Welcome to the
Tampa Bay Ski Club website!

April LaCava - St. Petersburg, FL

Hi, I am April LaCava and I look forward to meeting all of you on our exciting upcoming ski trip.  I want to tell you a little about myself. I was born and raised in the Carrollwood area, and now live in northeast St. Petersburg.  I work as a court reporter for Musetta & Associates. My son Andrew, who is 16, attends Chamberlain High School.   

One day out of the blue I decided to try snow skiing.  I thought what better way to try my first experience than with a group of people.  My son and I took our first trip in January, 2002, to Winter Park, Colorado.  That was all it took for me.  I was hooked.  I loved all the great people that I met on the trip and fell in love with the scenery out West.  My next trip was to Park City, Utah.  That is when I decided I needed to become an assistant trip leader, which then led to becoming a trip leader. I have been skiing every year since. 

When I met my husband, Lou, who had never skied before, I convinced him and three of his daughters to join my son and me on a trip to Big Sky, Montana. We had such a great time, we now take a family trip every year.  Everyone in the family made new friends.

This year Lou will be my official assistant trip leader.  Interests of our family are boating, golfing, bowling, sporting events and traveling. We are members of one of the Gasparilla Krewes.   We always enjoy spending time with family and friends. We have made many friends over the years traveling with the ski club.  We enjoy every trip and recommend it to everyone.  Whether single, couples, or family, you will have a fantastic time.   We look forward to seeing some of our old friends and, of course, making new friends on our next trip. We sure hope you will join us!

Trip Leader:
Big Sky #1

Chris Elam - Tampa, FL

Chris is a native of Tampa and has worked with skiers as a Travel Agent at Bowen Travel for 12 years. She has coordinated more than a hundred group trips all over the USA and Canada. This will be her fourth year of leading ski trips to Colorado for our Ski Club. In addition, she has visited many ski areas such as Heavenly, Breckenridge, Winter Park, Keystone, Copper, Vail, Aspen, Beaver Creek and Snowmass. She loves traveling out west and taking care of “her people” as a ski trip leader. Let Chris put her enthusiasm and experience to work for you at Copper Mountain.

Trip Leader:
Copper Mountain

Cindy Dickerson

Hello Skiers and Boarders:

My name is Cindy Dickerson and I am the trip leader of the Winter Park #1 trip over MLK Weekend, 2012. A little about me… I am a senior commercial sales engineer for Carrier Air Conditioning, a great company where I have worked for over 20 years.  I have a college freshman son, Zack, who is an avid skier and always travels on my trips with me.  It is the best family time we get all year, generally uninterrupted Mom and Son time.  It’s pretty hard to get that around home!

I have been skiing and boarding for about 10 years, and have led club trips every year for at least 8 years.  Besides the several times I have been to Winter Park, I have skied and/or boarded at Big Sky, Breckenridge, Park City, Copper Mountain, Crested Butte, Keystone, A-Basin  and Steamboat.  A few years ago, I tried boarding and fell in love with it so haven’t strapped the skis on since then but I definitely have the perspective of both sides, having done both.   You will find me either on the snow or freshly soaking in the hot tub when the lifts close every day. 

I truly like people and that’s why I lead trips.  My goal is for everyone on my trips to have a good time and do what they want to do on their vacation, even if it’s take the day off and sit by the fire getting in some quiet reading.  I believe that our club has something to offer for the biggest enthusiast down to the family or friend who just wants to get away and take it easy for a little while. 

Please consider joining me on my trip – we are going to hit the mountain hard and cool our heels with some relaxing R and R in the evenings!!  

Trip Leader:
Winter Park #1

Debi Oakes

Bio Coming Soon.

