Short characteristics of activities

The Ski School and Sport Club Aesculap is 33 years old / established in 1970 the founders of School are: Ms. Teresa Rażniewska, Mr. Stanisław Rażniewski and Ms. Danuta Koenig.

The School and Club assure upbringing and training in Alpine ski. This is a long term activity basing on a systematic training of children and youth in mountain skiing, in the course of one, two or many seasons. The members of School and Club pay fees for training and are given:

Training in all Saturdays and Sundays in the winter season/ on the snow/,

Activities in mountain tourism / once a week on Sunday, before starting the snow training,

Activities on the gymnastic room as the preparation to the winter season,
Transport to the winter place.

Wełtyń 1987	Wełtyń 1987	Wełtyń 1987
Babiniec 1988	Babiniec 1988	Babiniec 1988
Zakopane 1992	Sobieszów 1995	Łochowice 1991
Jelenia Góra 1993

The portraits of the members

AESCULAP organizes ski competitions for its members as well as inter club and international
(Euro-region Nysa) competitions, summer sport recreation camps and ski camps / with additional charge/.

AESCULAP has got the license of Polish Ski Association (PZN) to conduct:
*

Teaching to ski
*

Professional courses for the grade of school demonstrator and the assistant of SKI instructor PZN according to the regulations of the Association of Ski Instructors and Coaches (SITN) / which member we are /.

We are running :-) on the slopes of Łysa Góra for photo ( 1996 )

AESCULAP each season forms average: from 11 to 14 training groups / depending on the candidates / including: 1 sport group and 1 record breaking sport group/ members of Polish ski team/.
The Ski School and Sport Club Aesculap in the course of 33 years has brought up many good sportsmen and acquired instructor team composed now in 99 percent of own pupils.
AESCULAP is the owner of Winter Sport Micro-station on Łysa Góra mount / grounds, 4 lifts, system of snowing, snow conditioning machine /.

The instructor team of AESCULAP and instructor competitions

As I mentioned, is in 99 % composed of our alumni. Beside the personnel courses we organize theoretical and practical trainings for them each season / according to the recommendations of SITN /. The instructors work under supervision of the instructor-lecturer of PZN, who can online correct their activity during ski lessons. All staff is assessed after the season end according to the internal regulations of competition within AESCULAP and granted awards. The youth brought up in Aesculap also competes in Polish Open Competitions of Instructors and Coaches in Zakopane. The Management of Club delegates team composed of demonstrators, instructor assistants and instructors of PZN ( about 20 - 30 persons). It's an obligatory start showing their sport and style abilities. The best results /in their age groups gained/ season 98/99: Dominika Dworska 5'th place, Maja Majchrzak 8'th place, Katarzyna Seńko 3'rd place, Anna Słowińska 6'th place, Michał Kulej 5'th place . Note! Since 2001 SITN has changed the formula of competitions. Only instructors take part in them. The assistants and demonstrators take part in Regional Competitions which are at the same time the qualification contests to the Central Instructor Training Course of SITN-PZN.

The Alumni of Aesculap in the common photo. Zakopane ( 2000 ).

The results of XL Polis Instructor Competitions
(Among the first ten persons)

Instructor Assistants: Dominika Dworska 1 place, Katarzyna Seńko 4'th place .
Demonstrators: Magda Sosnowska 5'th place, Andrzej Piotrowski 7'th place, Piotr Ślawski 10'th place .
Instructors: Joanna Seńko 8'th place, Wojciech Piotrowski 8'th place, Dominik Więckowski 10'th place .
The individual starting groups were numerous. For example in the group of instructor's assistants 120 women, and over 200 men took part.

Dominika Dworska ( '1st place in the group instructor's assistants ) and Katarzyna Seńko ( 4'th place in the group of instructor's assistants ) at the competitions in Zakopane ( 2000 ) .

