Congratulations to Team Canada

On winning the gold medal in ice hockey. It was an incredible tournament and this gold medal would not have been possible if Martin Brodeur was in goal. Good move, Team Canada.

Slight change of plans...

Das Beast has had some minor mechanical problems and will not be
available for the ride up. The CT contingent will be riding up in a
new, yet to be named vehicle. This will not slow down the onslaught.
Game is still on!

Classic Photo for 2/28

Today's classic Operation Mayhem photo shows Capt. Jim on his brand new Qualcomm cell phone in the back of Scotty's Ford Expedition. This picture would also be part of the famous "Millennium Falcon" photoshop as "The Mastermind" piece. In this photo, Jim is rocking his prescription sunglasses while Tom STICKS HIS THUMB IN HER EYE! ...I mean, sticks his thumb in the shot. Sorry.

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Captain Jim nails a 720

720p camcorder that is. Capt. Jim will be rocking a Flip Mino camera
for this trip. 4GB. 60 Minutes of space. Quick acces to YouTube.
The revolution will be televised.

Banned!

I just wanted to take a moment to mention that our latest video has
been banned in Germany.

However, I hear we're huge in Belgium.

Operation Mayhem Montage

I didn't think it would be appropriate to celebrate 10 years of Operation Mayhem without giving that Operation its full due respect in montage form. Enjoy...

The good news and the bad news

The good news? Tremblant has had 7 inches of new snow and more is on
the way. We should have snow up until our arrival.

The bad news? The iPhone ski app shows people reporting that large
parts of the mountain were closed yesterday due to high winds. I hope
that doesn't happen to us. We wouldn't know what to do with
ourselves. ...or would we (Operation Intoxication, anyone?)

Let's just keep the mojo going. I'm going back to watching aerials in
Vancouver.

Classic Photo for 2/27

Today's photo from Operation Mayhem is the classic "Ninja" photo of Capt. Tom. Tom is donning his Smith goggles (that would crack mightily later on) and his yellow Marker jacket which would also rip in dramatic fashion.

This photo, along with a couple others, would eventually comprise the famous "Millennium Falcon" photoshop.

Never mind that it's sideways. We couldn't figure out how to fix photos back then.

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Bode Miller's Legacy

After winning the gold medal in the downhill this Olympics Bode Miller
said that it was important because it cemented his "Legacy".

That's right, Bode. It certainly does. Believe us. The PQ Ski Team
knows a little something about legacy. You are more than welcome to
join us this trip if you would like.

One week to go. Dominate.

I live near the beach.

Why, you may ask...
I do not know; but dear friends, not for long as we are in motion of a remedy.

With a spring time move back to Hoboken, happiness and the benefits of civilization, I'll be that much closer to the mountain. My heart and soul lie about 490 miles to the north, in beautiful Mont-Tremblant, Quebec Canada.

We got hit hard with this storm in Monmouth County and it only serves to remind me of the upcoming mountain domination which will ensue with great purpose and determination. Operation Legacy awaits and this snow can only be viewed as a blessing and a sign of great things to come.

Keep the mojo rising!

Let it snow...

As I sit here at home and watch the snow pile up in my backyard, I can only think that we are but a short week away from Complete and Total Mountain Domination. Much like Erich and Derek, I can't wait for this to happen. ...really.

Salomon Boots have Arrived

Now I have boots from the same company as my skis. Sadly, the Timberlands will be retired to see if anyone at Goodwill wants them. Nearly two decades of service out of those boots. Godspeed.

One week remaining. Let's do this thing!

Classic Photo for 2/26

Today's classic Operation Mayhem photo shows the famous "Pedestrian Cheeseburger" as mentioned in the feature length ski film "Operation Freeride". This cheeseburger, Powerade, Molson Canadian, poutine, and other assorted eats would be the last of their kind at the Summit Lodge. Soon after the picture was taken, the discovery of La Diable was complete and watching the stock market from the bar became a short lived past time.

Please don't ask why Capt. Jim is wearing a Bruins sweatshirt in this picture.

