Advice From the Purple Chair: It's Live! Live!

This morning I watched Olympic skiing live for the first time in my life! Due to time differences and the popularity of skiing, the networks tend to save races for primetime broadcasts. The downhill races earlier in the week were broadcast 19 hours after the race started! This makes it hard to avoid spoilers. Also due to time constraints, they usually only show Americans, medalists, and crashes. These things can take some of the mystery and drama out of watching the sport. Thanks to the Internet, NBC is having all events live on their web page. Today, instead of staying up late to see the Super-Combined, I got up a few minutes early and watched the slalom portion at 6:30 am. It was amazing! I saw every racer and had no idea what would happen. It was great! A lot of races are at 2:00 am, but some second runs are going to be at 5:30 am. I know that is early, but it is worth it! See http://www.nbcolympics.com/results-schedule for times and links to the video. You may have to log in through your TV provider.

Why We Ski: The Picker-Uppers

It is an Olympic year and with it come the commercials. Here is a great one honoring Moms and all they do to pick us up.

We owe a lot to our moms, dads, and teachers for helping us to get up and keep going, especially in our winter sports where there is a lot of falling down! I have always loved the thought that the person who wins gold in the Winter Olympics is the one who doesn't fall. Whether you end up an Olympian or not, and whether your parents teach you or sign you up for a lesson, thanks to them you have the skills for a sport that will last a lifetime! Falling makes us stronger!

Why We Ski: Milestones

There are many significant birthdays: 16 to get your driver's license, 21 to purchase alcohol, 35 to be able to run for president. Although I am not rushing it, I look forward to turning 70. Skiers 70 and over can get free daily ski passes at Nub's Nob. Just come to the ticket window, show your ID, and away you go! If want to skip the first steps, you can spend $25.00 for an Unlimited Season Pass. While some local resorts raised the age for free passes to 80, I am thankful that Nub's Nob keeps it at 70. Now, I just have to wait 26 years!

By the way, the 70+ ticket is $22.50 and all season tickets are 10% off for one more day. Order now!

ChairTalk: The Ski

It has been a long time since I really wanted a ski based on graphics (think green Rossignol slalom skis), but Scott is bringing back "The Ski." I love it! Bobbie Burns came up with the ski and design in the 70's, and it really took off as a freestyle ski. I didn't remember it's name, but who could forget those awesome graphics! It will come in four different lengths, each length a different color scheme. Decisions, decisions!

ChairTalk: Shadows

Here is my shadow leading me up Whitefish on the black chair. I love the way it shrinks and grows depending on how high I am in the air. C. S. Lewis wrote about this effect in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, one of my favorite Narnia books.

Back to Nature: Sunsets

This part of Michigan is know for great sunsets. I have certainly seen my share, but my favorites are from the ski hill. I managed to get out to Nub's Friday night, and it was another amazing view!

It may seem like the sun is setting on the season, but Nub's Nob still has four more weeks left. Right now I am only scheduled for Mardi Gras on March 23, but if there is interest I could meet a lesson during Spring Break, March 29 - April 7.

Why We Ski: Togetherness

Last weekend the Winter Sports School celebrated Bob "Papa Panda" Mogford's 69th birthday. Bob runs the children's Panda program and came up with the idea for the new run PandaLand. The event reminded me of how visitors and employees become a family out at the ski hill celebrating, working, and playing together. For three or four months we see each other on a regular basis and know each other's ups and downs. When the season ends I don't see many of my skiing friends until the lifts start up again. The great thing is it is like we haven't missed a day!

Why We Ski: Snow Days

When I was a kid it seemed like we had Snow Days all the time. On snowy days when school wasn't cancelled, we would complain about how hard it was to get to school: too slippery, too deep, low visibility, etc. When school was cancelled, though, none of that could stop us. Suddenly we were all expert winter drivers. We would head out to the ski hill and make the first chair. These days it seems that school cancelations aren't so much about snow but about rain and ice. When I am not teaching skiing on Saturdays, I am the librarian at Charlevoix Elementary. Before today my school district had four school cancellations, but none of them enticed me to ski. Today was different! I got the call a half hour before my alarm was supposed to go off and was so excited I couldn't fall back asleep. I didn't make the first chair, but I did make the most of the morning. It was a little chilly and there was some wind on the front hills, but I found some fun powder and even made a glade run! Unlike in my youth I did not stay out the whole day, but it sure was fun reliving those times.

