Nothing exciting happened today and I probably need to think about this some more, but I thought it would be a good thread idea.
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The most interesting person you have ever met on the chairlift
- Thread starter Nick
- Start date
KD7000
New member
I don't usually drink on the chairlift, but when I do, I drink Dos Equis.
MadMadWorld
Active member
Not super famous but it was something pretty amazing to share a ride up the double with Ryan Hawks only a couple of months before he died. On that ride I remembered how much of a passion he had for skiing. Wish I knew him better.
Puck it
Well-known member
Me, but I don't answer when I talked to myself. I want to enjoy the ride up.
BenedictGomez
Well-known member
I'm guessing you're joking, but my gf's fam informed me that he now lives in Vermont.
No one comes to mind
But, vicariously through Greg it would have to be the Disembowler :lol:
But, vicariously through Greg it would have to be the Disembowler :lol:
twinplanx
Active member
There are rumors that the guy who invented bubble wrap has a house in Ludlow. I forget who mentioned that but it wasn't the guy himself. Technically I did not meet him on the chairlift, he knew my landlord. I believe he also owns that place way up on Mountain Rd over towards Jackson Gore, but that's another story...
billski
Active member
Talking always brings out interesting things in people. Life is too short and the chair is too long to just sit stone-cold next to a fellow skier/boarder.
* Riding the chair when the snow had turned to rain, the dude next to me says, "I only ski in the rain. I have the place to myself". He was dead serious.
* The guy who fought throat cancer last year and prevailed. Yesterday.
* The woman patroller I met at Middlebury who gave me a "tour" of the mountain. Which is another way of saying, she showed me all the non-obvious places to ski.
* A woman in her 70's, fit and vigorous as can be. Told me stories about piloting ice planes in Alaska, teaching how to pilot a balloon, bungee jumping, hang gliding, traveling the world, getting back into parachuting last year after quite a while ago. She made me feel like an unfit wimp.
* Riding the chair when the snow had turned to rain, the dude next to me says, "I only ski in the rain. I have the place to myself". He was dead serious.
* The guy who fought throat cancer last year and prevailed. Yesterday.
* The woman patroller I met at Middlebury who gave me a "tour" of the mountain. Which is another way of saying, she showed me all the non-obvious places to ski.
* A woman in her 70's, fit and vigorous as can be. Told me stories about piloting ice planes in Alaska, teaching how to pilot a balloon, bungee jumping, hang gliding, traveling the world, getting back into parachuting last year after quite a while ago. She made me feel like an unfit wimp.
Oh yeah .... that's what happened yesterday. I was at Wachusett on the lift with a ranger ... I guess they are like in between mountain ambassadors and ski patrol .. the guy was telling me they can have as many as 10+ incidents per day on rhw mountain and that spring knee injuries are the most common. Also said spring skiing with the soft snow is when most injuries occur
bdfreetuna
New member
Last week at Killington I took a gondola ride up with 4 kids around 18-20 and an older man hopped in as well. I swear he looked just like the Dos Equis guy.
He then proceeded to strike up a fascinating conversation, including tales of his travels to different countries and badass places to ski. But he just happened to be in Vermont at the moment. His conversational style was colourful with good humour and you could tell he had lived a badass life and been just about everywhere and done just about everything.
Dos Equis guy for real.
He then proceeded to strike up a fascinating conversation, including tales of his travels to different countries and badass places to ski. But he just happened to be in Vermont at the moment. His conversational style was colourful with good humour and you could tell he had lived a badass life and been just about everywhere and done just about everything.
Dos Equis guy for real.
KD7000
New member
I am indeed joking; it's just the first thing that came to mind when I read the thread title.
Whitey
Member
Early 90s, living out west as a ski bum. I am at Sun Valley. Just lapping runs by myself. Hop onto a chair with another guy skiing by himself. Start up a conversation, he tells me he's there for work. "What do you do?". He replies; "I work for {can't remember the name of the company}, they manufacture all of the snowmaking equipment that Sun Valley has". He goes on to tell me that his job is as a consultant to all of the ski areas around the world that have purchased his company's equipment. He goes out, skiis the product, checks out what they are doing, and makes recommendations ("more water, dial down the air pressure", etc).
I take this all in, pause for a few seconds and then say; "so you're telling me you get paid to travel all around the world and ski different areas?"
"Yup"
Me; "holy sh!t, do you realize you have the greatest job ever?"
"Yup".
That guy, still to this day, is my god. . .
I take this all in, pause for a few seconds and then say; "so you're telling me you get paid to travel all around the world and ski different areas?"
"Yup"
Me; "holy sh!t, do you realize you have the greatest job ever?"
"Yup".
