OMG!!!! A 1982 Near Disaster at Tuckerman
In the last issue of SeniorsSkiing.com, author/cartoonist, Mike Roth, gave his account of a loooong slide he took in Val d’Isere in 1988. That inspired reader Bob Strum to write in about his 1982 yard sale at Tuckerman Ravine. Mike’s illustration captures the moment!
In 1982, skis strapped to shoulders, I was climbing the main bowl at Tuckerman Ravine on Mount Washington in New Hampshire. At one point, it was too hard to go higher. My body was pressed against the icy snow, supported by boot tips and ski poles. Trying to reach where I could get skis on, I lost grip and slid about 650 vertical feet. Skis, gloves, poles, goggles and glasses scattered everywhere. People on Lunch Rocks applauded. I broke a rib, tore an MCL in my knee, tore my calf muscle, and bruised my arm. It hurt too much to ski. The hardest part was hiking to the bottom carrying 50 pounds on a slippery trail. Fortunately, I didn’t hit Lunch Rocks. If I had, I wouldn’t be telling this tale.
Have a ski story of your own? Send it to jon@seniorsskiing.com. We’ll select the most entertaining to be published, along with an original Mike Roth illustration!
Test Your Skiing Knowledge
This is the final Test Your Skiing Knowledge feature of the 2021-22 season.
Each issue of SeniorsSkiing.com has a picture to help test your skiing knowledge. Generally, the pictures are from collections in a variety of participating ski museums, which we encourage readers to visit.
This test has one simple answer: Name the only female skier to win three Olympic gold medals in alpine skiing in a single Olympics. The first reader to correctly identify her will win the new “Licensed to Ski” poster with photos of ski-themed vanity license plates. Only responses sent to jon@seniorsskiing.com will be considered.
The person pictured in the last Test Your Skiing Knowledge is Sir Arnold Lund (1888-1974), skier, mountaineer and writer, knighted in 1952 for “services to British Skiing…” He introduced the racing concept that speed should be the only determinant to test the skier’s ability to turn securely and rapidly on steep Alpine terrain. He established numerous ski organizations and race events and was influential in introducing ski events to the Olympics. The first reader to correctly identify him was Enzo Falco of Belmont, MA. He once had the privilege of meeting Lund in person.
LUV2SKI
Two new plates for the ever-expanding LUV2SKI vanity license plate gallery: Laurie Beach, has had her SNO JOB plate for 45 years, the same length of time she’s been working in the ski business. She’s currently a rep for SOS Skiwear and works in a ski shop. Chas Crosier sent in FOOTR 2. Thank you Laurie and Chas.
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