Wide spreading the idea of skiing and promotion of the region

AESCULAP has made its sport facilities available for broad ski publicity. Easy for skiing mountain slopes, the possibility to ski on artificial snow, electrical illumination, good sanitary and catering conditions all this makes the Winter Sport Micro-station Łysa Góra - Dziwiszówpopular among many people from Poland and abroad.  Also the communes of Je żów Sudecki and Góry Kaczawskie (Kaczawskie Mountains) are often presented in press and internet (internet service of Aesculap, Polish portals informing about ski resorts and snow conditions, regional and central Polish magazines, etc.). The Ski School Aesculap organizes several ski events having recreation and professional sport character every year. Our ski routes are wide, and are particularly suited to conduct the amateur competitions. Aesculappromotes the region also among numerous Polish ski instructors. As a member of  SITN it has the possibility to wide spread information about its ski station in this society (printed advertisements in the pre season bulletin of SITN etc.).

Integration of families taking part in activities of School and Club AESCULAP

Ski activities are mostly conducted on the area of Winter Sport Micro-station - ŁYSA GÓRA. The place enable the parents to see their children during training. The parents are easily ?infected" with the beauty of ski and in some time they start to learn this sport. Aesculap organizes family competitions every year. The children and their parents take part in them. A team may consist of father and son or daughter and mother and the result is a total of both times. We also organize ski fancy dress balls for the pupils and instructors.

Professional courses

Our alumni have been participating in since 1976 . They are youth, which started and finished ski learning in our school and most of them are in contact with us and they teach ski groups nowadays. We organize professional courses mostly at our place; Winter Sport Micro-station Łysa Góra - Dziwiszów but also in Herlikovice / Czech Republic. We conduct the courses among others to supply the instructor professionals for Aesculap. Current information about the professional courses you can find ...

THE CLENDAR OF MICROSTATION BUILD UP

HISTORY OF CLUB AND SCHOOL

1970 - 2001
Archival photos

1970

Ms.Teresa and Mr.Stanisław Rażniewski and Ms.Danuta Koenig organize the first group of persons willing to learn ski. In the activities of the newly formed ski - school participated the workers of Polish State Sanatorium as well as their children - 10 persons. So the pupils in age from 7 to 42 years. This group was the root of the nowadays Ski School and Sudecki Club Sportowy Aesculap (Sudety Sport Club Aesculap). The name is derived from the ancient Greek symbol of medical care, which society dominated in the Ski School at its start. The ski trainings were conducted once a week then.

1971

As a result of successful work of this small group of local skiers (the town Cieplice Śląskie Zdrój were not just then the part of Jelenia Góra) and growing interest in medical society, the school activity was getting pace. It was named ?The School of Skiing and Active Recreation Zdrowie (Health)". The first statutes and work schedules were elaborated; pointing out that the school was an institution which trains and brings up.

Teresa Rażniewska leads the snow tramway ( 1971 ).

1972

The new name of School is: Ski School Aesculap in Cieplice Śląskie Zdrój. The statute was changed its new base was the framework statute for ski schools elaborated by

PTTK-KTN (Polish Tourist Association). The financial means for the school were defined - they had to be mainly the fees of its members. Thus the children from poor or numerous families had no possibility to learn ski. Then people commonly called this school as elite school. Its members mostly came from the medical care society. This season a new custom was introduced: to carry identical caps (called "aesculaps" ).

Stanisław Rażniewski and Mr. Mieczysław Bogdaszewski with a group of youth under Łabski Szczyt ( 1978 ).

1973

Next changes in the school activity. Formerly, still irregular activities of mountain tourism and "in-room" trainings before the season became obligatory. It was decided not to let the children to learn ski without the earlier "in-room" training. So the school season was two months longer in Aesculap (from October to the end of April). One of the forms of upbringing work became the competition lasting the whole school season. It was based on the principle that the children were assessed for ( points in plus or minus) behavior, friendly help; coming to the training at time, frequent presence in the school activities. They were regularly assessed for improvements. This competition improved the discipline, raised the activity and feeling of the sense of duty. The best skiers were awarded at the season end.

Teresa Rażniewska with a group of children. Odrodzenie ( 1977 ).

At that time a new tradition was started the exchange of ski equipment (internal school pre-season exchange, organized mainly during the "in-room" trainings where, the parents of Aesculap pupils exchanged the ski used by their children). Also cooperation with the Ski factory in Szaflary / Poland was started. The skis were purchased at a selling price, so as to enable the children to buy them cheaper.

