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Headline RSS FeedVail Resorts was right to name ski run Lindsey’s, Donovan makes a misstep
March 9, 2010 —
It was a fairly impressive crowd gathered at the C Restaurant in Vancouver for the celebration of Lindsey Vonn’s Olympic performance. Inside Edition, NBC, the Denver Post, and of course the hip-and-internet-savvy realvail.com were there with media from around the world, and Vail luminaries, to toast Vail’s bold, bright, beneficent poster girl on her recent, and honorable, achievement.
I was a bit disappointed in the announcement that came later in the night – but not for the reasons you might think. I was hoping Rob Katz would be announcing that Vail Resorts had purchased Whistler. I had been in Vancouver all February covering the Olympics for the Olympic News Service, and had quickly fallen in love with the myriad harbors of Vancouver, it’s towering mountains, glass-walled high-rises, congenial people, liberal social philosophies, and even its talented top femme fetal, Neko Case (any NP fans out there?). A Vail property in Canada would have been a ready-made excuse to visit time and again, and I was already cooking up plans for realwhistler.com.
Instead, we learned Vail Resorts would re-name “International” to “Lindsey’s,” and while Lindsey held up a sign bearing her name, everyone applauded – but not me. I waited a moment, looked at Lindsey, looked at the beaming faces of the Vail power-set of John Garnsey, Ceil Folz, Rob Katz, and Kelly Ladyga. I submerged my desire to spread immediate congratulations, and took a few minutes to think about whether or not this was the right call.
The verdict?
It was absolutely the right call, and I assured some of those behind the decision that very few, if any, murmurs of dissent would come from Vail.
Protesting against an accolade for Lindsey Vonn, who attained the worldwide dream of millions, who will inspire generations of American women to ski fast and live well, who has been nothing but courteous in all of her dealings, on camera and off, is patently absurd. It would be like protesting puppies, I reasoned, or babies, or mother Theresa. It would be like going on strike against the Red Cross. The woman who became a great speed-event skier at Ski Club Vail, lived for years in our small, tight-knit community, and who takes our name with her wherever she goes, had just brought a Gold Medal home to Vail and anything short of a lifetime of recognition would be ski sacrilege. International made the perfect choice, not just because it’s a fairly plain name to begin with, and because of its race history, but because the run is right on the foremost face of Vail Mountain.
Right where everyone can see it.
Which is right where we want Lindsey.
So my old family friend Kerry Donovan is smearing egg on her face as she protests this event, which otherwise would have sailed off smoothly. Whether she likes it or not, and despite weakly-worded disclaimers to the contrary, she is defiling the honor of a Gold medal. She may opine that another run would have been better, but voicing that opinion is a song out of tune for Donovan, a kind of jealous reproach at Lindsey, especially knowing Donovan is an avid, soulful World Cup ski fan.
Intentionally or not, it also comes off as a cheap shot at Vail Resorts. Like many, I often pine for the days when Vail Resorts was privately held. Those days, however, are long gone, and in the modern reality it is always best when our Town Council works with, not against, Vail Resorts. It seems to me that Donovan’s protest of this fairly trivial matter of nomenclature is inspired, in part, by a determination to show Vail Resorts that she’s not afraid to quibble.
But quibbling it is. There are, without question, times to question VR. However it is wise to remember that VR is the economic engine of the Valley, and that part of their job is to spread the word – worldwide – about Vail. No one can do that better than America’s all-time best women’s skier, who even now is gathering crowds of thousands around her in Europe.
Fortunately, the overwhelming majority agree with me, and the murmurs of dissent are already drowning in the laudable, and innocent, waves of pride which we all feel when we take our last run of the day, down Lindsey’s. It was an honor for me to be there, to shake her hand and congratulate her, and I’ll be ringing my Lindsey Vonn cowbell with enthusiasm for many years to come.
1 Comment on "Vail Resorts was right to name ski run Lindsey’s, Donovan makes a misstep"
Ingrid — March 10, 2010
Right on Tommy! I think your article states my opinion too. I took a moment to see if it was right and I think it is the right thing for sure. Ingrid
Vail walking tour a step in the right direction
January 7, 2010 —
Nothing beats being bipedal. Hominids have found it suitable for millions of years, and to this day a brisk walk often beats speeding through life in a car. As the Town of Vail seems to know well, sometimes walking is the best way to get to know your surroundings.
A walking tour of Vail begins noon on Friday, Jan. 8, in the Vail Village and LionsHead. Presented by the staff of the Town of Vail Community Development Department, notable details that have shaped Vail’s development for the past 40-plus years will be highlighted on the free tour, including the curved shape of Bridge Street, the subtle riddles found on Wall Street, view corridors that preserve the famous postcard images of Vail and the craftsmanship displayed on the exterior of Vail’s finest buildings.
The tour lasts approximately 90-minutes. Stops will include visits to Vail’s newest redevelopment projects as well as Vail’s favorite landmarks to show how master planning has influenced Vail’s growth and success.
