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Whistler inspired by life of Sarah Burke If eulogies for those who pass too early in life dwell on promises unrealized, those shared in Whistler speak of a truly remarkable, resilient personality. “She was gracious and humble and polite, and just everything you hope your daughter will be,” said Mike Douglas, who knew her from the time she arrived at Whistler at age 14 to attend ski camp. John Smart had known her just as long. “I was on the World Cup still, and she was hucking bigger tricks than I would ever do. She would crash, get back up, crash – nothing got her down. I was going through photos from our early camps, and in every single shot she’s smiling.” Too, there was the tale of training at Whistler during a downpour. Others found excuses to leave, but not Burke. “There was Sarah and six munchkins bouncing and laughing and full of life in the pouring rain. They were the only crew on the hill, spinning laps and having fun because she was with them,” said Smart. Taking measure of Burke’s life and death, Pique Newsmagazine editor Clare Ogilvie finds two messages: “People like Burke inspire us – those who embrace their passions and push to make their dreams come true, never accepting a ‘no’ or ‘can’t be done’ as part of the conversation. It’s a message all of us should try to embrace at some level every day,” she writes. “It’s the very message we want our kids and our leaders to listen to. If you want something, if you want to accomplish something, go and do something about it – work to make it a reality. Don’t wait for someone else to do it.” Then, there is the practical matter of risk assessment and abatement – and the costs when things go awry. One repercussion from Burke’s death will be a look at how traveling, competing or performing athletes are insured. The waters remain a little muddy. It appears that a sponsor on whose behalf she was training in Park City will pick up some or most of the medical bills. Before that was apparent, an online solicitation garnered $300,000 in contributions, enough to spare her husband and other family members lingering hospital costs. Connected with Telluride by a gondola, the slopeside municipality often acts in concert with its sibling down in the box canyon. But in this case, council members report deep reservations. “We’re not all in agreement what Telluride has done,” said Bob Delves, the mayor of Mountain Village, after fielding a call for action similar to Telluride’s. The irony, observes the Telluride Watch, is that a film called “Bag It,” which was largely responsible for Telluride’s action, was created at Mountain Village. The film broadly critiqued plastic bags because of their effect on waterways and landscapes, and also directly on people. In Wyoming, a town councilor in Jackson has also decided to can his proposal to ban plastic bags. Greg Miles, who had proposed the prohibition in November, counted the votes and found himself on the short end. He said he would explore expanded outreach and an educational campaign or a 5 to 10 cent tax on bags. “It’s unfortunate that the council seems to be a bit fearful of the potential ramifications of a plastic bag ban in grocery stores,” Miles told the Jackson Hole News&Guide. More unappetizing was the sight of a pair of sous chefs separating the face of a pig from its skull. “There were some freaked-out guests in the crowd who made themselves even more known once the pig’s face was served as an open-faced sandwich topped with thinly sliced raw butternut squash,” the newspaper’s correspondent related. To those unruffled by the image of pig eyes and snout, their plates were picked clean, adds the newspaper. The festival this year for the first time was sponsored by the Food and Wine magazine, which also sponsors the annual classic of the same name in Aspen. Some fingerpointing has been going on. One point of contention is that even as teaching staff has been reduced, the administrative staff has grown. So have salaries. The school district superintendent, who already had a salary of $184,000, accepted a $15,000 bonus last year, reports the Vail Daily. Citing a study by local real-estate appraiser Jim Kelley, the Whitefish Pilot reports 43 building permits for single-family homes in Whitefish last year, more than double the number from the year before. That figure hasn’t been surpassed since 2006. Developers fell in love with the cowboys and Indian themes that were representative of Jackson Hole. Now, there are plans for 850 homes, each with an identity: Billy the Kid, Geronimo, and so forth. The interior designer who helped the Chinese developers told the newspaper that the Chinese seem to equate the American West with freedom. And Jackson Hole, with its John Wayne bravado, seems to epitomize freedom from the work-a-day life that many Chinese live. “They’re very serious people,” said Allison Smith, the designer. “They spend so much time processing how to be successful. This is whimsy, fun. They’ve seen it in movies. You should see them when they get a toy gun to play with.” Existing winter games are held at Aspen and in France. Pique Newsmagazine explains that it costs $16 to $18 million to put on the X Games, and Whistler hopes to pony up $5 million to sweeten its bid. That means support from local, provincial and federal governments, plus donations from the ski company and others. Sponsorships sales could go for $1 million. Also on the list are three places in Brazil: Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Foz do Iguacu, plus Barcelona, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; and Quintana Roo, Mexico. – Allen Best |