Tomasz Rażniewski with its group. Odrodzenie ( 1977 ).

1974

- Aesculap began to organize winter camps in the mountain shelters. The first one took place in "Odrodzenie" shelter / Karkonoska Przełęcz (spring holidays, April 1974). Since then such camps became a part of training system. In the period 1974 - 1976 the plans to participate in sport competitions of groups trained in Aesculap were put in practice. The representatives of the school took part in various ski competitions such as: sport competitions of PTTK (Polish Tourist Association), Championships of Elementary and Secondary Schools, Cup of local Newspaper (Nowiny Jeleniogórskie) many times. Participation in those events was helpful in the development of individual techniques of skiers. The experience gained in these competitions was helpful later, when the older alumni of Aesculap were given instructor grades. It was quickly noticed, that for good function of the school there was a strong need for trained personnel. The alumni were sent to specialist ski courses of PZN. The first, who were given the instructor's assistants grades were Astrid Koenig, Cezary Zahorski, Tomasz Rażniewski, Michał Rażniewski, Tomasz Kijanka, Aleksander Błachut. They also began to take part in Polish Competitions of Ski Instructors PZN. The first success was the second place of Cezary Zamorski (1976) and 5'th place of Astrid Koenig in individual age groups.

Michał Rażniewski with a group of children - Odrodzenie (1977).

1975

As a result of growing popularity of school and admission to young children it was decided to engage infant instructors. It must be pointed out, that at first the school admitted children from 7 years of age. Some time later even 6- and 5-year children were admitted too. It took many years of work with them for Ms. Teresa Rażniewska, Ms. Krystyna Szemplińska and Mr. Mieczysław Bogdaszewski; now this function is performed by Ms. Małgorzata Mierzwińska.

Krystyna Szemplińska with the smallest children during the camp in Odrodzenie ( 1987 ).

1977

In autumn 1977 next important changes took place in Aesculap. The school became a part of PTTK structure, gaining thus the rights of local unit of PTTK both, as a club and ski school. Despite large interest the school took in the ski society of Jelenia Góra ( its activity range was distinctly growing) there was not possibility to solve the problem of premises. Aesculap had no office at that time. Practically its "office" was run in private flat of Mr. & Ms. Rażniewski. Such conditions did not encourage them to work and there was often a question mark over a new ski season.

Piotr Żarczyński and his group during training (see the Aesculap-caps worn by the children). Łabski Sczyt (1979).

1980

- Aesculap was granted the license of Polish Ski Association. This document states (citation): "This LICENCE NR3 of Department of Sport (...) of Polish Ski Association, licenses the program activity of the Ski School (...) in Jelenia Góra under the leadership of Mr. St. Rażniewski, according to the statute of PZN concerning the ski schools (...) in the season 1980/1981".

1982

Important period in the development of our organization. This was the year of establishment and registration of association called "Ski School and Sport Club Aesculap" with the residence in Jelenia Góra.

Mr. Stanisław Rażniewski describing the merit and program of this association (starting from 1982) writes: (citation)
"Following the tradition and program of our School and Club from 1982 planned for 1983 and further, we establish that our association's activity field is physical education and especially skiing as a discipline of common and qualified sport, enriched (in upbringing and pedagogical processes) with subjects of science, knowledge in the field of own land, protection and shaping of environment, life and work hygiene, ecology and spatial planning and economy" (end of citation). In this organizational shape, with this name Aesculap has been functioning by now.

In this period the school leadership was urgently looking for a good, safe place to conduct ski trainings. A small field square Polana - Wiciarka in Jakuszyce, where Aesculap had had its lifts for years, was not sufficient for a developing club. The place of search became Góry Kaczwskie (Kaczawskie Mountains) near Jelenia Góra, particularly the region of Dziwiszów Chrośnica and Łysa Góra. This is a fragment of History of Łysa Góra: (cit.) "The first tour of the members of Ski School and Club AESCULAP on Łysa Góra took place in 1982 . Due to the imposition of martial law in Poland the skiing in Karkonosze mountains became impossible and there was a need to look for other places to conduct the ski lessons. This was a breakthrough year in the activity of School and Club. At that time the idea to build a skiing base on Łysa Góra emerged" ( end of citation). In 1984 Aesculap moved its office to the first premise in its history. It was located at Matejki Str in Jelenia Góra .

