Hardly anyone listens to Harold Putnam anymore, in part because he now cruises down the slopes in another world; he was born a few years before the last great pandemic. But in his prime he was one of the great Eastern skiers of his age and was the outdoor editor of the Boston Globe. But I knew Mr. … [Read more...]
A tribute to ski moms everywhere
Seven inches of snow had just fallen and the lodge was jammed with dozens of parents leaning over their children’s ski boots. And over there, in the corner, I was struggling with my own boots — what an ordeal! — when the woman beside me, Karin Tenney, 47 years old, of Dover, N.H., let out the … [Read more...]
Check out some classic reads on skiing as we get ready for the season
I once thought this time of year was the Useless Season. No snow. No prospect of snow. The equipment packages at the local ski shop are at full price. (Not a discount to be found.) We are still wearing shorts and T-shirts, for gosh sakes. (I look like a fool in my red chamois shirt. My wife and kids … [Read more...]
Despite the current sorrow and lamenting of lost opportunities, our bliss will return
This is the summer of our discontent, and of our pent-up demand. With the coronavirus still raging across the country, dipping into mountain towns where ski lifts abruptly shuttered weeks, maybe more, before their scheduled closings, skiers have enormous pent-up demand. Pent-up demand for the … [Read more...]
Many thanks for a shift in seasons
To every thing, we are taught in the Bible, there is a season. For skiers, that is a good thing, for we depend on the turning of the season — from fall to winter — for our sport. But there are seasons to our lives as well, and seasons to our ski lives. In our first ski seasons, we are … [Read more...]
With all due respect to soccer Moms, here’s a tribute to a hearty skiing Dad
I’m the guy around the house who always says that ski trips produce memories, but let me whisper a little something in your ear: I don’t remember a thing about my last ski trip. Something maybe about bad grooming and gray, leaden skies. Quitting after a few runs. Perhaps after lunch. Hell, I have … [Read more...]
Anticipation is over, and the ‘good old days’ are finally here for skiers
And so now it can be said, felt, acknowledged and celebrated: Winter. It finally is here. But that doesn’t mean that many of us are approaching the fresh snow of this most glorious of seasons from a standing start. Not at all. We’ve been in a ski crouch — able to absorb imaginary bumps, ready for … [Read more...]
A welcome blast to the past at these classic ski areas
Our winter sport involves all manner of movements — up the lift and down the slopes, over moguls and across traverses, down steeps and along cruises. But for many New England devotees of the sport, the most significant movement is … to the past. Because part of the appeal of skiing is less about … [Read more...]
Layer up and set your sights on some magical turns
Nearly a half century ago, the rock group Chicago released a song called "25 or 6 to 4.’’ To most listeners the numbers meant nothing. Here are some numbers that will be meaningless unless you are a skier and a cold-weather-loving skier at that: minus-10, 1,700 and 200. In the warmth of the ski … [Read more...]
