Homage to My Ski Mentor, Dick Butler
Dick Butler
I started skiing about 50 years ago, when I was 26 years old and worked in an architectural office with a few people who skied. Colleagues Duane Snyder, David Sofer and Dick Butler were all avid skiers, so, I heard a lot about skiing in the office.
As winter approached there was more and more talk of going skiing. I had never had the opportunity to ski before getting out of college, although I wanted to. Then, one time I went to a small area called Rock Candy Mountain in Spiegaltown, NY, with some friends from college, where I basically taught myself to ski. Not well, of course, but I could get down the hill, however long it took.
I started talking about going skiing with Dick and others in the office. They gave me old leather boots and wood skis with cable bindings. I thought I was doing pretty good when Dick took me to Killington. I stayed on the snowshed area all morning and believed I was ready to go up to the top of Rams Head.
What a humbling experience that was. It took me two hours to get down, between the skis releasing and my falling down more than I want to admit. Dick was patient and supportive each time.
For the next 45 years, I skied following Dick Butler as my mentor. We skied all over the world together.
About 10 years ago Dick, two of his nephews and I were at Killington together. He said he wasn’t feeling well, and not to tell his wife, Pam. His cancer was catching up to him. He had skied just two runs and could not do any more. I took him back to the condo and watched him sleep the rest of the day.
Dick Butler passed away later that year. It was a great loss for all including myself, since I lost both a great friend and my skiing mentor. For years, I would mimic how he skied by following him, trying to match him turn for turn. He could tackle just about any kind of terrain with grace and grit. Now, I could only visualize him ahead of me in my mind. It wasn’t the same.
As a member of NASJA, while we were skiing at Sierra at Tahoe area, we held a moment of silence for Dick at a lunch on the rooftop of the upper lodge at the 360 Smokehouse BBQ. A beautiful piece was written and read by Dave Sartwell, a fellow writer. There wasn’t a dry eye on that roof deck including other diners who were not part of our group.
I carry Dick’s ashes with me in my ski jacket every time I ski, so he is still skiing with me. That will always be with me. And to let my dear friend know that there is skiing in heaven. His other ashes have been spread over Gore Mountain by his longtime friends Larry Estil and David Sofer, who I mentioned at the beginning of this article.
I am still listening to his instructions. “Big toe, little toe, face downhill and let the skis turn by themselves”. He is gone but never has left my side.
Perhaps you also have a similar friend and ski mentor.
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Wonderful tribute❤️ I’m so looking forward to this season, new skis! Going to Aspen in 10 days.
Enjoy Aspen Worked for Ski Co 40 years.
Friends like that are such a blessing. Thanks for sharing your story.
your welcome
Thanks for sharing.
Thx Mike– your story brings back memories–
Our family started skiing with our dad in the early 1950’s. He loved skiing, it became the focus of our winters, and he skied until age 82. Several years ago, after his funeral, we were recalling his skiing and that in all conditions his perfectly carved turns were always the smoothest and most controlled on the slopes. My sister commented that sometimes when she skis she imagines she is following him down the mtn trying to imitate his style to which my brother and I, in an odd coincidence, both added that we do the same. We agreed she is the only one who really does skis as well as our dad!! We are now all in our 70’s and continue to ski with our children and grandchildren!!
Keep those memories going!
I will never forget him.
Dick Butler was a kind and dignified man. You were both lucky to have each other.
yes he was Sandy