1985

The first rope lift called "Janosik" was installed on the slope of Ulimek in Dziwiszów. This was the beginning of ski base. The School does not need to seek more or less expensive solutions for training and tours boring ski trips ( for above one hundred of pupils) in Karkonosze mountains. At that time ( 1984 - 1987 ) the sportsmen of Aesculap begin to take part on ski competitions all over Poland. They were assisted by Mr. Janusz Pauli ( now lives in Austria worked one season in the School and Club), and Tomasz Rażniewski ( several years in a sport club MKS Karkonosze as a coach, worked two seasons in Aesculap, then went to Canada) and by Michał Rażniewski. At that time the School and Club were represented by the following sportsmen: Agnieszka Iwanow, Agnieszka Cymerska, Robert Guminiak, Artur Piątkowski, Patrycja Kalamus, Maciej Strawa, Grzegorz Bacior, oraz bracia Tomasz & Jaroslaw Markl. After successful regional starts began the central Polish competitions. The competition on the ski routes with the rivals from Zakopane or Bielsko caused that the Aesculap sportsmen were gradually improving their sport skills. Then they were still going to the Tatras to learn.

1986

The office of Aesculap was moved to Wiejska Street in Jelenia Góra. It has been functioning since then by now at the same location.

1987

The base in Jagniątków was established. Two plate - lifts were built in this place (the first one having the length of 140 m, the second 300 m ). They were built by the persons connected with Aesculap ( the parents of the pupils ) - Misters Mirosław Patronik, Zenon & Andrzej Palewicz and Antoni Kozik. The lifts could work there rather short and due to the snowless seasons in this place (Szerzawa Mount), this undertaking was dropped and the lifts moved to Dziwiszów. In this period the activity in qualified sport got pace. The sportsmen participated in the central competitions much more frequently than so far.

1988

The material base of the school was enlarged a bus "Jelcz" 080, with 32 seats. The need to have own transport means was very strong. Some time later ( 1990 ) two more second hand buses ( "Tam" A11 T ) were purchased; one of them became the magazine of spare parts, and the second one served for the Club members during the sport trips. The building of the first T-bar lift on Łysa Góra was started. ( Production: FMP Fampa Cieplice Śl. /now PMPoland/ the construction was under the leadership of Mr. Bogdan Pawłowski and his construction team an with the help of other specialists.

Agnieszka Żmijewska during the training slalom on the slope of Babiniec in 1988.

1989

In the previous years and in the beginning of the 90-ties quite energetically were organized the competitions for the children and youth, called "Laury". They were taking place in winter places, all winter seasons long. Their patron was for many years the activist of the sport club MKS "Karkonosze" Mr. Bogdan Skowroński, associated by KOZN and other ski Clubs of Lower Silesia. A big contribution in organization of these competitions was given by Aesculap plenty of them took place in the its sport bases on its slopes, in: Jagniątków - Szerzawa, in Dziwiszów - Ulimka and on Łysa Góra ). The young sportsmen of Aesculap won a lot of top places in them.

1990

The effects of several-year training work became visible. The sportsmen: Łucja Zgudka and Michał Kałwa got access to the country top team in the category youth. For example: Łucja won the alpine double competition on International Championships Schools Sport in Alpine Sports in Zakopane and Michał took there the fourth place .

1991

In the years 1991 - 1994 the Aesculap sportsmen took part in International alpine ski competitions. High ranks in qualifying competitions and country rankings enabled our alpine skiers to go in the Alps and to conquer with the Europe and World top in such competitions as: Trofeo Topolino ( Italy), Pinochhio Sugli Finali e Internazionali Abetone ( Italy), Internationale Jugend-Winterspiele Tirol ( Austria ), Skofia Loka ( Slovenia ).

