Pat Donnelly

If so, sign me up!

http://www.bomberonline.com/store/accessories/carveboards.cfm Way to go!

The Associated Press PORTLAND - In what is believed to be the first liability verdict in the nation involving a snowboard manufacturer, a jury ruled a Swiss company was not to blame for the 2002 death of a young woman on Mount Bachelor. Frank and Ellen Svitek of Ambler, Pa., sued Nidecker of Rolle, Switzerland, after their daughter, Kate Svitek, 22, was trapped in a well of deep snow surrounding a tree and died on Feb. 8, 2002, at the central Oregon ski resort. The trial centered on the snowboard's bindings. Unlike ski bindings, which automatically release in a fall to prevent injury, snowboard bindings do not release. The Sviteks' attorney, Joseph Chaiken of Philadelphia, argued that nonreleasable bindings increase the risk of death if a snowboarder falls into a well of deep snow. Unable to kick off the board, a rider can become trapped in the snow and suffocate. But the attorney for Nidecker, Brad Stanford of Portland, argued nonreleasable bindings are safer overall

Arapahoe Basin, CO (Monday, May 9, 2005) - The winter ski season continues at Arapahoe Basin. The Colorado ski and snowboard area is 99% open and has received over three feet of snow since late April. A-Basin boasts a 60” midway base, one of the largest bases of the season. Due to unprecedented ski conditions for this time of the year and with the other ski areas in the region closed, A-Basin has been extremely busy on the weekends. Ski area officials are encouraging skiers and riders to take advantage of the free shuttles from the River Run lot at Keystone just a few miles down the road to avoid difficult late morning and afternoon parking situations at the base of the mountain. “If you are not able to make it to the ski area prior to 10:00 a.m. on a Saturday or Sunday until closing day, we suggest taking the shuttle from Keystone. It’s convenient and there is no worry of having to squeeze illegally into a spot along the highway where you will be towed,” said A-Basin's General Manager, Jim Gentling. Colorado State Patrol Captain Ron Prater is also concerned about the parking situation on Highway 6 adjacent to the ski area. “Oversized loads and hazardous material vehicles must be routed over Highway 6 past the ski area. We must keep the highway open and we have a zero tolerance policy in effect when vehicles are parked along the highway. These vehicles will be towed. We encourage parking in the River Run parking lot and use the shuttle. We can’t ignore these violations due to the safety issues.” The free shuttle from the Keystone’s River Run parking lot will run every Saturday and Sunday in May and also on Monday, Memorial Day from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. A-Basin also encourages skiers and riders to carpool. Fill a vehicle with four people or more, take them all to the ticket window (even if some of them have passes) and receive a discounted lift ticket for those in the car who need a ticket for $30. Arapahoe Basin heats things up this May with the "Shakin' at the Basin Free May Concert Series". Every Saturday in May A-Basin will have free live entertainment from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the base area of the ski area. A-Basin is scheduled to close for the season on June 5, 2005

EULOGY - (new release) Ray Romano, Hank Azaria, Debra Winger, Piper Laurie, Zooey Deschanel, Rip Torn. WILD THINGS - (from late 90's) Neve Campbell, Denise Richards, Matt Dillon, Kevin Bacon, Kathleen Turner, Bill Murray, Robert Wagner.

Mark, You could pick up a copy of this monthly magazine for further reading on homebrewing: http://www.beertown.org/homebrewing/zymurgy.html Another source www.williamsbrewing.com I used to homebrew but gave it up and am now into home roasting coffee bean. Coffee resource for anyone interested www.sweetmarias.com

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~53~2846980,00.html

Should be open for business http://www.arapahoebasin.com/ 3 feet of snow since April 25th!

Wipe a tear and grab a beer knowing your last turns were the best! Now grab that tape from Pete to help carry you into next season. Pat

Mark, Are customers still able to take this home to their wives ? I recall seeing this in Skiing Magazine a few years ago as a result of their billboard campaign but is it still around? Oh, and I found a link for Anchor Steam's Christmas Ale http://www.anchorbrewing.com/beers/christmasale.htm Pat

Mark, Did you happen to sample any of the Christmas brews from Anchor or Sierra during December? Sometimes they sell out in a matter of days. Anchor varies their recipe for each year and has had some excellent results over the years. Give Spanish Peaks "Honey Raspberry Ale" a try, this is the one with the black labrador on the label. And now that the furnace is paid off, are you saving towards some new toys? Might have to check this out www.mylifeisbeer.com

http://www.skipressworld.com/us/en/daily_news/2005/04/spring_storm_hits_snowbird_with_two_feet.html?cat=Resorts

Go to Yahoo . . . Finance, search out ZQK for news results. Stock price of ZQK was on a downtrend then picked up (downward) momentum since the annoucement.