Why We Ski: Rituals

Many sports have superstitions and rituals and so does skiing. Just like kids hoping for a snowday, we have our own lucky habits for a (hopeful) powder day. I am still convinced the sun only shines when I have forgotten my sunglasses. Are there any skiers out there who don't have their favorite socks, fleece, or long underwear? Just the act of preparing to head out onto the slopes is one long ritual. Anyone who doesn't believe me needs to watch my dad in the locker when he is gearing up! For the past few years I have taken my Sorel boots out of storage each October to be ready for any early snowfall. For the past few years there hasn't been an early snowfall. Coincidence? Just to be sure this year, my boots are not home with me but tucked snugly in my locker. I will gladly suffer through cold ankles for the good of skiers everywhere! Let it snow!

Signs of the Season: A Chance to Say Goodbye

Probably the hardest part of the sudden end of last ski season was missing out on the chance to say goodbye. Goodbye to that last grilled cheese sandwich, goodbye to that last run down Smokey, and goodbye to friends. Unfortunately it took away a chance to say a final goodbye to Frank Couzens. My earliest memory of Frank is feeling disappointed to find out we weren't related. At that young age I seemed to be related to most of Grosse Pointe, and with a name like that, Frank had to be a relative, right? I don't know what his official title at Nub's Nob was, but the closest I can think of was Frank was our Skiing Ambassador. When I think of Frank I don't see him skiing: I see him shaking hands and talking skiing in the locker room, shaking hands and talking skiing in the lodge, and shaking hands and talking skiing at the bottom of the Nastar hill. Also, he was a master at stacking chairs. He kept the lines moving fairly, filled every chair, and made everyone feel privileged to be there. Thanks Frank.

We also missed the chance to say goodbye to master ski patroller Dan Somalski and former ski instructor and ski school director David "Zetti" Kondziela. I would have let Dan take me on a sled anywhere (even down Twilight!), and Zetti was an instructor and boss with an amazing sense of humor that fit into any situation. These three men gave back to the sport in levels I can only hope for and they will all be terribly missed.

Saturday is the annual Open House at Nub's Nob. Don't go for the discounted season pass, the lift rides, the ski swap, or even the free food (which are all great). Go to say hello to friends you haven't seen for seven months. You never know when you may miss the chance to say goodbye.

ChairTalk: The Season That Was

Some would say this was the season that wasn't. It had a slow start and too fast of a finish. But as Warren Miller said, "The best place in the world to ski is where you're skiing that day," and thanks to the crew at Nub's Nob we had a lot of great days. One thing skiers like to do is reminisce. Quite often I am in a group and past years come up: "Remember the year the temperature never went above zero?" or "How about that Christmas when it snowed 80 inches in two days!" Now we can talk about the year it was in the 80's for a week in March and there wasn't enough snow for Mardi Gras! For now I have cleaned out my locker and hung up my beads, and I remind myself that next year's skiing and celebrations will be twice as sweet!

Why We Ski: Community

A ski hill is more than a place to slide down the snow. As this "MASH pole" shows, it is a whole community of people working and playing together. You can rent equipment, get a lesson, have some great soup, and enjoy a drink at the end of the day.

Why We Ski: Magical Moments

There are many magical and beautiful moments involved with skiing. This morning I was struck by the beauty of the view from the parking lot. Every year there is that fear that we may experience a December like in the movie White Christmas: "Where's all the snow?" "We bring it indoors during the day." The view this morning took all my fears away. Everything was white, the snowguns were blowing all over the hill, and the lake effect snowflakes were falling! Glade skiing is not a possibility right now, but most of the other front and back hills are open or will be open tomorrow. To make Christmas even merrier, most of Pintail Peak will open Sunday!

Why We Ski: Camaraderie!

