Stowe Derby

Today Gianni skated in the Stowe Derby for the first time. Patti, Ben, Rosalie and their friends did, too. Mike, Boo and I worked the crowd and camera at the finish. It was really fun! All the kids won prizes. I did an early skate loop, as usual.

Ben's Birthday Weekend

Ben celebrated his 12th birthday on Saturday by taking a big group of friends ice climbing. Of course Rob and SOAR provided all the gear and technical expertise. The kids had a blast. Check out more pictures.

Mike bought Gianni a new pair of Mantras so he could ski the powder and woods better with Ben. On Sunday, Gianni spent a wonderful day on the slopes with Mike and Ben while I did two loops, one classic and one skate.

Presidents Weekend in Stowe

Spent another fun weekend with the McWassers. Sunday, we went for a nice skate with Dave's family. The kids got carried away pushing snow into what became a big pile, especially Gianni. I went for a skate loop afterward. On Monday, Patti, Ben, Rosalie, Gianni and I had a wonderful ski from Trapps to SMR. I took them down Hare Line for the first time. Everyone went back to school and work on Tuesday, so Gianni and I skated up Parizzo together in perfect sunshine - a classic father son experience.

Great Weekend with Paul

Gianni and I had a fantastic weekend. Saturday morning we woke early and went up to Yawgoo to help run a JV and JVI race. Gianni helped set the gates and tested the course and timer as a forerunner. I ran the start for the last two races. It was a great learning experience for us both. After pizza and the awards we drove up to Paul's. The kids enjoyed an afternoon skating on a nearby pond. Hide and seek seemed to be more popular than hockey. It sure is hard to hide on a pond! Paul and I played hockey at night to cap off a great day.

Sunday saw us heading up to Wachusett Mountain for a day on the slopes. As usual, the kids ran us ragged, trying to keep up with their countless runs and speed. This is a video of Gianni making some turns.