The 15th-century French poet Francois Villon never mounted a pair of skis, never grabbed a rope toe, never felt the exhilaration of the swoosh of a downhill schuss. He was, to be sure, for a time in jail, and sometimes he was in exile, and occasionally he actually was at his writing desk. There he … [Read more...]
Shribman: North Conway is the talk of the town
Better than Stowe, Banff and Jackson Hole. Better than Vail, Steamboat Springs and Taos. Hell, better than Jackson, Lincoln, Bartlett even Bretton Woods. North Conway. The nation’s top ski town. That’s according to USA Today, citing North Conway’s Mount Cranmore right in town, its location as a … [Read more...]
Shribman: Prepare your mind for winter’s delight
Last spring, on my final ski day of the season, I took an inventory of my ailments and how they relate to skiing: Torn meniscus, requiring the use of a knee brace. Tennis elbow, making it hard to carry my skis in my left hand. Sore right shoulder, rendering the process of lowering the chairlift bar … [Read more...]
It’s summer in New England. Even without skiing, what’s not to love?
I don’t have the summertime blues. Sure, whenever I’m confronted with an internet security question — What is your favorite sport? — I don’t have to strain to remember what I said last time. It’s always the same. My favorite sport is skiing. Whenever my kids struggle to figure out what to give me … [Read more...]
Why do we love spring skiing? Because it’s really fun
After an interlude of a few years, I returned to the piano this year by reviving my efforts to master Schumann’s “Träumerei” and Chopin’s “Prelude No. 4.” It was back to the classics, though not exactly back to the future. These two pieces were written in the late years of the 1830s. A few weeks … [Read more...]
Skiing in Michigan? It’s a better experience than you might have guessed
Listen carefully, New England: Time to up your game. I’ve just finished a remarkable ski weekend in Michigan, and there are lessons for New England ski areas and ski towns. Skiing in Michigan, you ask? Flat Michigan? Home of Detroit city? Staging ground for Motown music? Midwestern to the core? … [Read more...]
