Volunteer on skis

For the past three years I have volunteered for the Park City Race Department. The first year, I gave about 25 days. Last year and this year, I will have done much less, but I still work at the first ski races of the year, the Eric Hays Memorial, a series of junior alpine races consisting of two giant slalom and two slalom over a four-day period and fielding some 240 youngsters. Yesterday started with a giant slalom for both girls and boys; the girls starting first. It was very cold; 0 degree early in the morning and never above 20 during a day that was overcast and snowy. My job was that of a “slider” the most menial there is. Armed with a snow shovel I went up and down on the course, all day long, making sure the course stayed smooth through the two-run event. This meant that I moved a lot and apart for some very cold feet, I manage to stay “alive” during that very long day. In the past, I have been a starter, which requires a lot of concentration, is very cold, because there’s no movement involved, but the continued task makes the time go faster. Do I enjoy that work? Not really when it’s that cold, but I do my best to do it right and that probably why it’s called a volunteer job!