Stampede to Fun

 

Sometimes this old world seems tattered and sad, and when it does, we're lucky to have skiing, to move that needle back toward happy.  Today, we were lucky to have an incredible winter day -- bright blue sky, sparkling sunshine, squeaky fast snow, gorgeous grooming -- and we were lucky to have the Stampede, a joyful and exuberant celebration of skiing for all ages, all types.  With five race distances (0.5k, 1k, 2k, 5k, and 15k), there was something for everyone; we had racers from five years old to over 70, and all those kids amped the fun factor up high.  It was a day for big puffy coats and hand warmers, for kids cheering for their parents and parents cheering for their kids, for awesome displays of skiing prowess and inspiring displays of people just getting to the finish, for racers flinging themselves across the finish line and collapsing in glory, then jumping back up to compare stories with their friends, for music and dance parties and draw prizes and medals.  We finished off the day with the lollipop race: barely controlled and laugh-out-loud mayhem, it was a quick trip around the PK look, mass start, all ages, each skier used one ski and no poles, and the reward at the finish line was lollipops strewn in the snow.  What an amazing day -- if you were there, you know.  If you weren't, you missed something special.  Skiing is gonna save the world, and all those awesome kids are gonna lead the way.

(Jeff Hashimoto's photo)