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Skiing legend C.R. Johnson dies

Today, a skiing legend has tragically passed on. CR Johnson, the
first man to pull off a 1440, has died at his home mountain of Squaw
Valley at age 26.

After suffering a traumatic brain injury in 2005, CR persevered and
brought himself back to the top of the skiing world only to have this
tragedy happen. He was truly an innovator and X Games hero.

The PQ Ski Team salutes CR and his contributions to the sport.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts/2010/02/winter-x-games-freeskier-cr-johnson-dies.html

Memories of Mayhem

You know what I remember about the first trip? There were only Eighteen trails open. That's right. It was such a small number of trails that I just wrote out the number instead of writing "18".

As you know, Tremblant has 94 trails these days. In fact, just today they opened them all up for the first time in a while. However, back on December 10th, 1999, Tremblant had only 18 trails open. Perhaps that was one of the reasons Scotty wanted to go to Gore. Perhaps he thought there would be more trails open.

Regardless of Scotty's true intentions, I would like to emphasize that we only had 18 trails open. There hadn't been a lot of snow so far in the season and the coverage wasn't that great. You had to take the Telecabine gondola all the way to the top, not to ski down to the bottom, but to ski down to the TGV lift. All trails were only accessible off of the TGV lift. There was no North Side open, no bottom of the South Side open and Versant Soleil and Le Edge were still just a gleam in Intrawest's eye. Since everyone was skiing the exact same trails, they all became quite crowded, very quickly. When your day of skiing was done, you took the TGV to the top of the mountain and then took the gondola back down to the village. Clearly, this was not an ideal situation and it made the lift lines very long. Sometimes, we waited upwards of 45 minutes in line to catch a chair.

If that last paragraph sounded like "when I was younger we walked to school uphill both ways in the snow", well, I guess it did. Things were different back then as we keep stressing in recent posts.

Now, here's where this gets really crazy. 18 Trails. Long lines. Lots of people clogging the trails... and yet, we still LOVED this place and couldn't wait to get back there. If that doesn't explain the magic of Tremblant, I don't know what does.

This post isn't to romantically talk about the good old days. While they certainly were good old days, the mountain and the company has only gotten better with each passing year. I look back on Operation Mayhem with fondness and respect, but I always anxiously await the next trip, because I know it will be the best one yet.

Classic Photo for 2/25

Today's classic Operation Mayhem photo displays yet another first in PQ Ski Team history. What is it, you ask? Why it's the first PQ Ski Team YARD SALE!!!

Former PQ Ski Team member Scotty was nice enough to treat us to an incredible display of skiing mastery on the South Side of the mountain on his way down to the TGV. Unfortunately, he did not achieve a complete yard sale as he managed to hang on to one of his poles. For the first "full sale", we would have to wait until Operation Millennium and one Tony Konidaris.

As you can see by the photo and the thumbs up, no Scottys were harmed in the making of this yard sale. His rental skis from Mount Everest Ski Shop? ...not so much.

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Capt. Jim's Mayhem Gear

Capt. Tom's last post was inspiring, as usual. It made me think about my gear for Operation Mayhem and how things have changed.

• Skis - Rossignol XRS (180cm) that I bought in PQ. Back then, I was a huge Rossignol devotee. My next pair of sticks was even a pair of Rossignol Bandits (170cm). As time went on and sidecuts became the norm, sizes drastically decreased. Today, I am on a pair of Salomon Teneightys (161cm) and I am contemplating going even lower (possibly on Atomics). Remembering that Tom used to ski on 195cm pieces of balsa is tremendous.
• Jacket - My Fairfield University Spyder Ski Team jacket. No, I wasn't on the team, but it was a cool jacket at the time. Still love the Spyder. Rocking a different version these days.
• Poles - I too had lame Scott poles at the time. Everyone did. Either that or Lekis. That's just what you got at Mount Everest Ski Shop. However, with the advent of Goode, no one ever has to deal with that nightmare again.
• Boots - Okay, I still wear the same Dolomite boots I've worn since high school. They're comfy. However, I will be visiting Surefoot this off season to at least get new liners.
• Pants & Gloves - No idea what I was wearing back then, but it certainly looked lame.
• Optics - Oakley sunglasses which have been traded in for Oakley goggles.
• Helmet - None, although you really need one these days. I sport the Giro 9 today.