From Aspen Daily News In honor of the late Hunter S. Thompson's affection for beer, a Colorado brewery is launching a potent new concoction called Gonzo Imperial Porter. Denver-based Flying Dog Brewery rolled out the tribute beer at the Boulder Theater on Friday night, where Mountain Gazette co-publisher and former Aspen Daily News editor Curtis Robinson led a question-and-answer discussion as part of a special event to honor and celebrate the legendary author from Woody Creek. Boulder Theater also had a screening of 1998's "Fear and Loathing at Las Vegas." Gonzo Imperial Porter is 9 percent alcohol by volume and includes a label designed by Ralph Steadman, the illustrator for much of Thompson's work. For years, Steadman has done most of the artwork for Flying Dog, which was founded in Woody Creek by local resident and Thompson friend George Stranahan. The new beer's label includes a skeletal portrait of Thompson with a bubble over his head saying, "OK, let's party!" The label is also scheduled to reprint the famous Thompson quote, "I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me." Eric Warner of Flying Dog said he wasn't sure regulators would approve the label. "It's iffy," he said. "It seem innocuous to me, but that's just me." Flying Dog Brewery started in 1990 and, according to a company statement, "It was a warm summer's night in Woody Creek, Colorado, Flying Dog founder, George Stranahan, and the gonzo duo of Ralph Steadman and Hunter S. Thompson were engaged in a meeting of minds so to speak. Yes, yes, they were getting drunk, the kind of drunk you save for once a year, pink elephant drunk, or if you will, Flying Dog drunk. What happened next was a kind of collective hallucination and the fearless trio conjured up an image of The Road Dog." Thompson penned the slogan for Road Dog Porter with the words, "Good People Drink Good Beer." At Friday night's event in Boulder, titled "A Tribute to Gonzo: A Celebration of the life of Hunter S. Thompson," Flying Dog Beer and plenty of Chivas Regal -- Thompson's signature beverage -- were sold at discounts and a Thompson look-a-like contest that awarded free Flying Dog beer to the winner for a year. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Hunter S. Thompson Foundation, which is dedicated to the pursuit of justice for individuals wrongly prosecuted by the American legal system. Thompson killed himself Feb. 20. He was 67.

Birmingham, Michigan Borders Phone 248-203-0005 then #2 U.S. mailing charge would be around $5.00 There were 5 copies remaining as of Apr 8th

SUMMIT COUNTY - Mike McFarland said he immediately went into "focus mode" when he realized he had triggered an avalanche in the Sky Chutes east of Copper Mountain on Wednesday. "I thought it was terrifying, but at the same time you have to exercise a certain amount of concentration to make sure you try to get out," McFarland said Thursday. McFarland moved with the slide for about 50 feet before he was able to self-arrest with his ski pole, while the snow continued to pass around him. McFarland, Edward Haupt - both Copper Mountain ski instructors - and McFarland's brother, Chad, ducked a rope at the Breckenridge Ski Resort, between the top of Peaks 7 and 8, to get on the west side of the Tenmile Range and gain access to the chutes, which are located on the backside of Peak 6. The group began its descent into the K chute about 1 p.m. McFarland had no idea that the decision he made directly after the slide would launch a full-scale rescue operation. He called the Copper Ski Patrol as soon as they all realized everyone was safe and told the patrol the they were fine, just above halfway down the mountain and would call back the moment they were on the ground. About 20 minutes later, the skiers weren't off the mountain yet, but McFarland was growing concerned that patrollers would call search and rescue because they hadn't heard back from the group. So, he called patrol back and said they were already down the mountain, although they were still about 400 feet above the valley floor. In retrospect, McFarland said the decision to say they were out when they weren't was probably a mistake, but they wanted to make sure rescuers weren't deployed. Unbeknownst to the skiers, rescuers had already been summoned. While looking at the slide area through a telescope, patrollers noticed a second slide in the Y chute and didn't see tracks coming out. McFarland said they were about a half mile from the second slide and had no idea it had slid. "I think what it boils down to is the people we contacted at ski patrol have an obligation to contact search and rescue," McFarland said. Conditions were too dangerous for a ground crew to ascend the chutes from the base area in Copper's Corn parking lot, so a Flight for Life helicopter crew began scouring the area for any sign of the skiers. McFarland said, at this point, the group was confused as to why a helicopter was flying overhead when they had notified the ski patrol that they were safe. "We didn't understand why they were prolonging it ... It was one of those things when we thought we had communicated perfectly and thought everything was fine," he said. They stayed in a cluster of trees near the base of the mountain for about an hour, while deciding the next move to make. "You gotta put yourself in my shoes. I know we've ducked a rope. I know there's media down there waiting to get in my face. It basically boiled down to embarrassment." Finally, they decided to "face the music" and come out of the woods into the parking lot, where TV cameras, sheriff's deputies and dozens of rescuers were waiting. The three skiers were ticketed by the Sheriff's Office for violating the Skier Safety Act because of their decision to duck a rope at Breckenridge. The violation is punishable by up to a $300 fine. "I'm very, very sorry to Breckenridge Ski Area for cutting their rope," McFarland said. "Also, I'm very, very sorry for the search and rescue people who had to come out and look for us." The Breckenridge Ski Patrol also worked on the search and rescue. A team of four had hiked to the K chute. On the way back, they followed the tracks of the three skiers to the point where they had ducked the ropeline. Nicole Formosa can be reached at (970) 668-3998, ext. 229, or at nformosa@summitdaily.com

