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Sunday, October 3rd, 2002

Chilly days and chilly nights mean Fall is in the air at Camp Nicolet! The leaves are beginning to change color - from their usual vibrant greens to vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges. And while the docks are in, the cabins freshly painted, and the sports equipment stored for another winter in the northwoods, great memories of Summer 2002 still linger in the air. Welcome to this edition of "News from Franklin Lake" where we'll tell you about an alum who returned to visit camp for the first time in over 50 years! We'll update you on camp director Georgi Starz's 2002 appearance at the Goode Water Ski National Championships held in mid-August near Houston, Texas. This trip included a special visit to alum Dr. Lynn Marx Richison and present camper Abbey Richison's home in Galveston, Texas. Also, have you ever wondered what happens to the Ski Jump during the winter? Read on, and find out about all this and more in this edition of "News from Franklin Lake!"

Nicolet
Technology Update
Introducing On-line Registration!

In looking ahead to Summer 2003, Camp Nicolet is proud to annouce the addition and implementation of on-line registration! With a simple visit to campnicolet.com, one will be able to register for a session, select optional activies, and submit important information to camp. One will also be able to view their complete up-to-the-minute account balance information on-line. With this, camp is looking to simplify the registration process and eliminate some of the cumbersome paperwork and snail-mail forms traditionally associated with registering for camp. We are looking to have the on-line registration system in place by October 15th. If you are new to submitting forms and information on-line, fear not as more information on this process will be sent to you in the next few weeks. Please feel free to call the camp office if you have any questions regarding this process. Camp Nicolet is excited to offer this technology to you, as we look to simplify the registration process for 2003 and beyond!

- Excellent Events At Nicolet -

October 15th, 2002:
Projected date for beginning of On-line Registration!

November 1st, 2002:
"Early Bird" Registration deadline


Starz Atttends 2002 Goode
Water Ski National Championships
by Jeremy Starz



On Wednesday, August 14th and Thursday, August 15th, Camp Nicolet director Georgi Starz competed in the 2002 Goode Water Ski National Championships held at Lago Santa Fe Lakes, near Houston, Texas. At the 2002 Wisconsin State tournament Starz earned 1st place ratings in Jumping, Slalom, and Tricks, giving her a 1st place overall rating in her division, EP Ratings in all of her events, and qualifying her for the 2002 National Championships. 2002 is the second year in a row Starz has made an appearace at the National Championships; something which is very exciting for her on many different levels. Not only does Starz feel a personal sense of achievement, but there is much knowledge to be gained through attending events like these - knowledge which can be passed directly to participants in camp's waterskiing program. Sharing this knowledge with others has always been exciting for Starz. At the National Championships, Starz competed in the Women's 5 Divison, earning a 12th place finish in slalom, a 6th place rating in trick skiing, and an impressive 3rd place finish in jumping. These ratings qualified Starz for a phenomenal 5th Place Overall rating at the National Championships. With this rating, Starz is already qualified for the 2003 National Championships, which will again be held at the Lago Santa Fe Lakes, just south of Houston, Texas. And Georgi already has some water skiing pointers she is excited to share with 2003 Nicolet campers and staff!

"Friends are Friends Forever..."


Alumni Places and Faces

Camp Nicolet received a surprise visit from alumnus Lynn Manaster Alperin during the week of Woodson YMCA camp at Nicolet. Alperin, of Galveston, Texas, was a camper in 1944, Nicolet's inaugural summer. She returned as a camper and staff member for a few more years during the 1940s. Lynn's visit to camp in August 2002 is remarkable, as this was the first time she had returned to camp since her years as a staff member in the late 1940s; this was the first time she had seen camp in more than 50 years! Many things at camp have changed since that time, but many places and traditions remain the same. Lynn shared some great stories and memories with us from the early years of camp. We extend a heartfelt thanks to Lynn for visiting us at camp, and encourage all alumni to drop by and spend some time at camp if they are in the area. Thanks, Lynn! What a great surprise!


Have you visited our
Alumni Page? Check it out!

A trip to the 2002 Goode National Water Ski Championships included a trip to Galveston, Texas to visit alum Dr. Lynn Marx Richison and present camper Abbey Richison at their home. It's always fantastic to catch up with alumni and campers during the "off-season." The evening included a fantastic BBQ dinner, some great stories from Summer 2002 and summers past, and spectacular views of Galveston Bay. We would like to extend a huge thank you to the Richisons for their hospitality!

