COMMUNITY MINDED

I found a couple of things pretty ironic when I read Raymond Schmidt’s article “Community Centres” in your Winter 2007 issue. I, too, learned how to ski at Chicopee. The names of the tricks all rung a bell. North and Sugar Bowl were also favourites, but I still didn’t mind riding the T-bar on Mic-Mac to avoid the lineups for the chairs. The other ironic part to this article is the ski hill I live near is Salmo. I still get nostalgic every night I’m out there and usually follow some of the kids to see what they’re hittin’. I watch them all go, then show them how to air it out with the back of my skis touching my head (backscracher), all old school like, throw down a perfect landing—well, not always—and ski to the lift feeling like a kid again! (I try not to do this while on patrol.)

My fi ve-year-old son is now learning to ski at Salmo this year and is a member of the Nancy Greene Program. He gets excellent coaching two nights and two mornings by three awesome coaches. All of this is made possible by many of the volunteers. Most of the people who operate the hill are volunteers, and the concession in the lodge is run by the ski racers’ parents with student employees, all to keep the hill affordable for the entire community. We should all take pride in the countless hours volunteers put in to ensure our children and the children of others can grow up with great memories for many years and turns to come.

DUSTY SEFTEL, Salmo, B.C.

DEVELOPMENTALLY CHALLENGED

You seem to have a bone to pick with environmentalists, green fanatics and acolytes. It’s discouraging to see such blatant ignorance from [a columnist] of a ski publication when you berate individuals who want to preserve the national parks. Every time anyone has the audacity to slow a resort plan in a national park, people like you go ballistic. After all, they are national parks; they are not getting any bigger, yet the population is getting bigger, so I would suggest that when the parks start to expand then maybe we’ll have some parity on the green side. Until then, I could call you another silver-spooned frat ski boy, but I will not. You are what you are, a hired gun for the ski industry. Now consider this: If Alcan decided to build a smelter down the road from Panorama or Fernie or Apex, in full view of those environmentally benign condos that dot the ski-scape, I would bet your poison pen would be crying the green card then. You’re lucky that the most angst you can experience are closed ski trails and green acolytes.

PETE STUBBINS, residence withheld

NORTHERN LIGHTS

After reading Doug Sack’s article “North of 60” (Inside Edge, Buyer’s Guide 2007), I would like to add more information regarding skiing in the north. Mount Sima in Whitehorse is not the only skiing facility in the Yukon. There are two other alpine ski facilities here: Mount Maichen, operated by the Watson Lake Ski Club, and Moose Mountain in Dawson City. Since the Watson Lake Ski Club was formed in the late 1960s, it has been the only club in continuous operation in the Yukon. We are blessed with natural snow and wonderful views of the lake, mountains and Liard Valley.

Watson Lake Ski Club had a very active racing program, and its alpine racers represented the Yukon Ski Team at the Canada Winter Games in 1979, 1983, 1987 and 1995. In 1990 the Watson Lake Ski Club and Whitehorse racing club formed the Yukon Alpine Ski Association. For many years we had the honour of being the only sport governing body outside of Whitehorse until the association was moved to Mount Sima. At present, we are trying to renew the racing club, but for the past years we have poured our energies into providing healthy outdoor recreational activities for the families and youth of Watson Lake.

JENNY SKELTON, Watson Lake Ski Club, Yukon College