So, much like Capt. Tom, things have changed and things have stayed the same. The important thing is that we take this equipment and hone it into a fine edge blade with which we ski hard, ski with authority, and do not give into the mountain with.

The Evolution of Gear

Jim's post about retiring his Timberland boots started me thinking about our ski gear and how it's evolved in the past ten years. In 1999, I was rocking a yellow Market ski jacket (purchased at Ski Barn in Paramus for $135.00), black non-cargo ski pants that I'd had for way too long, Marmot gloves, Gordini goggles (GORDINI!!) and some sort of balaclava...

More importantly, my hardware: Volant Z-Max SL slalom skis (195cm), Raichle Flexon Comp 9.0 GT Racing Boots (black with chartreuse accents), hi-end (circa 1995) Salomon bindings purchased at Herman's in Norwalk and a tattered, scarred pair of black/gold Scott poles (not the lame Scott poles but a previous iteration).

Not much has changed in terms of my corporate sponsors, still rocking Volant/Raichle/Salomon combo, just upgraded to newer, better models.

Domination.

Soundtrack is in the mail

It is complete and on its way to Maryland. I have also purchased new boots (snow not ski) for the trip. The Timberlands I have been using since high school have seen better days.

Onwards and upwards!

Classic Photo for 2/24

Today's photo was an inspirational one in PQ Ski Team history. It displays the three flags of Quebec, Canada, and the United States. It is one of the moments that inspired the PQ Ski Team name.

Subsequent visits would have PQ Ski Team members donning the flags of both Canada and the United States on their jackets as we displayed a dual patriotism that continues to this day. While the United States is undoubtedly our home and where our loyalties lie, we never forget about our adoptive home and how welcoming this country and its people have been.

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The Tremblant Olympics

As a nod to the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, the PQ Ski Team has decided to host our own "Tremblant Olympics". ...okay, Tremblant and La Diable are actually hosting, but bear with me here.

These Olympics will have events such as:

1. Extreme drinking
2. Downhill
3. Big Air
4. Moguls
5. Tree/Off Piste Riding

This is clearly not an exhaustive list and new events will be added every day. Check back at pqskiteam.com for event details and medal winner announcements.

Speaking of medals, a gold, silver, and bronze medal will be handed out for each event. Point values will be 5, 3, and 1 respectively. The point leader at the end of the week will be the first ever Tremblant Olympics grand champion. A pitcher of Extreme will be donated in their name to their favorite charity (which we assume will be them).

Capt. Pete is the notable favorite in the Extreme drinking competition while Lt. Commander Baker seems to have the early edge in the Moguls competition. Will Capt. Tom and Capt. Jim make it to the podium and bring home a gold on their home mountain? Stay tuned...

Flaik

It appears that Intrawest now has the Flaik system. The PQFI will be renting this system to catalog our progress during this operation. It will allow you, the reader, to get accurate stats on where we have been, how much dominating took place, and how fast we were truly going.

This should get interesting.

The exchange rate is now...

96 cents to one American dollar. This is not going to be the cheapest Operation of all time.

Memories of Mayhem

One memory of Operation Mayhem that I have is watching the stock ticker go by on the screen at La Diable. 1999 was the height of the stock market bubble and everyone and their brother had opened an E-Trade account or some other type of online brokerage. We were all going to get rich!

Well clearly, that did not happen, but back then, we were all buying low priced dollar stocks and IPOs and hoping that they would become the next Qualcomm or EBay. Scotty and I had both sunk some money into some low priced stock (I believe about $6 a share) and were watching the small TV in the corner (yes, it's still there Tom) intently to see if it had gone up. I remember getting excited about any movement in price.

