STOGUIDE Pages 1-18:Layout 1 10/31/07 5:32 AM Page 14
T A L K O F T H E T O W N
Reflections on the ski season just past, or can boogers freeze?
BY JOHN WILSON
ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL ANTONSON
L
astwinterwassuchagoodseason,ski- toldme.She’sfromSweden.Shealsosaid
criedforrealwhensheturnedinheremployee
andride-wise,especiallyifyouforget therearenoSwedishfishinSwedenandthe
ID.Shewillcomebackasasnowboarder,she
aboutthefirsthalfofit,whichIdid, imageofSwedesasbeingmelancholyand
said.Whynotaskier?“Toski,youhaveto
blissfully,aboutamonthandahalfago. dark,meditatingonthemeaningonlife,comes
wearbig,funny-coloredboots,likeaclown,”
Iwasremindedofitatabout10minutes entirelyfromthefilmsofIngmarBergman.
shesaid.Nooffense,butshe’sgotapoint.
to4onSundayafternoon,thelastdayof ALTHOUGH THE ULTRAVIOLET RAYS atthe
AGROUPING OR CLUSTER OF SNOWBOARDING
liftserviceonMountMansfield. summitsunburnmanyofuswithfairskin,
enthusiastsiscalleda“dudepatch.”Ifmy
“IwishitwasNov.15,”askiernamedJeff thosewithdarkercomplexionsseemtogetlit-
notesarecorrect,itwassometimeinearly
saidashebeganhissecond-to-lastslidedown tlebenefitfromthestrongbutinfrequent
AprilwhenliftmechanicRonaldChadwick,
themountainforthis2006-07season.“Yeah, blastsofmountainsunshine.Kathy,acashier
lookingoutatthecrowdapproachingthelift,
lastNovember,”awomanadded. attheOctagon,fromLima,Peru,confirmed
solemnlysingledout11or12snowboarders
So,lastwinterwasn’taperfectseasonbutI thistomeonedayinMarch.“Iamturning
who,asagroup,seemedtobestandingalone
reallydon’tthinkmyseasonedbonesandten- white,”shesaidinamockboo-hooingtone.
withanoddspacetotheirfrontandbackin
donscouldhandlesix,fiveorevenfour “Weareusedtobeingtan,”herfriendDiana,
straightmonthsofthegoodness—all15feet alsofromLima,explainedtomeastheywere
ofit—thatwewereblessedwithfromSt. allbundledup,waitingtoridetheliftdown
Valentine’sDayon.Ilearnedthatmuch. themountainattheendoftheday. Kathy John Wilson is an occasional contributor to
HerearesomeotherthingsIlearnedonthe soontookupsnowboardingand,ashervisa the Stowe Reporter, the area’s award-winning
mountainthisyear. wasrunningoutandshewassoonduebackin community newspaper, where this column first
IN SWEDEN, STARING CONTESTS arecalled Peru,shegotgoodenoughtonavigateher appeared. When not writing, he works as a lift
“ArgaLeken,”whichtranslatesto“TheAngry waydowntheliftlineshehadpreviously attendant at the Stowe Mountain Resort,
Game.”Sarah,theticketchecker,ormountain spentmostoftheseasonridingoverwhenher works the comedy club circuit and guards the
accesssteward,asthey’reknownofficially, shiftwasdone. Shewantstocomeback,and door at the Matterhorn Nightclub.
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