At Bowl, Ski Patrol Blankets Big Green

Author: Andrew Zimmermann

In the first of what is hoped to become an annual event, the Middlebury Snow Bowl ski patrol took part in a friendly competition against its Dartmouth counterpart in a match of ski talent and skill Saturday at the College's mountain. The competition came a week after Carnival festivities during which the volunteer, student-run patrol had to work to ensure the safety of those on the slopes. The activities, camaraderie and laid-back atmosphere offered the patrollers a chance to relax and unwind as the winter starts to wane.

Organized by senior patroller Doug Dagan '02, Dartmouth brought 15 members with them to compete in an array of events. After opening the mountain early on Saturday the teams started the day with a "get dressed" competition. Competitors started in street clothes and had to get into their skiing gear and click into their bindings in order to finish. Dartmouth, demonstrating themselves to be morning people, took first, second and fourth places en route to a win in the first event of the day.

After some recreational skiing, the teams reconvened at the base lodge for a tug of war. Short a few patrollers due to duties on the mountain, Middlebury lost to a strong Dartmouth team. Thoroughly famished, the teams headed to the summit hut and had a barbeque, which was attended not only by competitors but professors and students alike.

With the morning events behind them, the ski patrollers hit the slopes in the afternoon. Middlebury dominated the modified giant slalom winning four of the five head to head races. The GS however, was no Saturday stroll for the competitors as they had to ski with a rescue sled in tow, load a dummy patient into the sled at the mid-station and then continue down through the gates to the finish.

Hunter Smith's '04 race in the modified GS proved to be a stirring highlight of the competition. At the mid-station Smith was tied going into the dummy loading portion of the race. As Dagan recalls, "The Dartmouth competitor threw the dummy in the sled and took off. Hunter fell two gates behind and proceeded to kick butt on the bottom part of the course to come all the way back and win by a gate and a half. It was remarkable."

Carrying Smith's momentum the squad won a landslide victory in the downhill race held on the Voter Run. Snowboard patroller Dana Allen '04 scorched his two Dartmouth snowboarding counterparts and Middlebury finished with skiers in the top three places.

At day's end the patrol squads headed to the Dragon's Den for dinner. In light of the competition, the squads came out having built friendships and a possible new tradition. The whole skiing community had a day to relax and enjoy a string sense of community that went along with the camaraderie of competition.

For the Middlebury ski patrol it was a "fun yet relaxing way to unwind. After two years the event finally came to be," commented Dagan. During the week, the student-run patrol watches the mountain, performing the service free of charge. Each member is required to work one afternoon and one weekend day as part of the commitment. In being part of the patrol, one has to be CPR certified and pass an Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) course.

Those competing in the competition were Doug Dagan, Andrea Hersh '02, Benjy Adler '03, Brendan Bechtel '03, Chris Kautz '02, Dana Allen, Harvest Ficker '02, James Black '04, Jason Fleishman '03.5, Jen Eggebroten '04 and Tim Connolly '04.5. For a list of the remaining members of the ski patrol or other information, go to http://www.middlebury.edu/~patrol.