Looking back, it seems so silly now to be rooting for a low priced stock when there was Domination to be had, but there was a point to all of it. While sitting at La Diable and doing adult things like drinking, watching the market, and yeah, being alone on vacation, we realized that we had truly crossed that threshold from college kid to adulthood. We had finally "made it".

So, La Diable and Tremblant represents something much more to me that just skiing and having a good time. It represents my entire adulthood.

...also, I would like to take this paragraph to expressly thank Scotty for driving us to and from the mountain all of those times. If it weren't for his kindness and his ability to put up with Extreme Onction fueled maniacs, none of this would have been possible and we all may have been stranded or dead. So, thank you Scotty. Thank you very much. You are a scholar and a gentlemen and I now can fully understand why you may have not been as comfortable in Tremblant as you would have been at Gore.

Classic Photo for 2/23

Today's classic Operation Mayhem photo should simply be called "smelling salts". It is a study of contrasts and an example of a world gone... okay, it's just Capt. Tom sniffing a salt shaker. However, this is the first in a long series of lunchtime photos where food, beer, and odd poses combine to make photographic magic.

This particular photo was taken at the summit lodge. In the very early days of Tremblant, La Diable was not yet a known entity. Even after it became an Apres Ski staple, we did not always have lunch there every day. Before the metric lunch, there was lunch in the summit lodge. After a long, hard morning of skiing, there was a quick lunch (yes, with beers - Molson Canadian was the beer of choice at this point) and then off to ski for the rest of the afternoon.

Fortunately, this wouldn't last and La Diable would become the lunch spot of choice. However, it is fun to look back on these pictures and remember the spot where Scotty would complain about leaving early and wanting to go to Gore Mountain instead.

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We're gonna party like it's 2009, too...

You know, I was just reading Capt. Tom's post about how he can't believe that it has been 10 years since Operation Mayhem. Surprisingly, for me, I can believe it. It does seem a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Things were different back then. We all lived at home, had different jobs, had no money, no significant others, etc... The point is it really couldn't have been a more different era.

What really surprises me is how the last five to seven years have been incredibly short. It seems like just last year that I was cursing off the Thorpedo for missing a trip only to have him show up to the mountain before me and present me a beer stein engraved with the words, "Operation Jim You Chug".

It feels like just last month that we were telling Keith on his first Tremblant experience that there were only a few more hours left in our trip when the mountain was clearly in sight.

It feels like just last week that we were stacking beer glasses into a pyramid at La Diable and getting Extreme (respect).

And it feels like just yesterday that I created a video montage about the last ten years of the PQ Ski Team. ...okay, that was yesterday.

I guess what I'm saying here is that the older we get, the faster these things go by. Sadly, some of these trips are literally a blur. For this 10th anniversary trip, let's take a few moments each day, stop, look around, and soak in everything that is the PQFI, that is La Diable, and that is Tremblant. Let's not be in such a rush to get to the mountain, but enjoy the ride up there. Let's let this trip linger and give it the due respect of a true 10th anniversary experience.

The Decline of Extreme Onction

Tom's last post reminded me of a travesty that has been slowly committed over time. When we first started going to La Diable, the Extreme was at about 12% alcohol. That's why it caused so much drunkenness and so much memory loss. As the years went by, the brew master slowly and steadily lowered the alcohol content to about what it is today at 8%. Too many fights and arguments, he said.

Well, I guess I can't disagree with that. Extreme used to be much harder to drink, almost like a fortified wine. Today, while still packing a formidable punch, it is vastly easier (and better) to drink and makes for a slightly more mellow time. So I guess... it's not a travesty after all, but a public service. You know, less fights and arguments. We can leave the fighting to the half naked people outside on New Year's Eve.

La Diable: The Early Years

While I don't remember much about La Diable during the week-long Operation Mayhem, a few things do still rattle around my Extreme-soaked brain.

I remember Scotty looking at a the stock ticker on TV during lunch and thinking to myself that it seemed so wrong to have that playing in the background. Is that TV still there anyway?

