History of the Dayton Ski and Board Club

The Dayton Ski Club was born when two men learned the thrill of skiing. To quote from Tom Sheetz’s article in the first issue of Der Jodler ;

“it all started innocently enough when an enthusiastic friend (Howard Preston) who had just experienced the thrill of skiing for the first time told me about a fabulous ski resort in Michigan called Boyne Mountain. The idea of a ski club in Dayton… was born sometime during this ’52-53 season, March , 1952 to be exact. .” Skiing equipment was hard to find back then , Tom and Howard had to spend the day in the attic of General Surplus hunting for matched pairs of army surplus skis. About six people trekked to Boyne for skiing and the New Year’s celebration of 1953. One year later in March 1953 a group drove to Aspen Colorado for the first western trip. First bus trip to Boyne was in Jan. 1955 with the trip swelling to two buses in 1963. The original club members called themselves Ski Bees with a skiing bee emblem.

We became a year–round club when the biking group met during the summer. Membership reached a peak of 1,100 during the middle 1970s. Summer programs exploded in 1979 with a annual trip to Put-In-Bay, Tennis, softball, canoeing, whitewater rafting and Houseboat trips. During this period we considered buying our own building. Our traditional home was the Christopher Club, but we also met in the Oregon District at Icabods and Baliwicks (later the home of Diamonds) on 725 and for a few years at NCR Country Club.

We currently meet each 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at Chappy's Tap Room and Grille from 7 - 9pm.

And, with many different programs that run through the year, the club offers a little of everything for everyone! Some of our activities include:

• Sports Leagues, including Tennis, Golf, Biking, Volleyball, and Softball
• Annual Events, including our Holiday Gala, Wine Tasting, Club Picnic, Zip-line Adventure, and Camping/Canoe Trip
• Community events, with participation in the Dayton Air Show, Adopt-A-Highway Service Project, Oktoberfest, and the Western Ohio Epilepsy Foundation's fundraiser Mud Volleyball Tournament
• Seasonal Sight-seeing trips to places like the Napa Valley or New England
• Western Ski/Snowboard trips to places like Vail, Tahoe, Snowbird, Mt. Bachelor, Aspen, and Big Sky
• International Ski/Snowboard trips to place like France, Italy, Belgium, and Switzerland
• Weekend Ski/Snowboard trips to places like Boyne Mt. (MI), Holiday Valley (NY), Jay Peak (VT), and Seven Springs (PA)

There is sure to be something for everyone - Don't Miss The Fun!

Click here to see our Membership Information.