Mammoth Mountain, CA (Tuesday, April 5, 2005) - Mammoth Mountain Ski Area shattered season pass sales by completely selling out of the popular MVP Club passes in just 15 days. With membership in the MVP Club closing after this sales window, demand for the passes was even higher than resort personnel anticipated. Once again, Mammoth offered a pre-sale period for returning pass holders, allowing loyal guests to be assured that they would be able to purchase a pass. At the end of the 11-day sales window, over 80% of the available passes were already sold. On Friday, April 1, passes were available to new members and the sales pace was swift. "The demand for MVP Club passes has been overwhelming," said Pam Murphy, Senior Vice President of Mammoth Mountain. "The months we spent planning for the execution of this intense sales window made this years sale a huge success. Two years ago, it took three months to sell out the passes, last year 16 days and this year only 15 days." By directing sales through the Internet, the resort was able to process a tremendous volume of passes in a very short window without a significant impact to the resort. On-line sales accounted for 87% of MVP Club pass sales - taking pressure off frontline and telephone sales agents, and reducing purchase time for customers. As a bonus, MVP Club members with a 2005/06 pass can start using their passes to ski or ride beginning May 1, 2005 to take advantage of Mammoth's spring skiing. Over 540 inches of snow have fallen on Mammoth this year and the mountain currently has a massive 15- to 17-foot base, setting up for excellent spring conditions and a snow pack that is expected to last into July. Adult passes were sold for $450 plus a $35 membership fee, youth passes (age 13-18) were $365 and children (age 7-12) and seniors' passes (65+) were $245.

Stowe, VT (Monday, April 4, 2005) - The Dave Matthews Band's album release tour, with stops at numerous ski and snowboard resorts, arrives at Vermont's Stowe Mountain Resort this Saturday, April 9. In addition to showcasing the band's new upcoming album, 'Stand Up," Stowe will offer $25 lift tickets to every skier and rider that day, and every ticket purchased includes an optional 1-year subscription to Rolling Stone Magazine. There will be ski, snowboard and music industry companies on hand with products, demos and samples. A listening party to hear the new album will also take place with prize giveaways, including a limited edition Stefan Lessard-designed Dave Mathews’s Band snowboard. Saturday is also the finale of Stowe’s Spring Summit Celebration, with barbeques, fun under the sun and spring skiing. The day’s activities will also include a free Halfpipe Jam and Vermont Specialty Foods. You don't have to be a Dave Matthews fan to appreciate a $25 lift ticket to Stowe.

http://www.mammothmountain.com/mvp/ On Sale Now! Quantities are limited so act fast! Based on volume and previous seasons' sales, the anticipated sell-out time will be noon on Monday, April 4, 2005 It is possible that MVP Club Passes may sell out BEFORE Monday. Join the Club NOW, while supplies last! Once available memberships SELL OUT, MVP Club Passes will not be sold to anyone for any reason.

