
Originally Posted by
PARIdaho
Hi Everyone, the response to my FS thread has been really unbelievable. I was hoping to sell a set of skis and was really taken back by the response of so many skiers. thanks to all of you I now have a new pair of Elan Ripstick 96 skis. I have skied them 3 days and really love them in the trees and hitting my stashes around the mt. at Silver and Lookout Pass.
Life can be cool at 80, two free season passes and a brand new set of ski's to boot. I have fought with myself on how and what to say in response to all your generosity. I don't know how to post pictures (optics will help me) when I get some on my new skis. The initial interest was selling some new Moment skis and the fact that an 80 yr old guy was doing so because the skis were too much for him. As a thank you I thought it might be appropriate to tell you why this impressed me so much.
Name is Peter and I live in St. Maries, Idaho. St Maries is a little town about 60 miles south/east of Couer d Alene Idaho. 56 min to Silver Mt ski area in Kellog Id. Yes I really am 80 and will be 81 in April. Have lived in Idaho for 20 years and moved here from Penryn, Calif. (30 mi east of Sacramento). Have been skiing for over 50 years.
Why skiing is and has been so important in my life. Learned in the 70's, first day skiing was at Soda Springs during a drought. $2.00 tuesdays, $2 lift and $2 lesson, such a deal. Remember like yesterday, learned on ice. Some of my skiing over the years:
Drought in the early 70's, oh yes. Late Tahoe opening, skied Kirkwood and got off the lifts on green mats, skis off, walk over to the snow, put skis back on and go ski.
Every other yr (couldn't afford every year) we'd ski vacation Bachelor, Brundage and off yrs Tahoe. Wife won Keno ticket at casino/north shore and we went to Taos the next year. Stayed at St Bernard lodge right on the hill. really great food, people, snow, instruction etc.
Helped form Code 3 Ski Club, race club northern Calif and Nev. Had our own race coach (Roberto Taddeo), bought all our own breakaways, drill, bibs etc. Race trained at Donner ski ranch, midweek, $7.00 lodging, $10.00 all day training and after the public left we would take over the bar.
Raced at the Fire/Police Olympics at Mammoth, Sierra league. Raced in Australia. Wife and I ran the International Fire Games, a 5 day race event at Tahoe. Slalom, GS, SG, dual slalom and had firefighters from all over the world compete.Fun times with great racing.
Trip to Portillo, Chili in August with NASTC. Riding a 5 person platter lift up an expert hill was special and one of those skiing things you never forget. The Roca Jac lift will always be special.
Heli Skiing for $700.00 out of Panorama BC, a great day.
My best and worst days of skiing: BEST. Cat skiing at Big Red Cats, BC sunshine and 18 in. of almost smoke powder WORST. about 2 or 3 years later at Big Red Cats, the entire day was on windblown icy death coral, occasionally interrupted by playing Slalom turns with tree branches big and small, a truly ugly day.
Memorable days in Australia's Snowy Mts skiing powder out in the big rocks at Perisher, not to mention going with 11 racers from the USA and doing very well. Oakland fire (tm I was on) winning it all.
Being an instructor at Homewood and Silver Mt. Everything from: the indian guy (India) that was so weak that I told him to take up Chess to the 11 yr old girl from St Maries who was making beautiful parallel turns on her 4th turn. Even though at times instructing was very rewarding, I gave it up to go ski the powder in the trees.
To be honest there was one low time. 2016 was teaching two ladies how to powder ski and was watching them (behind me) and clobbered a tree. Broke wrist and put a limb thru my cheek. Right side of face still paralyzed.
I could go on but won't. Skiing is part of me and as part of this I am a HOST at Silver and actually worked yesterday. Skiing over the years has really captured me. I can talk skiing all day and not tell a story twice.
Thank You again for the skis and your reaction to my being an old guy. This was the lst time in my skiing life that I really noticed my age. So I am backing off "a little" but still out there on the groomers, in the trees and checking my stashes and hoping for some powder days. Preferably weekday powder.
THANK YOU maggots your generosity and your love of OUR sport will always be a special part of MY ski life.
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