Also, I remember smoking cigarettes at the bar; yes, that's right, those were the days.

Finally, I recall with fondness the first time we called a menu audible. I believe it was Jim who asked that the sauce from one sandwich be placed onto another...and like that, magic.

Overall, I have no recollection of actually walking in those hallowed doors for the first time. But, I remember thinking, "Hey, this place is pretty cool!"...and we went there every, single day since.

That tells me, we found home.

Memories of Mayhem

One memory I definitely have of Operation Mayhem was the night where I was very tired (likely from drinking) and needed to take a nap or pass out early. Scotty was a big fan of the West Wing and was watching it downstairs. He was very happy he would not be missing an episode while in Canada (remember, this is before TiVo). I remember half sleeping in the loft while Tom and Scotty watched TV from downstairs.

Yeah, that's it. What do you expect? You think every memory is going to be a wistful sojourn into ten years of my subconscious? Well, no. Especially not after drinking Extreme for the first time. Sometimes you just get random crap like this, so deal with it and wait until tomorrow's next photo.

...I ...I'm sorry. I love you too.

Why am I so excited and keep posting?

It's because of the Olympics, that's why! I haven't been this excited about a Tremblant trip in about four years. Let's do this!

We're gonna party like it's 1999

I cannot believe it's been 10 years since our first Tremblant run; the trip that was to be known as Operation Mayhem. Jim, Scotty and I had been playing music together a lot and talked often about skiing. This trip came up because my father had been up to Grey Rocks a couple of times way back in the 60's and I'd heard about it time and time again. We used my parents' time share and booked it with no idea what was good, bad or other.

I remember thinking it was so far away and we were going to feel like strangers in a strange land. However, it was clear upon arrival that the Quebecois were warm, friendly and inviting, and that their potent beer and laughter flowed like wine.

A few things I'll never forget from that first trip...
Listening to "Edge of a Broken Heart" by Vixen, every single morning in the lot.
Drinking Molsons during lunch at the top of the mountain
Having to give Scotty "a talk" to calm him down about being away from home, missing work, missing the U.S., etc. (ugh).

Overall, the thing that I absolutely remember most, is the general feeling of excitement, joy and freedom that Jim and I felt from the very beginning. I still feel that way on each trip since; that's what keeps us coming back.

Operation Legacy will certainly be another chapter in this wonderful story.

Classic Photo for 2/22

This next classic Operation Mayhem photo is of Capt. Tom and Capt. Jim playing guitars in the condo. It was in early jam sessions just like this one where Tom and Jim would write the music that would later become creeper gin's 2001 EP "Sum of it All".

Tom is wearing his goggles (notice he wore those in a lot of the pictures) and Jim is wearing his sleeveless Road Dogg Jessie James T-shirt (wrestling was big back then). This is one of the few photos we have that depicts a non-alcoholic beverage.

While not all that close to the mountain, the condo was free and offered spectacular views of the South Side of Tremblant. It also allowed us to get to know the surrounding areas of Tremblant including local businesses such as the Bonichoix. As you all know, it is our discovery of the Bonichoix that led to a life long appreciation of the Boreale family of beers, including Cuivree.

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Gentlemen, I present to you... Section 8

Memories of Mayhem

I was thinking over yesterday's posts and I realized what I wrote may not be entirely 100% accurate. My earliest Tremblant memory is actually of crafting the very first soundtrack.

I created the soundtrack on my very first Dell computer on an ultra-slow 2x speed CD burner. Now, back in the day, CD burners weren't what they are today. They were these big boxes that plugged into the back of the computer and required a "CD caddy" to put the CD in and take it out. Not only did it take over a half an hour to burn a CD, but it also was a crap shoot over whether or not the CD would fail completely and you would have to start over. ...and start over I did. Many times. Given that there were three of us and I wanted everyone to have copies, I think I may have attempted to burn over 15 CDs in the last 24 hours before the trip. I didn't finish until right before my ride showed up.