Trip Leader: Lake Tahoe

Fitz Rawls - Tampa, FL

Fitz is a long time skier who enjoys meeting new skiers and re-establishing friendships with many prior ski trip participants. He grew up in Tampa and learned to ski while attending college in New England. When he moved back to Tampa he found that skiing with a Club was the easiest, most fun and most economical way to ski from Florida! He soon became a trip leader and has taken over 40 groups to European and Rocky Mountain resorts. He joined Bowen Travel in 1994 and is now Manager of their Ski Department. He is always willing to share his experience and expertise with anyone looking for “just the right” ski trip. This year’s trips to St. Mortiz staying at Club Med and to Big Sky, Montana, will be high-light trips and are not to be missed by anyone wanting to ski, ski and ski some more!

Trip Leader:
St. Moritz

Tomi Rawls - Tampa, FL

Calling All Winter Adventurers!!!

My name is Tomi Rawls and my husband, Fitz, and I will be leading the St. Moritz trip January 14-22 and the Big Sky trip Mar 10-17. A bit of background.....I grew up skiing on a frozen "hill" called Boyne Mountain in northern Michigan - and later graduated to the equally frozen mountains of New England. BUT, I didn't know any better so I loved it....and I sure learned how to EDGE!!

Oddly, moving to Florida opened up Western skiing to me. I worked as a ski planner for Bowen Travel for many years. I have been fortunate to ski almost every major ski resort in the West. About 15 years ago, we started leading trips to Europe - which gave me more things to love about skiing. The panoramas of the Alps are truly breathtaking. The intimacy of the villages and the enormity of the skiable terrain is a perfect combination. Winter sports were invented, or at least perfected, in these kinds of villages. Ski, board, Nordic ski, skate, sleigh ride (real sleighs, not hay wagons),....it is all there. They even have horse races and polo in the snow and ice.

I find there is a wonderful group camaraderie that occurs with these groups to European destinations. Since our hotels provide breakfast and dinner, we have more time to enjoy the group....not just the people with whom we are skiing. The discovery of an incredible run and the description of spectacular wipe out is shared. On mountain restaurants are critiqued (oooh, those lunches are a long way from an overcooked burger and cold fries). And, (beware all you men) AMAZING SHOPPING is described in full detail!!!

Big Sky is like a second home to me, it is owned by the same family that owns Boyne Mountain where I learned to ski! It is one of the premier resorts in the Rockies with lots of snow, a huge variety of runs and NO CROWDS! With Yellowstone National Park just down the road there is a “once in a life time” opportunity to take one of the greatest side trips available at any ski destination. Tampa folks have been visiting Big Sky every year since it opened in 1972. If you haven’t been to Big Sky, now is your chance!

I hope you will join us on either of these trips....they are guaranteed to be memory-makers!!!!

Trip Leader:
Big Sky #2

Helen Newcombe

Helen grew up in Colorado and started skiing at 12 years old. As a trip leader since 1998, she has lead one to three ski trips per year to many ski areas in the Rockies and Europe. Helen has met some great people on her many ski trips and has built up a large list of satisfied travelers. As a result of this experience, her trips usually fill up quickly. Helen looks forward every year to skiing her favorite mountains and meeting new friends. Her other hobbies and interests include golfing, biking and traveling.

Trip Leader:
Winter Park #2

Joyce Jonaitis

Joyce Jonaitis and her husband, Tony, have led many group hiking, camping and skiing trips in Europe and the United States. When it is not ski season, you can find them kayaking down many Florida rivers. One of their favorite times to ski is early December when the slopes are not crowded, the towns are decorated for the holidays and the rates are low! Their ultimate goal is to see that everyone has a great time, gets their monies’ worth and meets new friends! Joyce’s condo is a second home to all her skiers, join Joyce and her group at Vail for a great time.

Trip Leader:
Vail

Judy Page-Lieberman - Tampa, FL

I have been skiing for most of my life, having started out in New England and Eastern Canada, usually in very cold and icy conditions! I now love western skiing and think all the mountains out there are spectacular. One of my favorites is Telluride where you can literally ski a run aptly called “See Fore-ever”. I am very happy to return to that lovely western town and those great trails. Join me to share this wonderful mountain and a jewel of an old-time mountain town.

Back home in Tampa, where I have lived for 22 years, I am a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.

