pilot program. It would demand the highest level of proficiency from patrollers through training and testing and would promote a level of patrolling in which there would be no compromise with excellence in skiing, first aid, patrol management, administration, and leadership.
Two years later, during the 1967-68 season, the pilot program was launched…
New Women’s Program Supervisor
I would like to introduce myself, Heather Newman, as the next Women’s Advisor for the Eastern Division. I grew up skiing at a small (one T-bar, six runs) mountain in Northern Maine and started my patrol career in 2010. Since 2013, I have been a volunteer patroller at Saddleback in Rangeley, Maine. I am a Senior Patroller, an OEC Instructor, and an OET TE. Over the past six years, I have worked with the Maine Region as the Women’s Advisor and am very excited to take on my new role.
Women in the Wild
The Genesee Valley Region hosted its first MTR (Mountain Travel and Rescue) Women’s Clinic, “Women in the Wild,” on June 2, 2024. An energetic group of 24 women from regions throughout New York State and New Jersey representing 10 different alpine and Nordic patrols attended and were able to refresh and/or be introduced to a combination of skills.
Annual AMN Instructor Refresher
Every Avalanche, Mountain Travel & Rescue, and Nordic/Backcountry Instructor must attend an Instructor Refresher every three years. These three programs work together to offer a combined Instructor Refresher annually. This year’s AMN Instructor Refresher is being held at Spring Mountain in Pennsylvania on September 14 & 15, 2024.
The Joys of Living Next to a Ski Slope
Back when I started patrolling in 1982, I was living in Washington, DC while working on Capitol Hill and commuting to Ski Liberty outside Gettysburg, PA, about 65 miles away. I could leave the office about 4:00 and still make my Friday night shift captain’s duties at 6:00. Then traffic became unbearable and I had to leave work at 3:00. When traffic grew even worse, even returning home after my shift took two or more hours. Thus, I made the decision to buy an empty lot in walking distance to the slope. I arranged to erect a small pre-fab home and that decision changed my life and definitely my patrolling career.
In Memoriam – Florence ‘Floss’ Kirkner
Florence A. Kirkner of Orchard Park, NY, passed away on May 1, 2024, at the age of 99. We all knew her as an inveterate volunteer, not just for NSP but on multiple levels as is shown by the awards she received from numerous organizations.
Floss joined the ski patrol in 1949 in the Far West Division where she served for 10 years. She was the co-patrol leader at Donner Ski Ranch, Soda Springs, CA from 1956-1960 and served as the first aid chair in the North Bay Region from 1950-1960. She was one of the first women in the NSP to take Monty Atwater’s Avalanche Patch course earning Patch #82.
In Memoriam – Roger E. Hyndman
Roger E. Hyndman, 87, of Ballston Spa, New York, passed away February 7, 2024, in hospice care, surrounded by his loving family. Roger was born in Buffalo, New York, and was an artist. He was first a teacher and later employed by the State of New York, Department of Education, developing art curricula for public school students. He graduated from SUNY Buffalo, with a BS, and from Syracuse University with a Masters of Fine Arts.
