The Ski Party You Missed
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While in university, I had a ski friend who was very quiet and unassuming. While we planned from day to day, he planned several years ahead. He knew the ski boom would come and so he saved his money from his two jobs and bought some land near a ski center. He then build a nice ski chalet and once it was completed, he wanted a great ski party. He was shy and knew few skiers outside our small group, so he asked me to plan the party. He would provide the chalet; I would provide the people and “atmosphere”! Little did he know what was to come!
It had to be special! It had to be memorable...yet classy! Then it hit me, during a boring stats class! Here is the party you missed!
Two weeks later 50 people got a letter, unsigned, inviting them to a ski house warming party. To confirm that this was not a joke or scam they could verify the with ski school Director at the nearest hill (he had been briefed)! He promised not to tell where the party was as long as he could come to watch the "snipping"!
All participants had to leave homes at set hour (7 PM) and all were given directions to the first “drop-off” point! You see this was like a blind rally, with directions given every 4-5 kms. No one knew where chalet was! There were 10 pick up points in such places as; behind a church, under a bridge, in a desk in a police station, on a bench, in a bar etc…Of course the people in the restaurant, church and police station were consulted. All agreed once the final condition of the rally was told to them!
The final condition was that each participant was allowed to wear only one meter of material! Any material was allowed. Any pattern was permitted! I can see you all smile now…..letting your imagination go! But wait…..there is more! Now it gets interesting!
I had tested the course and timed how much each section should take! I had planned that the circuit would take 2 hours. That was with slow driving! The final condition made the party a memorable one! You see I wrote too all participants that there would be a “penalty” for ever 15 minutes late! The penalty was that we would cut off 10 cm. (Per 15 minutes) from the material!
Imagine the stress! Soon on the night of the party, very “conservative” country people were watching couples running in cemeteries, in covered bridges, bars, etc… Word spread and “locals” were coming out to watch these city folks running about! The police were well briefed and so when they started to get calls about strange “couples” going under bridges and into cemeteries, they just chuckled! Two asked if they could join party! What could I say!
I had never realized how imaginative skiers are! I had assumed that most would just cut one large section of material and cover their bodies! No it was not to be! Imagine one couple sewed two sections of material to make ONE covering. One in front and one in back! Not sure, what was between!
Some very bright women modified the 1 meter material to cover essential parts of her body. It did not seem however 1 meter was used!
As the 2 hour deadline approached, I knew our plan had a problem, only 10 people were on time! I did provide an “emergency” phone in case and soon it began to ring!!!!! ( This was before the GPS time). The police, for once were having great fun, had to “direct” many couples ! The local gas station, which was typically serviced by one man, now had 15 men casually milling about ready to help the lost girls! Word spread in the valley that something was “happening”! Soon we could see “convoys” of cars as the blind lead the blind into dead end roads! Local farmers now knew that “lost city skiers” were driving about! They purposefully told them how to get lost so that they would be back for another peek! I did say the 1 meter of material was “imaginatively” put together!
By 11 PM I was getting worried, until the local policemen came to inform me that some of the “lost girls” were coming soon. Seems they had stopped at local bar for directions and the staff offered them free drinks! Those 15 men at gas station were soon at the local bar! At 12 PM all had arrived ( with more of the locals).
A rule is a rule! So I asked the local police chief, (who had come to help two young lost nurses) to do the honors! The tape came out and soon he was snipping away! I had assumed that all would come with one flat 1 meter piece of material! No so! It made the job of measuring and cutting “challenging” With a straight face and great precision he did so! That took at least 1 hour since he had to stop to “relax” since he was under great tension!
So by 1 AM we had 100 people who had never met dancing, admiring each others work and sharing skiing stories. I did say I invited 50? Those others were the local helpers, the guides, the police, the bar owner, the caretaker at the grave yard, the neighbors!
Eddy, my quiet, unassuming friend that no one knew before the party, was in heaven! That land he bought,,,,well soon he had 15 fellow skiers that wanted some land! That lost girl the police chief helped? She always wanted to move to the country and that police chief had a great house!
The party lasted all night since we were in the middle of no where, no neighbors and besides,,,we had the police with us! After the party,,the very next week, Eddy quit university and bought more land!
Now 30 years later, Eddy is now the largest chalet builder in Mt. Tremblant! You see he paid $500 for 15 acres of land then! Now he sells one acre for 1 million! Every year however, he has a party! A special party and all the locals know about it! It is his way to thank all those first 100 guests who came to his “special party”! They showed him how “social and imaginative” skiers can get! He was a visionary and that party opened his eyes!
Me? That is where I met my wife. She made me promise to never tell our kids how much material was taken off her 1 meter!
All I can say is that she is never ever late for a meeting!!!!
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Started by Pavelski in Ski Chatter 17-Dec-2007 - 3 Replies
Pavelski posted Dec-2007
While in university, I had a ski friend who was very quiet and unassuming. While we planned from day to day, he planned several years ahead. He knew the ski boom would come and so he saved his money from his two jobs and bought some land near a ski center. He then build a nice ski chalet and once it was completed, he wanted a great ski party. He was shy and knew few skiers outside our small group, so he asked me to plan the party. He would provide the chalet; I would provide the people and “atmosphere”! Little did he know what was to come!
