PQ and TV

The PQ Ski Team and PQFI have had a long and illustrious relationship with television. From Late Night Movie Nights, departure-eve film festivals, bad Canadian telelvion (Turtle Island), TSN, infomercials (Germ Terminator, Rotato, Charlton Heston Reads the Bible, etc) to simply bizzare and wacky things seen on TV.

Two such unbelievable TV events took place during Operation Mayhem:

1. The introduction of Mel Farr "Superstar"
2. A spectacular episode of The Maury Povich Show

Mel Farr was a former Detroit Lion who went on to become a very successful business man through a series of car dealerships in the Detroit area. Somehow, one of the channels we received during that first trip was a local station out of Michigan. We were introduced to this amazing, suit-and-cape wearing African American saleman that week and our lives were never the same. I'll never forget Jim screaming, "wait...is he wearing a cape!?!" many, many times that week. It was like a door into the surreal and Mel Far was the gatekeeper. For Operation Mayhem, "The Superstar" was one of many firsts that still linger to this day.

Maury Povich was another show watched daily upon our return from dominating the mountain. One particular afternoon, as Tom and Jim began slamming beers during "apres ski" Maury's show topic was Phobias. We watched with growing anticipation of something incredible as the standard fears came across Maury's stage: dog, snakes, spider, etc. However, one unfortunate woman had an usual fear, one which was so astonishingly unbelievable it still boggles the mind: balloons. She was afraid of balloons. The sight of a grown woman, RUNNING across a stage, away from some balloons in absolute terror was one of the funniest I will ever see. That it was watched during a ski trip amidst many beers, made it all the more memorable. Balloons, she was terrified of balloons!!

I'd like to thank Mel Farr Superstar and Maury Povich for their undeniable contribution to the Legacy of the PQFI.