By Allyn Harvey - Aspen Times April 2, 2005 Plenty of people were peeved about their parking tickets Friday, according to the Aspen Police Department. The staffers at the front desk of the Aspen Police Department told The Aspen Times more than a dozen people had called to complain about parking tickets they'd received despite a headline in the Aspen Daily Planet reporting that parking was free on Fridays for the rest of offseason. The Aspen Daily Planet is the Aspen Daily News' spoof newspaper that comes out every April Fools Day. Some of the people who called the police department reportedly demanded their tickets be forgiven even after they were told it was the April Fools edition of the Daily News, with at least one claiming to be a tourist. Dave Danforth, owner and mascot at the Daily News, said he's willing to share the cost of the parking tickets with "50 or 100" of the victims of his staff's tomfoolery, and he is devising a contest to determine who the lucky unlucky ones will be. To be eligible, car owners must complain to the paper's management and then come up with an amusing explanation of why they were so naive as to believe anything the Daily Planet (or Daily News) would publish. "We regret that people take this paper so seriously - putting it somewhere between the gospel and the Bible - especially on April Fools Day," Danforth said. Danforth indicated he'd be willing to pay up to 50 percent of people's parking fines.

4/1/05 Bear dumps load in woods By Limey Scum/Aspen Daily Planet Slave An unidentified bear took a large **** in the woods some time this week, the Colorado Division of Wildlife confirmed Thursday. "(The ****) was enormous," said DOW officer Kevin Wright. "It was kind of green in color and the bear had obviously eaten some sort of berry prior to taking the dump. ... It was definitely a bear." The turd, found in the forest surrounding Difficult Campground is believed to be the first confirmed ursine dump of the season. "It was a real beauty, a keeper, I'd say," said local hiker Peter Dandrea, who uncovered the large stool Monday. "Fantastic." There have been several suspected bear-**** sightings already this year, but the DOW has been unable to confirm these were from bruins. Wright said the Aspen area could expect a busy bear-**** season. "I wouldn't wear open-toed shoes or sandals," he said. "If you do, make sure you keep your toenails clipped short."

April 1st From Aspen Daily Planet . . . Reacting to news that Aspen was switching its police cars to Volvos, Vail officials said they were switching their police cars from Volvos to Lexuses. "Vail is better than Aspen," said Vail Police Chief Dwight Herringbone. "So we have to drive better cars." After hearing about Vail's announcement, Aspen officials said they were switching their police cars to BMWs. "It really doesn't have anything to do with Vail getting Lexuses or anything," said Aspen Assistant Police Chief Loren Ryerson. "It was just about the cars. Really." Vail responded to the news by ordering a fleet of Mercedes outfitted with flashing blue lights. "Mercedes are better cars than BMWs," Herringbone said. "So we got some Mercedes." Aspen reacted by ordering a fleet of Jaguars. "After an environmental audit, we found that Jaguars are more environmentally sound than BMWs," Ryerson said. "Really. I mean that. And, uh, I think they're more suited to our mountain driving conditions. Or something like that." The news sent Vail officials into a tailspin. "Buy up a bunch of Porsches," ordered Vail Mayor Rod Slipper. "Now! I don't care how much it costs." Later, Aspen announced that it was instead outfitting its police with Maseratis. "A team of consultants found that Maseratis are better suited to the high speeds Aspen police may have to drive," said Aspen Mayor Helen Kindarud. "I haven't heard what Vail's doing. Have you? Not that I care." Vail officials responded by ordering Lamborghinis for their police, fire, ambulance and public works departments. "Beat that, you lefty Aspen snooty-snoots," Slipper said. Aspen officials said they never intended to set off a battle with Vail. "They can drive whatever they want," Klanderud said. "We've decided that land vehicles don't really suit the 21st century challenges our peace officers face, anyway." Aspen officials announced that instead, they were contracting with billionaire Paul Allen, the Microsoft co-founder who funded the SpaceShipOne rocket plane, to develop a fleet of reusable rockets. "They're recyclable," Klanderud said, "and Aspen is very in favor of recycling." Vail officials were reportedly in an executive session with billionaire Jeff Bezos, the amazon.com planning to build a commercial spaceport, and couldn't be reached for comment.

Check out the videos at www.carveboardsports.com maybe this is the type of carve you are thinking of. These boards are not built for speed - they are carve specific.

Eric - nice shots of Flavio and the groomed corduroy portrait is near perfection. You just might have to re-edit "Moments of Pride" with some of your shots from this trip. Keep em coming!

Jason, I wear off the shelf SuperFeet in my every day shoes. What my boot-fitter showed me was how to get the right size. My street shoe size is 10, but the right size SuperFeet for my foot is 11-13. The trick is to size it to your foot; specifically from the bottom of your heel to your arch then trim the excess off the toe area. If you buy off the shelf based on your shoe size you may wind up with a mis-aligned arch.