Kate Leydig putts for par on the 9th hole of the Big Sky Golf Course at the first BSSEF Swing into Summer Charity Golf Tournament. PHOTO BY BRANDON WALKER
BIG SKY – On June 27 the Big Sky Ski Education Foundation held their first fundraiser since February due to COVID-19 cancelations, postponements and precautions. 26 teams competed in the first BSSEF Swing into Summer Charity Golf Tournament which brought in between $6,000 and $7,000 in proceeds benefiting BSSEF operations.
“The support for it was overwhelming,” BSSEF Executive Project Director Callie Pecunies said. “We really weren’t sure when we went into this whether people were going to be willing to be sponsors and … pay the entry fee and buy raffle tickets.”
Kicking off with a shot gun start at 10 a.m. the sunny and partly cloudy conditions made for ideal golf conditions for the 26 teams, which were comprised of four competitors each.
“It was awesome. It was a beautiful day in Big Sky,” competitor Daniel Bierschwale said of the tournament. “… The perfect activity for socially distancing and being able to soak up some sun on the golf course.”
Pecunies was initially fearful that BSSEF wouldn’t fill the team limit that was set for the tournament, but teams registered and filled the field prior to even the registration deadline on June 22.
“I was hoping we could get at least 20 teams,” she said. “… We’ve been you know just really pleased with the support and the number of sponsors.”
The tournament was capped with a team limit because of the availability of golf carts rather than for COVID-19 precautions. Pecunies said it was due to the amount of golf carts that the Big Sky Golf Course could allow BSSEF to utilize, while still being able to offer carts to the public looking to casually play.
“I think it speaks to the excitement of just doing something after so many months of not doing things,” Pecunies said, referring to how quickly registration filled.
Adjustments were made to the tournament to ensure the safety of all participants. Teams were adequately spaced throughout the course, there were multiple scoreboards rather than having one gathering place for teams to check final scores, as well as various stands to purchase beverages located around the course to further avoid large gatherings of people.
“I felt super safe and commend the BSSEF for following all of the recommended CDC guidelines,” Bierschwale said. “I think they set a positive example [for] the rest of the community [and] being able to do this at some point again this summer.”
Funds raised from the golf tournament, sponsored by Big Sky Build, First American Title Company and Pinky G’s Pizzeria, will be crucial to BSSEF, after they had to cancel large-scale competitions due to COVID-19. The cancelations resulted in a loss of about $30,000 in revenue, according to Pecunies. The Tri-Divisional Alpine Championships and the Freeride World Qualifier were both canceled due to the pandemic.
BSSEF will still have the opportunity to host these competitions next year, after the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association decided to honor the same hosts who had to cancel the competitions this year, rather than allowing bidding for the competitions to determine the host.
BSSEF also extended their annual winter raffle, which typically concludes in April, but instead the organization is continuing to sell tickets until the fall, while also selling fireworks at their fireworks trailer located next to the Conoco.
The “Bozone Hawks,” comprised of Henry Farley, Tom Hoffman, Thomas Sexton and Taylor Limanek, came away with the top gross score of the tournament at 57 strokes, while “Biggerstaff Construction” made up of Jerad Biggerstaff, Taylor Graham, Ryan Blechta and Brian Scott, was the top net scoring team at 58 strokes.
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
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Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep inward journey and peak state experience. This experience can activate and clear the chakras, release trauma, reset the nervous system, connect us with higher consciousness, and help us achieve self-actualization. No prior experience is necessary. Register at santoshabigsky.com/workshops-special-events
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March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
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We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.