It had to be special! It had to be memorable...yet classy! Then it hit me, during a boring stats class! Here is the party you missed!
Two weeks later 50 people got a letter, unsigned, inviting them to a ski house warming party. To confirm that this was not a joke or scam they could verify the with ski school Director at the nearest hill (he had been briefed)! He promised not to tell where the party was as long as he could come to watch the "snipping"!
All participants had to leave homes at set hour (7 PM) and all were given directions to the first “drop-off” point! You see this was like a blind rally, with directions given every 4-5 kms. No one knew where chalet was! There were 10 pick up points in such places as; behind a church, under a bridge, in a desk in a police station, on a bench, in a bar etc…Of course the people in the restaurant, church and police station were consulted. All agreed once the final condition of the rally was told to them!
The final condition was that each participant was allowed to wear only one meter of material! Any material was allowed. Any pattern was permitted! I can see you all smile now…..letting your imagination go! But wait…..there is more! Now it gets interesting!
I had tested the course and timed how much each section should take! I had planned that the circuit would take 2 hours. That was with slow driving! The final condition made the party a memorable one! You see I wrote too all participants that there would be a “penalty” for ever 15 minutes late! The penalty was that we would cut off 10 cm. (Per 15 minutes) from the material!
Imagine the stress! Soon on the night of the party, very “conservative” country people were watching couples running in cemeteries, in covered bridges, bars, etc… Word spread and “locals” were coming out to watch these city folks running about! The police were well briefed and so when they started to get calls about strange “couples” going under bridges and into cemeteries, they just chuckled! Two asked if they could join party! What could I say!
I had never realized how imaginative skiers are! I had assumed that most would just cut one large section of material and cover their bodies! No it was not to be! Imagine one couple sewed two sections of material to make ONE covering. One in front and one in back! Not sure, what was between!
Some very bright women modified the 1 meter material to cover essential parts of her body. It did not seem however 1 meter was used!
As the 2 hour deadline approached, I knew our plan had a problem, only 10 people were on time! I did provide an “emergency” phone in case and soon it began to ring!!!!! ( This was before the GPS time). The police, for once were having great fun, had to “direct” many couples ! The local gas station, which was typically serviced by one man, now had 15 men casually milling about ready to help the lost girls! Word spread in the valley that something was “happening”! Soon we could see “convoys” of cars as the blind lead the blind into dead end roads! Local farmers now knew that “lost city skiers” were driving about! They purposefully told them how to get lost so that they would be back for another peek! I did say the 1 meter of material was “imaginatively” put together!
By 11 PM I was getting worried, until the local policemen came to inform me that some of the “lost girls” were coming soon. Seems they had stopped at local bar for directions and the staff offered them free drinks! Those 15 men at gas station were soon at the local bar! At 12 PM all had arrived ( with more of the locals).
A rule is a rule! So I asked the local police chief, (who had come to help two young lost nurses) to do the honors! The tape came out and soon he was snipping away! I had assumed that all would come with one flat 1 meter piece of material! No so! It made the job of measuring and cutting “challenging” With a straight face and great precision he did so! That took at least 1 hour since he had to stop to “relax” since he was under great tension!
So by 1 AM we had 100 people who had never met dancing, admiring each others work and sharing skiing stories. I did say I invited 50? Those others were the local helpers, the guides, the police, the bar owner, the caretaker at the grave yard, the neighbors!
Eddy, my quiet, unassuming friend that no one knew before the party, was in heaven! That land he bought,,,,well soon he had 15 fellow skiers that wanted some land! That lost girl the police chief helped? She always wanted to move to the country and that police chief had a great house!
The party lasted all night since we were in the middle of no where, no neighbors and besides,,,we had the police with us! After the party,,the very next week, Eddy quit university and bought more land!
Now 30 years later, Eddy is now the largest chalet builder in Mt. Tremblant! You see he paid $500 for 15 acres of land then! Now he sells one acre for 1 million! Every year however, he has a party! A special party and all the locals know about it! It is his way to thank all those first 100 guests who came to his “special party”! They showed him how “social and imaginative” skiers can get! He was a visionary and that party opened his eyes!
Me? That is where I met my wife. She made me promise to never tell our kids how much material was taken off her 1 meter!
All I can say is that she is never ever late for a meeting!!!!
RossF
reply to 'The Ski Party You Missed' posted Dec-2007
Ha ha! That is excellent.
Silver
reply to 'The Ski Party You Missed' posted Dec-2007
Pavelski that really is a very good party story.
I do have many party stories, but as I've only been on snow for 1 week a year (except broken leg) over 4 years I cannot match that for parties that involve snow.
Superb
I 'd love to imagine that there was at least some dancing going on between travelling and other shenanegans, as dancing is officially the best best sport in the world after skiing.
I do have many party stories, but as I've only been on snow for 1 week a year (except broken leg) over 4 years I cannot match that for parties that involve snow.
Superb
I 'd love to imagine that there was at least some dancing going on between travelling and other shenanegans, as dancing is officially the best best sport in the world after skiing.
Coops2
reply to 'The Ski Party You Missed' posted Dec-2007
Best heart warming story I've heard in ages.
A day without Ski's on is a day wasted.
Topic last updated on 18-December-2007 at 13:36