YOUR RUN from Travel Guide 2010 issue
FALLING STARS
» As always, I sat down to devour Ski
Canada’s Buyer’s Guide 2010 and one article
in particular caught my eye. In regards to
the “Dropping Records” (Chris Lennon, Short
Turns) article regaling the “world record” cliff
drops of Jamie Pierre and Fred Syversen, I
have this to say: I could push my 74-year-old
mother off a 120-metre cliff, but that doesn’t
mean she can “ski” it! Seriously, if you don’t
stick it or if you have to dig yourself out of
a massive bomb-hole, then it doesn’t count.
Bring back the big-mountain flowy stylings
of Kirk Jensen and Andrew Sheppard, because
the billy-goating going on out there these
days doesn’t impress me much.
ELEANOR CULVER (aka Old-School-Granny-
Pants), Calgary
Yours was a well-talked-about letter around
here, Eleanor. (My mum is quite sporty, too.)
In any event, writer Chris tells us, “Both skiers
did indeed require digging out. Pierre evidently
went in upside-down and headfi rst. Fred had
much more forward momentum and went in
more traditionally.” And we all agree with you
on ski style although there are many modern-day
big, fast and smooth examples—how
about Ian MacIntosh.
—Ed.
I ♥ MY HILL
» In April, the last ski before the next nine
months and when I ski again at Martock was
perfect. The fog had rolled in from the Bay
of Fundy, enveloping the top. It was as if we
were skiing into a cloud. The hill, groomed to
perfection, created an illusion of stillness while
descending into the mist. A few runs later the
fog retreated back to the Bay. The just-below-0
temperature left remnants of the fog transformed
into crystals, outlining every exposed branch
and tree. The ever-changing view, created by the
tides, of the Avon River valley completed the
splendour. It was a day that was great to have—
and right here at home.
JANE BAYER VENAS, Martock, Nova Scotia
» Gidday from Australia, mate. Just thought
I would let you know about some of the great
experiences I have had skiing in Canada. I
own an apartment at Silver Star. After visiting
there for three years, I decided to buy and we
love the place. I have skied at a few different
locations in Canada and found that Silver Star
is the only place that is truly ski-in/ski-out
of the town centre, including the restaurants,
pubs, shops etc, as well as the bulk of the
accommodation. There’s zero walking at all
and the lifts are situated so you can get
absolutely anywhere. A special mention goes
to Long John’s Pub. What a fantastic crew!
The two owners are aptly named John, and
the staff is very friendly. I take my children
each year and it’s like returning home,
everyone remembers your name and kisses
and hugs are exchanged all-round. Hospitality
like that was what made me decide to buy a
place there.
MARTY VINE, Australia
HEAD IN THE CLOUDS
» Global warming, or climate change, is an
important issue that needs to be dealt with
carefully. George Koch’s slant is a belief that
it’s not human-induced or not happening
when it’s likely the greatest threat humanity
has ever faced. The fate of the world depends
on us, and the only way to manage the risk
associated with it is through policy changes.
To get there, we need enough people
demanding it. And to make people demand
it, we require change in the culture itself. We
need to stop debating the science and start
acting now.
What Koch is really trying to do is not
to preserve our right to keep making our
own personal observations and to think for
ourselves but to keep the debate going about
the issue for the benefit of his own agenda.
The problem in keeping the debate going is
that the cost of doing nothing on the issues
could be catastrophic on environmental,
political, social and economic levels globally.
We need to start managing the risk associated
with global warming as fast as we can.
MARIE FORTIN, Whistler
» As an oceanographer and qualified U.K.
Royal Navy weather forecaster, I am also
highly suspicious of the global-warming
bandwagon, mainly because that’s exactly
what it is. Specifically, it’s a group of wellpaid,
professional media manipulators who
are undoubtedly very good at their jobs
supported by a group of scientists who are
very probably more interested in maintaining
their research budgets than producing reliable
results. I agree entirely with your comments
about the “hockey stick” curve. If that’s to be
believed and the curve gradient is valid, then
we will all be living in a desert in a few years.
Clearly that’s not going to happen, which
means the bandwagon is being less than open
with the truth of the situation.
JOHN M. HODGSON, U.K.
I ♥ MY MOM
» I was inspired to write to you about
my mother by a letter on this page. Judy
Weatherhead has been a diehard skiing
fanatic for more than 45 years. She had me
on skis before I was two, and she was the
inspiration behind my ski-bumming years
in the early ’90s. She has literally been
skiing every weekend since she was in her
teens. She was a long-time ski patroller,
an instructor and, along with her husband
Gerry, had volunteered at Whistler and Blue
Mountain. Now in her early 60s, and since
her retirement about 10 years ago, she and
Gerry have been skiing five days a week. I
was skiing and racing in the Beaver Valley
area every weekend in the 1970s and most of
the long-term friendships that I still maintain
to this day are with people who I only saw
on weekends during the winter, at our chalet.
I can’t remember a time when skiing wasn’t
a huge part of my life, and it is due to my
mother’s never-ending, contagious love for
skiing. She is a true ambassador to the sport
and I thought she deserves some mention.
DAVE CRAIG, London, Ontario
