Two Quick Short Stories for the Holiday Break

Fastest Kids in SoVT. Only ones faster is full growed.

Saturday Dec.18th the USASA Southern Vermont Series kicked off the 2010-11 season with a double GS event at Bromley Mtn. Five SMS Snowboarders competed and all five stood on the podium in The Sun Mtn Base lodge. Liz Hernandez won two golds in the girls breaker div. Karen Kobayashi, two silver medals for wmns. youth div. Xander Raith took a gold and a silver in the breaker boys group. Mason Geils took two silvers in mens youth and Josh Cohen took two Golds in the mens youth and one silver, one bronze out of the daily overall category. Very strong representation by our kids and I was proud to be there with them. Thanks for a great day.








Next is a short story about JP McArdle. There are few riders of any age as single mindedly absorbed in the riding arts as JP. He is like a page out of the past. Every kid at SMS has changed their lives to come to SMS. Snowboarding is hip and famous, glamorously fashionable and respected in the world of athletics. You may laugh- Go ahead. These are good reasons and on top of that it's great fun. The truth is though that there was a time not very long ago when the only people snowboarding were regarded as anti-everything and completely off the map of reality.
JP I believe is not riding as a means to something else. He is not distracted by contests or a future. I think JP would have put it all aside at any risk and come to the Mtns like we all had to twenty some years ago. His only thing at this time of his life is to be riding. It can be his skateboard or his snowboard... Which is why I was surprised to notice his rail skills at Mt Snow in the preseason. I have ridden plenty of pipe and slope with JP at Camp and last year but given his skateboarding skills I assumed his rail bag was deeper. I thought he had more tricks.
Just as I noticed this JP said to me,"I can hardly do any rail tricks..." I was ashamed to be so easily read, could he have guessed what I was thinking? I'd never tell this story if I still thought so...JP's world is just so uncontrived as to unfold to himself and others all at once. I dont think he read my mind, I think we saw the same things...Over the next 21 days JP may have added a trick a day but the truth is never so linear in riding. Add a trick or two and the next two days do it on tougher features...try one trick and find you are getting another on the way or instead...
I'm not saying that JP is achieving his goals. I'm not saying that what he does is better than what I do or you do on a snowboard. I don't know what he's going to win. I'm not even saying its smart. He is not "anti-" anything and he does not read maps.
I am saying it's beautiful... Sorry to be talking about you JP. Don't get cocky son (Its a long Life). Had to share what a cool first few weeks its been with you and your pals on the Dev Team. Happy Holidays, looking forward to the year on snow.

May your new year bring you...Hot Garbage.(the Method of the rails?)