Łabski Szczyt 1983	Hala Szrenicka 1985	Szkl. Poręba 1984
Łabski Szczyt 1984	Kopa 1984	Jagniątków 1988
Jakuszyce 1989	Zakopane 1990	Autobus nr 1 1988
Puchar Samotni 1988	Autobus nr 2 1991	Spindleruv Mlyn 1993
Spindleruv Mlyn 1994	Whistler - Kanada 1995	Whistler - Kanada 1997

More archival photos can be found at http://www.aesculap.0catch.com

1995

Great success of our sportsmen in prestige, world competitions Trofeo Topolino and Air Canada Whistler Cup. Piotr Kaczmarek won slalom giant in Italy and a slalom in Canada. Katarzyna Karasińska was two times the second. These results opened the way for "aesculapies" to further sport career. They became the start of the way to olympic team and team of Poland. In Italy after the competitions Trofeo Topolino the company Rossignol got interested in them, and they have been using the Rossignol ski by now. More about their results and career to be found on the sites: | | History of Sport.

1996

- Further changes on Łysa Góra slopes. After the expiry of the contract on cooperation with the z Mining Construction Plant from Lubin ( the company was restructured and its name was changed to Przedsiębiorstwo Budowy Kopalń ) Aesculap purchased the fixed property and became the sole owner of them in the Microstation Łysa Góra. Further activities to develop Łysa Góra took place. Excellent results of our sportsmen in the central country and international competitions. Piotr Kaczmarek won all the competitions of the Championships of Poland in Ustronie and International Championships SMS in Zakopane. Katarzyna Karasińska won two gold medals in the Championships of Poland. In Air Canada Whistler Cup Piotr came the 3'rd in super giant and Kasia came to be the 5'th in the slalom.

The construction of the new lift - Tatra-Poma was started and finished on Łysa Góra. In the years 97 - 98 Kaczmarek and Karasińska repeated their excellent results from the previous season. Very good turned to be also Bartłomiej Wasileńczyk, who won the silver medal on Polish Olympic Games of Youth. The next year brought medals on Polish Olympic Games of Youth too. Kaczmarek won the gold, Wasileńczyk - silver. It's worth noticing the participation of Bartłomiej Wasileńczyk in the World Championships of juniors. Our three sportsmen in Polish Sport Team .

1999

- Piotr Kaczmarek won everything in Polish Olympic Games of Youth in Zakopane, Katarzyna Karasińska won: silver, bronze and gold medal. Bartłomiej Wasileńczyk - two silver medals and one bronze. Bartłomiej & Piotr, two times stood on sport dais in the most important competitions in Poland. On the International Championships of Poland of Seniors they came to be second and third- just behind Andrzej Bachleda Jr, whilst in the Memorial of Br. Czech Piotr won and Bartek came third.

2000

The next investment on Łysa Góra. The building of the shelter was started. Excellent results of our instructors, instructor's assistants and demonstrators on Polish Central Competitions of Instructor in Zakopane. The instructor assistants: Dominika Dworska came first, Katarzyna Seńko 4'th. Demonstrators: Magda Sosnowska 5'th place , Andrzej Piotrowski 7'th place , Piotr Ślawski 10'th place. Instructors: Joanna Seńko 8'th place, Wojciech Piotrowski 8'th place, Dominik Więckowski 10'th place. Individual starting groups were numerous. For example in the group of instructor's assistants among women participated 120 sportswomen, and over 200 sportsmen. In the qualified sport: two persons in Polish Team: Katarzyna Karasińska i Piotr Kaczmarek. They took part in the Championships World of Juniors in Canada.

2001

The season 2000/2001 was running under the banner of the congress of IVSI ( INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF AMATEUR SKI INSTRUCTORS IVSI - unites instructors involved in ski & snow sports ). On the slope of Łysa Góra took place the training of group demonstrations. The members of our ski school were invited to participate in the . Our demo-team included 38 persons + 5 accompanying. The Jelenia Góra people presented themselves excellent on the slopes of Szymoszkowa (where the instructors of all the world took place). More ...

At the end you can see the diagram showing the number of Aesculap members in the period 1970 - 2002

The participants of the Ski School and Sudecki Sport Club Aesculap in successive years, taking part in the in-door training, ski lessons, sport training and competitions ( in this statistics the name "sportsmen" means the alpine skiers registered in PZN and starting in the central country and International competitions). On the X axis are the years and on the Y axis the number of persons.

Translation from Polish: Mirosław Ludorowski