Cranmore Gibson Cup Giant Slalom, Cranmore Mountain, January 5, 2002
By Bob Butler, photos by Chuck Thorndike - More Photos

Driving over the pass from Lincoln on Friday had made me feel alone in the beautiful New Hampshire wilderness, and it was very nice to be together again with good friends on Saturday in the compactness of the race building at Cranmore--familiar smiles, chuckles, a year older and no more mature. We were pleased that there was snow for us in this rationing year.

I think that the course was challenging, fast and fun, and about 80% of us skied all the gates in both runs of the Darwinian courses. In the first run Duffy Dodge and Larry Voelker were within a small fraction of a second of each other, and in the second run they both naturally went all out (at the same gate I think). I'd advise Duffy not to watch too much Bode Miller and Larry not to read The Road Not Taken.

In between runs, I told George Caner that I had sent for a new book by a Massachusetts author, and I hoped that he might arrange for the author to autograph it for me. He said that he would if I would commit to read it in its entirety. Actually, I can read better than I can ski. On arriving home on Sunday, I found in the mail George's new book, Going the Distance.

I noted that Bob McGrath expressed the feelings that we are all feeling by skiing for us on new, bright red, white and blue Dynastars. While it's secondary, Bob told me that they were also smooth and quick.

Being in class 8, as I ride up the lift to go to the course, I often see one of our slightly more senior women going through the course, and whether it's Alice, Betsy or Jane I'm struck by how smooth and rhythmic they are. And Wendy, Anne, Bertie and Sue are just top skiers. When I arrive at the top of the course, our younger women are getting ready and then when they go I sometimes watch them in the top of the course. Nadine, Margaret, Patti, Lisa, Gay, Sara, Lisa and the others set a terrific example for those of us who follow. It's nice to have such fine women skiers in our group.

After the race, the Artech dispensary was overwhelmed with walk-tos, but Dr.Merrill has a good curb-side manner and prescribed files, waxes, pole guards and more ad libitum. We then went inside where we had a health drink generously provided by The Shipyard Brewery Company along with cheese, sponsor's raffle and awards.

We very much appreciate Cranmore having us and allowing us to have the use of the hill and their race building. We also very much appreciate our sponsors who make this possible: Atomic, Florian Tools, Mount Gay Rum (it has my personal endorsement for a toast to the East), Artech, Buchika's Ski and Bike, Denby Pottery and Swix.

Results:   Cranmore GS    Gunstock SL
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Gunstock Gunstock Slalom January 6, 2002
By Bob Butler, photos by Chuck Thorndike - More Photos

Gunstock is further south than Cranmore, and we found that it has a warmer temperature. It presents an I'm-not-quite-sure-I'm-going-to-find-it drive from Tilton, a limber-up walk to the race building, a spacious, might we say almost luxurious, area for the racers to put on gear with shelves for bags, a remarkable view of the lake and mountains from the top of the course, and probably the largest "small" sandwiches of any ski area cafeteria.

The course begins steeply which challenged me to override trepidation and be doing what I had on my mind to do. For me, once I skied the initial pitch, I seemed to have more focus and felt that I was really starting to ski. I liked the flush; it's just a little motion maneuvering through what looked to me during inspection to be an important part. Some people say that they prefer giant slalom to slalom. I like giant slalom, and I have liked slalom perhaps just a little more. I am enjoying thinking back to Sunday's course with the gates coming at me quickly, and I know that they came at my friends more quickly. It makes me think that the setting of a course such as we skied at Gunstock is a great thing to do; skiing such a course is also a great thing to do. As I understand it, one of our racers, Eric I heard, was initially held disqualified by a gate keeper, but this was reversed because he had simply skied the gate the wrong way. I am overwhelmed that he could do that and ski the next gate. I am just not at the level where they teach that at the camps that I go to.

When I was inspecting for the second run, I noted that they had set the gates but they hadn't put the holes in by the gates yet. Alice Pepper told me that she would take care of that for me when she made her run. Al Sevigny was notably faster in his second run. He told me that he decided not to stop at each gate to k.o. it. I observed that Bill Crabtree has stopped wearing his helmet from the fifties. May the new one serve you as well for as many decades. I noted that Margaret Vaughn and I had the identical new slalom skis from Rossignol, but that Margaret's pair turned much quicker, carved much more cleanly and went through the course much quicker.

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to watch Doug Tucker ski the GS course and was impressed by his strength and quickness. On Sunday at Gunstock I was just as impressed when, heading for the parking lot, he skied in after-ski clogs.

After the race, I walked to the timing building to obtain the results that Gary Colwell was compiling and Sean Florian [as Technical Delegate] was waiting to sign. It made me think about how much Gary, our leaders, course setters and officials do. Those of us who are pretty much just skiers benefit very much from what they do. Speaking for the enjoyers, I would like to express our appreciation. We also appreciate that we have skiers of different chronological ages, experience and ability. Whether we are Class 1, Class 12, or in between, whether we were on a college team or a recreational skier, we are decidedly a group. We cheer for our friends, perhaps tease occasionally about individualities, chuckle, we hope, about nonserious mishaps, encourage each other and compete with everything we have.

Results:   Cranmore GS    Gunstock SL
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Bob Butler is a class eight racer residing in Wilton, Connecticut, whose first ski race was a New England Masters race at Sunday River in 1994. He had been a recreational skier since the mid 60's and after the Sunday River Race became more or less hooked. A long time runner and road racer he started attending some race camps and more New England Masters races. Bob, an attorney, recently retired as the Chief Litigation Counsel for Union Carbide Corporation.