Pittsburgh, PA alums Allie Scott, Ruthie Morrow, Carrie Douglass, Cris "Nel" Scott, Carrie Scott, Lindsay Williams, and Darcy Williams-Turner gather in Canada for a 2002 "mini-reunion"!


One...
Two...
Three!
Slippery Sidney's Wintertime Home
by Newsletter Staff



All summer long it sits out in the lake, providing thrill after thrill for daring and motivated water skiers. It has also been know to provide an ideal location for seagulls interested in soaking up some sun. It's always an exciting privledge for CITs and ACs to go out and "water the jump" before someone skis off of it. But what happens to Slippery Sidney when there's ice on the lake? Surely it doesn't stay there, frozen in the lake for months at a time... it certainly isn't sunk to the bottom like the slalom course is... and it isn't stored in the boathouse with the sail boats... what happens to Slipery Sidney?!?

Well, before the weather gets too cold, Georgi, Jeremy, and Jamie "take the jump out" and it lives on land in front of Tamarack for the winter! This year, Jeremy and Georgi motored out to the jump in the Ski Nautique and unfastened the jump from the cables which hold it in place. Then, the jump is very slowly towed to shore behind the boat. Once near the shore, Jamie and Jeremy set up a winch system which connects the jump to the camp truck. After this is set up, the truck drives very slowly down the sidewalk by Pines and slowly pulls the jump, now on its wheels, up onto the beach by Tamarack. Once on the beach, Jamie jacks up the jump and sets it on cement blocks. This allows the wheels to drain, and keeps them from going flat during the winter. Next year during pre-camp, a project for the whole staff will be to push the jump back in the lake, so thrill after thrill can be had during summertime 2003!

Nicolet Congratulates
USA Water Ski Level Two Instructors
by Jeremy Starz



During the last weekend of September, Nicolet director Georgi Starz and Nicolet ski director Chris Starz atteneded USA Water Ski's Level Two Coaching Clinic held at Sunset Lakes in Okahumpka, Florida. Sunset Lakes is considered to be the home of International Tournament Skiing. At the conclusion of the weekend, Georgi and Chris received their Level Two Instructor certifications. All Nicolet ski staff are required to be at least Level One Instructors; the certification program for which focusing mainly on skiing techniques, boat driving, communication, and teaching. The Level Two program, in which Georgi and Chris participated, focuses on updated skiing techniques, competition skiing and coaching, and sports medicine. The instructors at Sunset Lakes included Jack Travers, one of the most respected and recognized ski coaches in the world. Twice Jack has been named "U.S. Olympic Coach of the Year for Water Skiing." Rhoni Barton, a current competitor on a national and international level also taught at the clinic. Coaching the water sessions, one of Rhoni's most recent titles include Open Womens Overall Champion at the 2002 Goode Water Ski National Championships held at Lago Santa Fe Lakes. Instructing the sports medicine portion of the clinic was Nancy Cummings, who is the chair of the Sports Science/Medicine Committee with USA Water Ski. She currently works with US water skiers, the USA decathalon team, and was head trainer for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. She lectured on various aspects of sports medicine which are involved with coaching and training water skiers. Both Starzs involved feel the Level Two certification to be "Very beneficial!" for camp, advancing knowledge of current techniques in 3-event skiing, coaching techniques, equipment, and boat driving patterns for learning enhancement. Georgi and Chris look forward to sharing these new things learned with campers and staff next summer!

From The Editor:

by Jeremy Starz

Things sure are quiet at Camp Nicolet since the conclusion of our summer season. Although things have been quiet, the office and maintenance department have been bustling with activity. We are very excited to begin offering on-line registration beginning later this month. Jamie has been busy fixing things and making facilities improvements for next year. Camp would like to extend a special "thank you" to staff members Jodi Considine and Kelly Hoell who returned to camp for a couple weeks at the close of the season to do various projects around camp. Thanks to Jodi and Kelly, bathrooms in East End cabins have a new look, cabins are sparkly clean, equipment is properly stowed for the winter, and camp looks generally great! Thanks, Jodi and Kelly, for coming back and helping to make camp a great place for everyone! Camp is also working on some exciting new activites and trips for next year - we'll keep you posted on these. So, even though the weather's getting a little colder and things are a little quieter, things have been quite busy as we look forward to another great summer. Thanks for dropping by and checking out this edition of "News from Franklin Lake." Check back later this month and see what camp looks like during the beautiful fall season, and be watching for more camp news and notes! Think Sunshine!




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