Ski Vermont

me she’d like tickets to Bolton Valley from Santa next year.
I went back to Okemo as a chaperone, and when the
timing was right, I hit the magic carpet to work on my
skills. My son coaxed me into going on the “big kid”
slopes with him and his friends for the afternoon. I took
some solid spills, but it was fun anyway.
MH: Did you manage much progress?
PK: On the last day of the season, I never stood at the
bottom. I snowboarded with my oldest son all day and
had a blast. I’ve since talked one of my friends into
giving me a good deal on his “backup” snowboard, so
I’m ready for next year.
FINN DONOVAN
WATERBURY CENTER, VERMONT
I’ve known Finn nearly his entire life. Which, since he’s only
about 2 years old, isn’t that long, but it is thorough. Finn’s dad,
Shawn, is a good friend. He’s one of those skiers who is born
to rip, making tele-skiing seem as easy as falling out of bed.
When Finn was born, we joked with Shawn and his wife
that it wouldn’t be long before Shawn and Finn were
tearing around the mountain together. Little did we know
it would only be a matter of months. Shortly after Finn
started walking, he started skiing. He’s a ski bum in diapers.
Shawn helped me translate Finn’s deepest wisdom regarding
learning to slide on snow:
MH: Finn, tell the world who you are.
FD: My name is Finn Michael Donovan and I am almost 2
years old. This winter I learned how to ski, and it was so
much fun.
MH: What was your favorite part?
FD: My favorite thing to do is ride the “Magic Apple” to
the top of the mountain (that’s my nickname for the
gondola at Stowe because it looks like a big red apple). I
love being outside in the fresh air and skiing with Mom
and Dad.
MH: No magic carpet for you?
FD: No. Only real lifts for me.
MH: So are you a pro yet?
FD: Learning how to ski can be difficult and sometimes it
20 SkiVermont.com
gets a little cold. But I’m going to work hard at it because
I want to be a good skier, just like my mom and dad.
MH: What does your dad think of your skiing?
FD: He grew up skiing in Vermont, so it’s a big deal to him.
He keeps talking about how this is something that we’ll
be doing for the rest of our lives. I’m like, “That’s great,
Dad. But I’m 2. Let’s take it one day at a time.”
BRITTANY COMEGNA
ROCHESTER, NEW YORK
Brittany is a grad student at Rochester Institute of Technology.
While many people overcome obstacles and fears to learn to
ski and ride, Brittany has overcome more than most. You’d
never know it from talking to her, though.
MH: So what was your history with skiing?
BC: In 2009, I was overweight and struggling with
depression. When my parents took my brother and me
on a skiing trip, I wanted to learn to snowboard, but I
was overwhelmed with apprehension. Should I abandon
skiing for the week and take the leap with a new sport?
Also, I am profoundly deaf. When I was taking my
lesson, I was anxious about how the instructor might
treat me.
I did [try snowboarding], and it is the best decision
I ever made in my life. Snowboarding revitalized my
self-esteem, gave me the motivation to lose weight
and get in shape, and helped me make new friends.