“Under a full moon where I often found myself breaking into song under the watchful eye of the Ski Patrol”
A COLUMN by Kathryn Ross, pictured is the Swain Resort
I consider myself a skier even though I haven’t put on skis in 50 years.
I recall watching the first televised Winter Olympic Games in 1960 on our old black and white Admiral TV in the living room,, in February. Those Olympics took place in what was then called Squaw Valley, California. It was the first time I saw women competing in Alpine (downhill) skiing events.
I saw Heidi Biebl win gold in Downhill for Germany and Penelope Pitou win silver for the United States. As I watched them speeding down the slope, a blur sometimes on the old screen, I knew in my nine-and-a-half-year-old heart, that was what I wanted to do.
We had an old pair of wooden skis, but there was no way to fasten them to my galoshes and I didn’t want to break a leg. I’d asked for skis at Christmas, but because my best friend’s parents were getting ice skates for their daughters, I got ice skates too. I couldn’t ice skate. I couldn’t even stand up on the blades although my friends were dancing and whizzing by. I kept falling down.
I never got to feel the joy of skimming down the hill at the corner of Franklin and Rauber streets on skis. We spent many winter afternoons after school on that hill, where we believed the old tree that had been hit by lightning was haunted. We tobogganed and rode our silver flying saucers down the hill, but it wasn’t much of an Olympian thrill. It was fun and created memories I cherish today.
I was overjoyed during the Super Bowl last year when a commercial came on, showing three white-haired ladies sliding down hill. It reminded me of myself and my two childhood friends. I sent it right off to them.
The first time I put on real skis was at the old ski slope in Alfred, off Route 244. The hill is still there of course. The lodge is gone, but if you look closely, you can still see the ruts from the old tow bar. The first time I used it, was a scene worthy of ‘I Love Lucy’. I sat on it, collapsing into the rut instead of letting the bar push me up the hill, much to the amusement of my friend.
When I attended Genesee Community College with that same friend in the early 70s, we joined the Ski Club. I learned to ski at Swain. I loved sliding across the crisp snow on the beginner slope under a full moon where I often found myself breaking into song under the watchful eye of the Ski Patrol.
The Ski Patrol is why I’m reminiscing about my days on the slopes. In early February, the Swain Chapter of the National Ski Patrol held an open house to recruit members. Anyone from 15 to whatever age is eligible. Their success depends on their ski skills. Swain is planning another recruitment open house on March 8. You can go to the Swain website for more information.
Skiing is a personal sport. It’s just you and the slope under a snowy starlet evening. I don’t think skiing is nearly as much fun in the daytime when the runs are full of people. I prefer skiing at night.
I rode my first gondola at Swain. My friend, same one as before, said she would tell me when to get off. I shouldn’t have waited for her entire statement. Instead of gracefully sliding off, I had to jump.
While skiing with the same friend, I used a rope tow, at Frost Ridge Resort somewhere near Batavia. I’ve always enjoyed opportunities that allow me to do something the old-fashioned way. Having my arm jerked out of its socket and tearing up my leather skiing gloves on the rough, swiftly moving rope had its moments.
The best part of skiing, the most memorable part for me didn’t come on the ski slopes, sitting in the lodge in front of a roaring fire and warming up with a Hot Toddy was the highlight.
The neat thing is, while neuropathy makes my gait ungainly these days and the winter wind chills me to the core, I can still sit in a lodge in front of a fire and sip a Hot Toddy. I may even find myself breaking into song.
Kathryn Ross is a Wellsville based writer, columnist, historian, and community activist. You can reach her anytime, kathr_2002@yahoo.com