That guy, still to this day, is my god. . .
jimmywilson69
Well-known member
I have rode the 4 Runner lift at Stowe twice with an ederly gentleman in his 70s who laps this lift all day. Usually he just ski's lift line then gets right back on the 4 Runner. When I rode with him in December he was on Run 35 at 2 o'clock. At that time, lift line wasn't open, so he was skiing the the Lord>North Slope route. The previous time I rode with him was in the spring 2 years ago and he was on well over 45 laps at around 3:30.
He says he does physical fitness every day of the year. To be the most efficient with his activity he skis right down lift line and gets back on the 4 runner.
Dude is BOSS.
He says he does physical fitness every day of the year. To be the most efficient with his activity he skis right down lift line and gets back on the 4 runner.
Dude is BOSS.
MadMadWorld
Active member
When I was teaching at Wachusett, they would occassionally ask instructors to assist with their adaptive ski program. They always had one on one with help with someone who is trained but they would ask us sometimes to help them get on and off the lift. I had a few conversations with blind skiers. They understand the mechanics of skiing better than anyone and I certainly learned some things from them.
emmaurice2
Member
I've never ridden the lift with "Boston Bob" but I've seen him there. He's a legend.
dmc
New member
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I used to ride the lift with Izzy Slutzky who was part founder/owner of Hunter...
And he would go on and on about the coming revolution and stuff his construction company built that would blow my mind...
He would just talk and talk and talk..
And he would go on and on about the coming revolution and stuff his construction company built that would blow my mind...
He would just talk and talk and talk..
AdironRider
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2005
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Ive got one, met him my first year as a passholder at the Face, havent met anyone come close to this guy since.
Im hopping on the Summit chair by myself on a deserted Tuesday mid February. Id only seen a couple patrollers and the usual characters that day, so this guy making an effort to ride up with (he even called hey wait up and everything) seemed a bit odd, but I was by myself and feeling good so said why not.
I get on the lift and cant even get a word out before he just lights up the conversation, talking a mile a minute. It was kinda tough to keep track of, but I caught most of it. Said hed seen me around (I had no clue who this guy was), and that he had skied every single day the Face was open since the 80 Olmpics. Said he was the second alternate in the downhill but never got to run, loved the place, and never left.
First thing through my mind was bullshit, but he had some flair so I let him keep going. Went into some raucus stories of hooking up in a bobled and accidentally going down the run, etc. Then he asks "do you want a pole" and hands me one of his ski poles.
By this time were almost at the top and I havent even gotten a word in, and reply "I snowboard dude". He laughs, unscrews the grip, then proceeds to demonstrate/spill that the pole in a defacto flask and filled with MaCallan 12 year. Fuck yeah, I like this guy now.
We drink some booze, and comment on the antique straight sticks the guy rocked. Easily 220 downhill boards. He claimed they got him to the second alternate in the downhill and hes yet to ski anything better, so still rocks them.
Now easily, I think this guy is just loaded, but hilarious. At the top of Skyward we say our goodbyes and he proceeds to straightline the whole thing with maybe two turns to scrub some speed before the dogleg left to Lower Skyward. If he wasnt the second alternate, he sure could ski like one.
I never saw the guy again. I dont believe in ghosts, but I think this is the closest I ever came.
Im hopping on the Summit chair by myself on a deserted Tuesday mid February. Id only seen a couple patrollers and the usual characters that day, so this guy making an effort to ride up with (he even called hey wait up and everything) seemed a bit odd, but I was by myself and feeling good so said why not.
I get on the lift and cant even get a word out before he just lights up the conversation, talking a mile a minute. It was kinda tough to keep track of, but I caught most of it. Said hed seen me around (I had no clue who this guy was), and that he had skied every single day the Face was open since the 80 Olmpics. Said he was the second alternate in the downhill but never got to run, loved the place, and never left.
First thing through my mind was bullshit, but he had some flair so I let him keep going. Went into some raucus stories of hooking up in a bobled and accidentally going down the run, etc. Then he asks "do you want a pole" and hands me one of his ski poles.
By this time were almost at the top and I havent even gotten a word in, and reply "I snowboard dude". He laughs, unscrews the grip, then proceeds to demonstrate/spill that the pole in a defacto flask and filled with MaCallan 12 year. Fuck yeah, I like this guy now.
We drink some booze, and comment on the antique straight sticks the guy rocked. Easily 220 downhill boards. He claimed they got him to the second alternate in the downhill and hes yet to ski anything better, so still rocks them.
Now easily, I think this guy is just loaded, but hilarious. At the top of Skyward we say our goodbyes and he proceeds to straightline the whole thing with maybe two turns to scrub some speed before the dogleg left to Lower Skyward. If he wasnt the second alternate, he sure could ski like one.
I never saw the guy again. I dont believe in ghosts, but I think this is the closest I ever came.
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