The soundtrack ended up being 3 full discs of classic songs, humor, TV theme songs, current music, and Jerky Boys. At the very last minute, a half-length 4th disc would be added that would contain such PQ Ski Team classics as Vixen's "Edge of a Broken Heart", Reel Big Fish's version of A Ha's "Take on Me", and Lock Up's anthem from the movie "Ski School"... "Punch Drunk".

Little did I know at the time that this 4th CD would be the most played CD of the trip. My intention was simply to get the recently downloaded "Punch Drunk" on to the soundtrack somehow, but we ended up using this 4th CD as our morning anthem.

Every morning, we would drive the short distance from the condo to the mountain in Scotty's Ford Expedition. We would then start the CD to hear the first track of Vixen and put on our gear in the parking lot as the song slowly built to a crescendo. By the time the song has crested in emotion, we were pumped up and ready to dominate the mountain. Blasting this music certainly got us some odd looks from other skiers.

I know this seems corny now. In fact, it seemed corny at the time. Vixen was never cool and it represented all about what was wrong with 80's hair metal... Okay, that was really Britny Fox and the Bullet Boys, but stay with me here.

The point is that we didn't care. There was just something about this music that made us want to get up and made us want to dominate no matter how hung over we were or how much non-dancing we did at Le Petit Caribou the night before.

That is my earliest Tremblant memory (as far as I recall today) and that is why you will be seeing a return of Vixen to the PQ soundtrack this year.

93 of 94 Trails Open

Tremblant is almost completely open (I'm guessing the one hold out is Ryan Bas, in which case, I'm fine with that). They claim to have the best skiing conditions of the season. Let's hope these conditions hold out another two weeks or so.

Classic Photo for 2/21

Today's classic Operation Mayhem photo is the first known photograph from the Cabriolet. Much like yesterday's photo, you can tell Tremblant was quite a different and more quiet place back in 1999. How different? They hadn't yet figured out how to use a Volkswagen corporate tie in for the Cabriolet.

There's something magical about the Cabriolet and it is still fun to ride to this day. If you look closely enough in the left of the photo, you can just barely make out La Diable.

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Memories of Mayhem

My earliest memory of the PQ Ski Team was on a Saturday morning in December of 1999. I did not have any idea what was in store for me. I was a young 24 year old who was about to embark on my first trip to Canada since elementary school. I only knew that I would have a free hotel and a free ride up to the mountain. Little did I know it would change my life.

This post is about the anticipation of that day. I remember waking up early and anxiously waiting for Scotty to arrive. I remember letting the dogs out and trying to relax in my kitchen. Unfortunately... Or should I say fortunately, the only thing on at the time was an informercial.

Charton Heston reads the Bible.

That's right. The man who played Moses in the 10 Commandments would read the entire Bible for you in audio tape format for a low introductory price of 125 dollars. I simply could not believe what I was watching. It was so theatrical, so over the top, you wondered if Saturday Night Live had started 18 hours earlier.

Little did I know that the early morning informercial would become somewhat of a PQ Ski Team tradition. Subsequent years would lead me to discover such ground breaking products as the Peticure and the Germ Terminator. American comerce was truly greater than I had ever anticipated.

Finally, the door bell rang and I was on my way to a new and greater plane of existence. However, I will never forget Charlton Heston, Mel Farr the superstar, or any of the other bad Canadian TV I have watched over the years. It is now as much a part of me as anything else.

...especially Celebrity Margarita Mix Offs with Robert Davi. We will never forget those.

Soundtrack...

Is currently being assembled and is almost complete. To be appropriate for this epic trip, the soundtrack will also have to be equally epic. To that end, the soundtrack will be the same length as the original soundtrack... 4 discs. It will be comprised of the best music of the last 10 years worth of soundtracks. I have gone through my entire library of MP3s to make this happen. As previously mentioned, this will be epic. It will contain classics, comedy, and bludgeoning tracks. There will also be a bonus CD of something completely different (TBD). Get ready to have your face blown off. The PQ is ready to rip into you.