Yes, sometimes when we ski we just want to be alone, but a big reason we do ski is the camaraderie. It is fun to hang out and have fun with other people. Skiing friends can range from long time buddies who you meet with often or people you get to talk to for just a ride up the chair. If you have nothing else in common, you can still talk over the snow conditions and weather. Harvey Penick wrote And If You Play Golf, You're My Friend and I feel that saying goes for skiers, too. Also, there is nothing better than getting together with skiers off the hill, whether for a drink at the end of a great day, for a lunch to get you through, or for a hearty breakfast to fortify you for the day. Here is a picture of my Breakfast Club reunited at the open house last October.

Why We Ski: Dads

People start skiing for different reasons, but usually it is because of the encouragement of someone who loves them. For many it may be a significant other or their mom, but for me it was my dad. As you can see from this picture I was exposed to skiing from an early age, and it looks like even back then I wasn't too thrilled. I resisted liking skiing kicking and screaming for many years, but Dad stuck with me. After a broken leg, a winter off, and a move "Up North," I skied Easy Mile for the first time at the age of seven. I remember thinking, "Hey, that wasn't so bad," and asking Dad if we could go do it again. I was hooked! On this Father's Day I would like to thank my dad for sticking with me and passing on his love of skiing, whether I wanted it or not!

Back to Nature: Robins

I haven't seen one yet, but I know other people have spotted robins that have returned for the summer. One of my favorite ski experiences had to do with a robin many years ago on the last day of the season. That year we did not have as much snow as we do this year, and there was a "land bridge" to get from the beginner hill to the main chairlift. I was skiing rather fast on the empty hill to make it easier to get over to The Green. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted something. We were both cruising along at an angle and were on a collision course. We both immediately straightened out our paths and soared along side by side for a second. I could see right into its eye and it watched me. After a moment it flapped its wings as if to say "So long!" and accelerated away. It was an amazing feeling to be flying along side by side with a bird, and I will never forget that moment.

Thanks to my brother Brian for taking this picture of the robin sculpture outside of the Hramiec Hoffman Art Gallery.

Why We Ski: Party!

The sky was blue, the snow was smooth, the pond was cold, the beads were bright, the costumes were great, the food was delicious, the flamingo (Floyd) was pink, and at the end of the day the beer hit the spot. I had a great time at Mardi Gras, as everyone seemed to be having. I had a fun lesson first thing and then spent the rest of the day helping out with the Silly Slalom and Crazy Couples races. They were both a lot of fun, and thank you to all the participants and Winter Sports School instructors who made it that way, especially JP Adams. This ends the spring special events schedule, but there are still two more weeks of great skiing and plenty of snow.

Why We Ski: Sport for a Lifetime

When I was young, believe it or not, I hated skiing. My dad would tell us we didn't have a choice, we were going to ski because it was a sport for a lifetime. Golf, tennis, and skiing are sports you can do for most of your life. There are very few senior citizen groups playing football. I stuck with it (kind of, but that is another story) and by the time I was seven I loved skiing. Watching the CBS Sunday Morning bit last week on Lou Batori and the 70+ ski group brought Dad's advice back. I sometimes can't wait to get that $15 season pass when I turn 70 and then to continue skiing into my 80's and hopefully 90's! Maybe Sunday Morning will come a do a report on me in 2070!

ChairTalk: Nubs in the News, Part II

Nub's Nob, The 70+ Club, and 100 year old Lou Batori were on CBS Sunday Morning this morning with Bill Geist! You can see the video here. There are lots of great shots from around the area, and you get to hear race announcer Mike Johnson a few times. Some of my favorite Lou quotes:

• I have been often asked what ski school have I attended, and you know what my answer is? "What flying school did the Wright brothers attend?"
• I'm careful, except when it is a beautiful sunny morning, and I am the only one, and it's freshly goomed. Sanity goes out the window, and you just point the tips and let them run.

Why We Ski: Sunshine!

Powder skiing is great, but the next best thing is sunshine on corduroy. This weekend had it all: blue skies, sunshine, and a dusting of new snow over perfectly groomed slopes. Also, today was the first day I noticed sunshine on Smokey. During the beginning of the season the sun sits so low in the sky that the front hills are always in shadow. With the days getting longer and the northern hemisphere beginning to tip back toward the sun, we now have sunshine on the front!