Tower Thirteen

We'd line up, sometimes as many at twenty of us, about a hundred yards up the slope from the jump. We'd wait to see who would go first. We'd wait to see if Patrol was looking (this was the 80's and the era of the NO JUMPING sign). We'd wait to see if Wheeler was going to go off and do something we'd never seen. We'd wait to see if the yellow pants of Dougie Rand would come screaming by, blond hair blowing in the air with his mirrored sunglasses masking where he was looking, and he'd snake all of us and launch huge air that just looked so smooth.

We'd stand there until it was our turn or until our nerve had built up enough. While we stood there we'd talk about doing a helicopter, a double daffy, a mule kick, a back scratcher, or a spread eagle. We'd then push off and try to perform up to the hype we'd just laid down, and we'd often come up short on the trick, but we'd still get plenty of air. The second to two seconds that we were in the air was a moment of pure freedom. In our minds we were getting dozens of feet off the ground and landing at the top of the Pine slope- at least that is what it felt like. The reality is we usually landed in the sweet spot and skied out and stood over at the mid station tower. Every once in awhile someone would pop a good one and land of the flats. It hurt like hell but it was bragging rights.

I've seen some amazing skiers hit that kicker, from national freestyle stars like Lee Lee Morrison, Frank Howell, Greg Stump, Kim Stump, Geoff Stump, Dougie Rand, Hank Donlon, to ski racers I grew up with like Dave Gyger, Scott Davis, Henry Hudson, Colin Riley, to current freeskiing standout Ben Wheeler, to early snowboarders Jay Diran and Mike (who I can't remember his last name but used to throw front flips off the jump), to the guy who introduced me to Tower Thirteen- my Dad. There are hundreds of others that I've seen launch off Tower Thirteen, the images are etched in my mind.

As I sit here on a March day where I know the temps will head into the 40's I can almost smell the grill from Mid Station and see people clad in neon launching into the stratosphere.

These days the knoll is buried, the in-run has been tamed, and the jumping takes place in the terrain park. But for those who remember Tower Thirteen, I'm guessing you can't help but look over to that knoll as you pass mid station on the new lift and think back to days gone by- and smile. I know I do.