Trip Leader:
Telluride

Mike Waller - Lakeland, FL

Mike grew up as an Army brat, moving every few years and yet he still loves to travel! He learned to ski at age 10 in Garmich, Germany. He also was an Army helicopter pilot for ten years and then flew in the Gulf of Mexico out to the oil rigs for ten years. Mike loves being outdoors and feeling the sun and wind on his face. Currently he and his wife operate Laser Recharge Co., a small business in Lakeland. They have 3 adult children and 2 grandchildren. After a 30-year break from skiing, it has become his passion. He has skied numerous resorts in Europe and the Rockies and is an excellent trip leader. Mike loves to share his enthusiasm for skiing with his trip participants. He is organized, capable and energetic. Join him in Snowmass this January for a great trip with lots of “extras” to go with the super slopes of Four different ski areas!

Trip Leader:
Snowmass #1

Mitch Franks - Lakeland, FL

Mitch Franks, a lawyer from Lakeland, has been skiing for over forty years. He is an expert skier but with two knee replacements he spends most of his ski time cruising instead of banging the moguls. He lived & worked in Germany for four years where he skied the slopes of Austria, France, Germany, Italy & Switzerland. One ski season he started the ski year in Zermatt skiing the Matterhorn on July 4th. In North America he has skied just about every major ski area in the lower 48 and Canada. With the Tampa Bay Ski Club he has been a trip leader to Steamboat & Snowmass while assisting with trips elsewhere. Knowledgeable and helpful, his goal is to make every ski trip a success.

Mitch has been to Steamboat many times so he is very familiar with the mountain & the town. A gourmet and a wine connoisseur, it is reported that there is hardly a watering hole in Steamboat where he has not tipped one back. On this years trip he plans visits to the hot springs, a possible sleigh ride and a farewell dinner. There will be trips to town to enjoy the many restaurants and the many other activities in Ski Town, U.S.A.!

Trip Leader:
Steamboat

Raoul Weinstein - Lakeland, FL

Raoul has been skiing the west for over 30 years and has been a trip leader for 17 years. This year's Sertomans & Friends trip, sponsored by the Sertoma Club of Lakeland, will be the 17th annual fundraiser for Camp Endeavor, a camp in Dundee, FL for speech and hearing impaired kids. Over the past 16 years, this fun and fairly-priced trip has raised over $60,000! Raoul always plans three dinner parties for his group plus other activities that keep the group together. He has led numerous ski trips for the Tampa Bay Ski Clubs over the past 15 years. But he never lets his ski trips interfere with his other favorite past-time: being a cruise ship gentleman ballroom dance host! For the past 8 years his cruises have crossed the seven seas, visited six continents and toured many of the most exciting and exotic countries in the world. And all he has to do is dance with the ladies each evening -- what a life! He stays in shape for skiing by dancing -- or is it the other way around? He is a retired Realtor (how else could he have time for his "past-times?") and shares his time between Lakeland, FL and Greenville, SC.

Trip Leader:
Breckenridge #2
(Sertoma) and
Snowmass #2

Sheila Coningham

Sheila’s first ski trip was at the age of 50! So, you’re never too old to learn. Since then she has skied at least twice a year trying to make up for lost time! She now can ski black runs, but prefers the pace and comfort of blue runs. Since she doesn’t have anything to prove, she leaves the black runs to the young skiers and boarders.

She has been a leader and an assistant leader several times. This year she is looking forward to leading the April group to Breckenridge. The “Breck” is one of her favorites, there is so much to do on the mountain and all around the town.

Off the slopes Sheila is a nurse and enjoys helping elderly patients. Presently she works part time in an ALF and a Skilled Nursing Facility. Her other hobbies are golf, reading, and fishing. An extra bonus for her travelers is her son, Matt, who goes skiing with her every year. He is a friendly firefighter and everyone enjoys getting to know him. Join Sheila and Matt for a great late season trip to Breckenridge.

Trip Leader:
Breckenridge #3