Forever skiing
2003-2004 season on Baldy
filled with highlights
By MEGAN THOMAS
Express Staff Writer
It’s a wrap. The 2003-2004 ski
season ends this weekend with the closure of Bald Mountain.
Forget the embarrassing yard sale
on Warm Springs. Soon, the crashes and bruised egos will be long
forgotten. Instead, the highlights of the 2003-2004 ski season from
streakers on skis to blue bird days will linger as the reminders of the
ski season. Highlights fell throughout the year, beginning early in the
season and continuing through mid-April.
Here’s a sample of the year’s best
moments:
The halfpipe
Sun Valley Company opened the
long awaited halfpipe on Bald Mountain this season. Anxious snowboarders
and skiers took to the new U-shaped terrain with force, starting Dec.
15. Throughout the season riders threw inverted tricks and rode the
12-foot walls. The pipe opened a fresh avenue of new school riding and
enabled the mountain to host its first ever pipe competition in
February, the USASA Rail Jam and Halfpipe Weekend. The competition
attracted over 115 riders. Capping off the halfpipe season, SolFest
riders showcased the potential possibilities of the pipe. Overall, the
pipe’s popularity revived riding on Baldy.
The storm
The storm arrived Dec. 31,
blasting through the valley on New Year’s Day, leaving 25.5 inches of
fresh snow on Baldy in a 24-hour period. For many it was one of the
biggest storms they could remember, with snow dropping at a rate of 2 to
4 inches per hour. The holiday season storm delivered unmatched deep
powder skiing. It also, tragically, took the life of a favorite Bald
Mountain ski instructor, Tom Wernig. The outpouring of the community,
including a Bald Mountain torchlight parade was a touching tribute to
his life and family.
Wounded soldier
Eric Alva, the first soldier to
be wounded in Iraq, skis in a sit-sledge on the North Valley Trails.
Express photo by Willy Cook
This winter the first soldier to
be wounded in Iraq, Staff Sgt. Eric Avla of the U.S. Marine Corp, came
to the Wood River Valley to cross-country ski. Avla’s opportunity to ski
came as part of the third annual Sun Valley Adaptive Sports camp, which
introduces disabled athletes to skiing. Avla, a former marathoner lost
his right leg in battle, but excelled at cross-country skiing in his
sit-sledge on the North Valley Trails.
Boulder Tour sets records
In its 29th year, the Boulder
Mountain Tour topped an all-time record with 955 cross-country skiers
finishing the 32-kilometer race. The record number of finishers was
coupled with a record 1,048 entries. Despite difficult skiing
conditions, racers persevered.
Kerry takes to the slopes
John Kerry takes a campaign
break to ski Baldy. Express photo by Willy Cook
In March presidential candidate
John Kerry took a one-week vacation from the hectic campaign trail to
hit the slopes on Bald Mountain. His days of skiing and snowboarding
attracted an unusual buzz on Bald Mountain with his entourage of U.S.
Secret Service agents and national media attention. Kerry proved he was
both a proficient skier and snowboarder, earning the respect of
onlookers and possibly a few votes along the way.
Birthday suits
A naked skier screams down
Baldy. Photo by Hillary Maybery
Blue bird days infused an
impressive energy on the slopes. Skiers clad in costumes or nothing at
all braved the slopes for warm, end-of-the-season skiing.
Numbers up
Good things happened this season.
People remembered they liked to ski and snowboard. At the end of March,
Sun Valley Company reported that skier numbers for the season were 9
percent higher than those recorded in March 2003.