Gifted Young Snow Boarder

Wow!  You have to watch this little boy ride!  It is really amazing to watch how determined he is to get moving.

http://youtu.be/XvDqJxrZIto

 His tenacity to go and go is astounding and really makes you realize how different children are from the beginning. My son (who is in his teens now) was not particularly interested in athletic achievements this early, but he could put together a puzzle of the USA when he was only 20 months old (I have it on video too and will upload it sometime soon:)

Wanting the thrill and the safety for our kids.

Its so great to know that your kids are having a great time on the mountain.  They are hooked.  Just like you are.  To love skiing and snowboarding is to take that big step off the cornice, or link those deep powder turns and push yourself physically, to “rock and roll,” through the cold, and to try something new.   

This is why you love it and why you want to pass it on to your kids.  All the while knowing that there is the warmth of friends and family, and that hot chocolate waiting for you when you’re done, is what makes it all possible.

Do Women Hold the Buying Power? | Skiing Business

Some interesting insight in to who makes the decisions in the family.  Reminds me of something we often say at our house:  "If Mamma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."  :)

Do Women Hold the Buying Power? | Skiing Business

The Locavores of Skiing

We're all very focused on shopping locally here in Boulder.  Locavores are those who endeavor to eat only locally grown foods, and when given the choice, would much rather spend their money to support local farmers and cooks.  I'm seeing this trend when it comes to the sport of skiing and snowboarding. The sport is once again no longer just the domain of Big-Skia Corporations.

Historically, skiing was all "Mom and Pop."  Growing  up in Denver, I remember a few of the old shops in town.  Jerry Jollies, and especially Andel's Pro Shop come to mind--(I can still smell the hot wax and pine tar).  And skiing was much more accessible then.  Who remembers Geneva Basin near Guanella Pass with the cute Saint Bernard for their mascot?  That little ski area that was less than 30 minutes from Denver.

This week one of the oldest independent ski shops in Colorado is about to celebrate their 60th birthday. The Ski Shop, in Colorado Springs opened their doors in 1952, and now brothers Rick and Scott Uhl continue to run it independently.

New independent ski shops are cropping up too, like Tin Shed Sports in Nederland that has a local-based niche: combining a mountain biking and backcountry ski shop with a great cafe and pub called  Salto. 

The Boulder Nordic Club has been setting ski tracks for several years now at Noth Boulder Park when it snows (whatever you do, don't mention prairie dogs!) and Denver's Wellshire Golf Course is about to do the same this winter. This will provide free cross-country skiing for thousands of locals, and will save time and gas you used to need to get to the mountains.

Another example of local skiing is the new training facility just outside of Denver. Echo Mountain, built entirely on private land, will serve the youth of the Front Range by providing access to ski and snowboard training minutes away.

The local revival toward skiing can be found in the film by brothers Elliot and Tyler Wilkinson-Ray, of Vermont.  The Story of Small Ski Areas that features small ski hills in Vermont that have remained as Powder Magazine says, local institutions and kept skiing a local sport instead of a tourist activity.

Surely all of this is good news for the local AND corporate industries who can count on a thriving sport.  And most importantly it is good news for individuals and families who can more easily get their ski-fix in and have the peace of mind knowing that they made their local dollars count!

Scarpa: Young Skiers Pushing Sport of Skiing

Interesting interview in Skiing Business today with Scarpa North America’s Andrea Parisotto, CFO and Kim Miller, CEO.

"One area that’s neglected, including by us, is the next generation. Nobody’s really going after the 8- to 12-year-old skiers from Park City or Tahoe or any other ski town. They are really pushing the sport. As an industry we need to think about them, and give them good boots, materials and liners. It’s not only about giving those kids what they need and want, but it’s about long-term branding too."

This is interesting.   Its always the younger generation that is innovating the sport.  Great move by Scarpa to see that.  When we were in high school we were modifying our own leather (yes, I just dated myself) telemark boots with those white "pickle buckets" from restaurants.  This was around 1979.  The boot manufacturers had no way of keeping up with what people were doing with tele skis.

What A Difference A Bear Makes

 How can the "Road Not Taken" be so completely different from one I do take? Do I go north following the old cement sidewalks that wander past the 100-year-old houses and groomed lawns, with the smells of dinner cooking and sounds of fussing children?  Or do I go south past the Chautauqua Auditorium and up to the little trail in the woods.

My dogs are happier to go to the trails, so I took our standard route up to the woods.  But this choice took me in a direction I was not expecting.  I crossed the stone bridge and after 10 minutes of hiking, I turned around went back to the bridge and was greeted by a chocolate-colored bear guarding a crab apple tree--staring right at us.  He was huge!  And with both my dogs (on a leash thank goodness!) he/she was not about to let me pass by (no, I did not get a picture of the bear as it was the last thing on my mind).  Back up the trail to the "illegal short-cut"--but when I looked down that trail I could see another bear, this one was dark black.   I ended up bush-waking out over a barbed wire fence to a road.  Made it home in time to finish the pesto and feed the family.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE living in Boulder and I love being one block away from miles of mountain trails. But I feel like I live WITH the wild life more and more.  It can be time consuming and like with camping, you have to be prepared to even step outside the house.  Some time I will mention the 17 encounters my terrier has had with skunks or the baby hummingbird.

Hello Winter...It's me Margaret.

Winter Must Be Out There Somewhere...

Hard to believe that it will be winter any time soon since the summer has been such a scorcher here in Boulder, Colorado.  We were reminded of cooler activities today by going to watch the C.U. Buffs get pummeled at the last minute by Sacramento State.  However there was a great Half-Time celebration of C.U.'s Freestyle Ski Club.  Several skiers are going to Nationals, and have won first place 3 out of the past 5 years.