My Love For Summer Skiing

The first time I skied in the summer I was nine years old. I traveled from NY to Oregon with my older brother to Bob Beattie’s Summer Ski Camp at Mount Hood. The focus of the camp was ski racing. We ran gates, free-skied, did drills, some dry land training and all kinds of fun activities to complement the race camp. I loved it and wore my goggle-tan with pride when I returned to CT just one week later. It shocked me that most of my friends didn’t even know I was gone. Everything at home was exactly the same and I dropped right back into summer life like I was never gone. But that feeling inside me never left me and I was giddy with excitement. It was like I had a secret and had just gotten away with something. I had just been skiing, but in the middle of the summer.

Once I made the U.S. Ski Team, skiing year-round was expected. It became more like a job but my passion never wavered. I wanted to race in the Olympics and I was willing to do anything, giving up all else to make it happen. I loved packing my ski gear and showing up in the airport in the heat of the summer ready for winter. With my ski boots over my shoulder I had a pep to my step and a broad grin on my face as I walked though international airports around the world.

This indescribable feeling for skiing in the summer has never left me. As I prepare for the month of August in Chile, I’m even more excited than I was as a kid. The reason is that I get to take you with me. Sharing my love for the snow, my knowledge for guiding and creating unforgettable experience is what I do. I love it. With a variety of four different trips, I’m able to create adventures that accommodate all levels, interests and desires. Come join me for a week in the Andes and see if you can keep from bringing home a goggle-tan. Dare to be different.