Our History
55+Ski Club was founded in 1979, under the leadership of David (Chick) Foster, by a small group of eleven senior skiers at Roundtop Mountain Resort (known then as Ski Roundtop). Chick and several others were members of the ski patrol. As president, Chick began building a ski club to attract qualified skiers to join. Early brochures were published with membership applications and distributed.
One of the big attractions he instigated was senior race day. He convinced Irv Naylor, the president and owner of Roundtop that giving free lift tickets to the newly formed club members, who came to race that day, would increase business. As a result, Race Day got its start. This event grew over the years and helped attract new members to the club and is still doing so today. Surely Mr. Naylor would agree that Race Day has enhanced Roundtops’ business overall. We all enjoy putting on the racing bib and sliding down through the gates, even if it is on Fanny Hill. Over the years the Club has added meetings in June and December and two trips each year usually to New York and Vermont.
Founder David (Chick) Foster
By Dave Werner
In August 2020, I received a nice email from Heather Eberly, the granddaughter of David “Chick” Foster, one of the founders of our club. Heather was using some extra time she had on her hands, due to the COVID virus shutdowns, to delve deeper into her family tree. Through her google search for information on her family, she was led to our club’s website where she found that her grandfather, Chick Foster, was one of eleven senior skiers who founded our club. Chick was our club’s first president. He passed away in 1995 but Heather says she still has his wooden skis with leather strap bindings that must be from the 1930’s. They remind her of his love for the soft shushing over fresh snow. Heather mentioned that, God willing, she will join our club in 15 years and that her grandfather’s legacy will then have come full circle. I sent Heather a couple of old pictures from a race day that I found in a box of club archived materials. The pictures were not dated nor did they identify the skiers in the picture. Heather was able to identify two people in the one picture I sent her, which I have attached. Chick Foster is the un-numbered tall fellow in the top row, farthest right, with hat and glasses. Her paternal grandfather, Thomas “Frank” Joerg II is in the front row, farthest right, crouched with the #1 vaguely visible on his jacket. Frank passed away in 2000. Based on the outfits, Heather guesses the picture may have been taken around 1988. Thank you, Heather, for your email and for identifying your grandfathers in the photo. Heather, we look forward to welcoming you in fifteen years to the Club that your grandfather Chick helped establish.
55+Ski Club was founded in 1979, under the leadership of David (Chick) Foster, by a small group of eleven senior skiers at Roundtop Mountain Resort (known then as Ski Roundtop). Chick and several others were members of the ski patrol. As president, Chick began building a ski club to attract qualified skiers to join. Early brochures were published with membership applications and distributed.
One of the big attractions he instigated was senior race day. He convinced Irv Naylor, the president and owner of Roundtop that giving free lift tickets to the newly formed club members, who came to race that day, would increase business. As a result, Race Day got its start. This event grew over the years and helped attract new members to the club and is still doing so today. Surely Mr. Naylor would agree that Race Day has enhanced Roundtops’ business overall. We all enjoy putting on the racing bib and sliding down through the gates, even if it is on Fanny Hill. Over the years the Club has added meetings in June and December and two trips each year usually to New York and Vermont.
Founder David (Chick) Foster
By Dave Werner
In August 2020, I received a nice email from Heather Eberly, the granddaughter of David “Chick” Foster, one of the founders of our club. Heather was using some extra time she had on her hands, due to the COVID virus shutdowns, to delve deeper into her family tree. Through her google search for information on her family, she was led to our club’s website where she found that her grandfather, Chick Foster, was one of eleven senior skiers who founded our club. Chick was our club’s first president. He passed away in 1995 but Heather says she still has his wooden skis with leather strap bindings that must be from the 1930’s. They remind her of his love for the soft shushing over fresh snow. Heather mentioned that, God willing, she will join our club in 15 years and that her grandfather’s legacy will then have come full circle. I sent Heather a couple of old pictures from a race day that I found in a box of club archived materials. The pictures were not dated nor did they identify the skiers in the picture. Heather was able to identify two people in the one picture I sent her, which I have attached. Chick Foster is the un-numbered tall fellow in the top row, farthest right, with hat and glasses. Her paternal grandfather, Thomas “Frank” Joerg II is in the front row, farthest right, crouched with the #1 vaguely visible on his jacket. Frank passed away in 2000. Based on the outfits, Heather guesses the picture may have been taken around 1988. Thank you, Heather, for your email and for identifying your grandfathers in the photo. Heather, we look forward to welcoming you in fifteen years to the Club that your grandfather Chick helped establish.
