OLYMPIC DREAMS

OLYMPIC DREAMS Those of us who work in the snowsports industry love the Winter Olympics. Not only do we love watching them, but we love the fact that skiing & snowboarding are showcased for two weeks right in the middle of February. When I was at Mount Sunapee yesterday shooting this week's video, I rode up the chairlift with at least two different groups who were out that day because watching the Olympics got them in the mood to go skiing. But the Olympics can have a much more profound effect that you can really appreciate as a parent. Take Bode Miller's bronze medal run in yesterday's men's downhill. I have a daughter who skis on the Loon Race Team and a son in a seasonal racing program at Cannon. Bode, being a local guy, is obviously very well known in this area, but his image, until late last year, had not exactly been one you want your kids to emulate. But Bode's win yesterday turned our dinner conversation to topics including how you can be anything you want to be if you work hard enough, and how even if you really blow it (Bode's Torino Olympics), you can suck it up, apologize and let your future actions do the talking for you.

So thanks, Bode, for not retiring as one of America's best skiing athletes, but a real jerk who blew it - and coming back for one more Olympics as one of America's best skiing athletes who may be on his way to being a real American sports hero. Good luck with your next four races, from all of us in New Hampshire!