The tour will depart from the Colorado Ski Museum at the Vail Village parking structure. To RSVP, call Warren Campbell, chief of planning, at 479-2148 or e-mail wcampbell@vailgov.com. Walk ups are welcome, too. The development tour will be offered four more times during the season: 2 p.m. Feb. 19, March 5 and March 25; and noon on April 2.
1 Comment on "Vail walking tour a step in the right direction"
Reid — January 7, 2010
You still work here. That's great. Nice story.
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courtesy Taksindu Social Welfare of Nepal www.tswnepal.org
Vail couple to hold fundraiser for Everest climb December 16 at eTown
December 7, 2009 —
The typical honeymooners may head for a secluded beach, but that’s not the case for Brandon and Kristine Chalk of Vail. The two were married this past October, and now they’re attempting to become the youngest American couple to summit Mount Everest.
They will be holding a fundraiser at eTown Dec. 16 at 5:30 p.m. to help raise money for their quest, which will cost upwards of $60,000 to complete.
“Not every couple shares the same interests like that, and for us to be able to share a climb of Mount Everest together, it’s an experience that will last forever,” Brandon said.
Where: eTown in Edwards.
When: December 16, 2009 from 5:30 to close.
What else? Apps, dinner, drinks, a slide show, a silent auction, and good company.
To tackle one of the greatest physical challenge known to humankind is one thing, to do it as husband and wife adds a new, and colorful, dynamic. Brandon said the couple, who are in their early 30s, expects to be tested to their limits in many ways.
And while they stand to grow and learn tremendously from the experience, the Chalks will also act as ambassadors of our Valley to the people of Kathmandu, where they are planning to aid in the construction of a new addition to a school for disenfranchised children through a group called Taksindu Social Welfare of Nepal (TSW).
“Presently, we at TSW are expecting Brandon and Kristine to engage on our newest school project in Kathmandu,” said TSW President Karma Sherpa, in Nepal. “Our project mainly focuses on for those less fortune children who really need our help to bring some positive change in their lives.”
Karma Sherpa called the participation of people like Brandon and Kristine an, “answer to prayer” for the children of the school, 85 percent of whom have migrated from remote portions of Nepal. Some of the children have been orphaned, others have lost their homes and shelter, and others have been dislodged due to natural disaster. The Maoist uprisings in Nepal have created violence and unrest in Nepal over the past decade and more, leaving many children without a safe place to live and learn.
Karma Sherpa, with help from people like Brandon and Kristine, is hoping to give these children a better future.
Beyond building schools, TSW has sponsored women’s centers, helped raise money to pay rural teachers, built libraries, and helped clean garbage and trash from trekking trails.
The Dec. 16 fundraiser at eTown will help bring Brandon and Kristine together with Karma Sherpa after their Everest expedition. The event includes a silent auction and slide show, and ten percent of proceeds from the party will be donated to the cause by eTown.
Individuals and corporations can also donate at http://www.brandonandkristine.org/.
For more on the Taksindu Social Welfare organization visit Taksindu Social Welfare of Nepal.
Brandon and Kristine's main sponsor is Juggle.com, an information engine that helps web browsers juggle the world's information.
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Courtesy Vail Valley Foundation bcworldcup.com
2009 Birds of Prey World Cup race weekend under way
December 3, 2009 —
It’s winter … how do I know? Not because of calendar dates, almanac predictions or astronomical positioning (technically the winter solstice is still 18 days away), but because today marks the first day of the 2009 Beaver Creek Birds of Prey World Cup weekend. The significance of this now-traditional weekend does not escape notice here in Vail, and it annually marks the beginning of the true winter season. The eyes of Europe are upon us as the world’s best male skiers come to town to race one of the most challenging courses of the World Cup circuit.
At Beaver Creek, such a heralded weekend does not go without its accompanying accoutrements. Tonight’s bib presentation ceremony at 5 p.m. can be considered the first official event on the schedule, but the ceremony will also be accompanied by some serious fanfare.
The US Air Force Drum & Bugle Corps will be on site tonight as well as members of the US Ski Team who will be signing autographs for all their fans. There will be free ice skating on the Black Family Ice Rink along with hot chocolate and cookies, provided by Beaver Creek Resort. Beaver Creek has become known world-wide as a resort that knows how to throw a World Cup party.
It’s also an Olympic year, when even American eyes focus on World Cup skiing, as they do every four years. The United States could fair well in Vancouver this February, not only from Vail’s own Lindsey Vonn, but also from stars like Ted Ligety and Bode Miller.
Perhaps more than any other reason, this event marks the beginning of winter because, for the past three years, the event has coincided with several big snowstorms. By the time these races are complete, I predict winter will be in full swing and the ski season will begin in earnest.
There’s a whole lot going on during this seminal weekend so be sure to visit the Audi Birds of Prey World Cup
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