Cross-Country in 2012

One of the great things about watching the Olympics is that it gets you very excited to ski. One of the great things about TiVo is that you can record many hours of this excitement and have it ready to play whenever you want it, even after the Olympics are over.

Today I am very happy because I know that thanks to the Olympics and TiVo, I will be watching this excitement up until the day we leave for Tremblant. More specifically, watching cross-country today has made me more excited about going to Whistler in 2012.

Why, you may ask? I believe that in 2012, the PQ Ski Team must visit the Whistler Olympic Park and ski a lap of cross-country. I feel that this very first PQFI sojourn into the world of cross-country will serve as a perfect change of pace on a long trip and the counterpoint to amazing bowl, tree, and powder skiing.

...plus, I would love to see Capt. Pete on those skinny sticks.

Who's more excited about Tremblant than this guy right now? The answer: No one.

Classic Photo for 2/20

...where I'm gonna do you! Today's classic photo is Capt. Jim asleep in the Telecabine gondola wearing his Fairfield University Ski Team jacket and Turtle Fur. I'm told this was stylish at the time.

As you can tell by the simple fact that Jim had the room to stretch out on the gondola, Tremblant was a very different, less crowded place back then. Intrawest had not yet fully invested in the mountain and places like Sommet des Neiges were still just a gleam in their corporate eye.

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Classic Photo for 2/19

Today's classic Operation Mayhem photo is Tom and Scotty on pay phones in the middle of the square by the Bullseye Steakhouse. Who are they talking to? Did they have to pay in Loonies? Do they even have pay phones anymore in 2010? All valid questions, but I will leave the answers up to your imaginations. Check back tomorrow for more PQ Ski Team 10th anniversary photo history.

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PQ Ski Team hits the big time in Google...

Classic Photo for 2/18

Today's classic Operation Mayhem photo shows an inebriated Tom and Jim playing the video game "Furlong" at the arcade in the middle of the village walk. We have not set foot in this arcade since this photo and if it were not for the plastic video game horses that we wanted to ride, we may have never set foot in this arcade to begin with. However, back then, everything at Tremblant was new and filled with wonder... even the arcade.

Enjoy today's piece of history:

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Lift Tickets have been removed from my jacket...

A brand new start awaits me on the mountain for Operation Legacy.

The Mountain has been sold.

"Radical Restructuring"? I didn't write that.

Lame Scott poles

Gentlemen.

I've decided that on this, the 10th Anniversary PQFI trip, Operation Legacy, I will "donate" the lame Scott USA poles to the mountain. A long suffering focal point for Jim's wrath, these ski poles have now been officially retired with my deadly 1-2 punch: #1: Goode Max and #2: Volant Machete poles.

To this end, I would like to offer 1 complimentary pitcher of Extreme to the PQFI member who comes up with the best, most fun and imaginative way to feasibly get rid of these poles. Please note, shoving them up my a$$ is not an option.

Let the games begin.

Today's Classic Mayhem

As a service to the great readers of pqskiteam.com, I have decided to post some old pictures from Operation Mayhem. Today's picture? Tom, in ninja gear and a Labatt Ice in hand, relaxes with Scotty in front of the fireplace and the small TV where we watched Kerry Collins destroy the Buffalo Bills with his first 300 yard passing game as a New York Football Giant. On this first trip, we had not yet discovered staying in the Village, but the fun we had at La Diable and Le Petit Caribou at night told us that we needed to move within walking distance.

And this is your day in 10th anniversary PQ Ski Team history:

Today's Photo

The Dawn of Possibilty

As I waded through some 45 hours of Olympic coverage this weekend, I can only think about the Great White North and that we are a mere two weeks away from Domination. Every ski run on TV, every inch of snow here, and every picture of Canadians walking into a Beaver Tails restaurant just makes me want it that much more.

I can't wait for this to happen. The fact that this is our 10th anniversary trip will just make it that much better.

Soundtracks will be compiled and shipped out this weekend. We are currently at DEFCON 3. Prepare to lose your mind. Operation Legacy.

The Evolution of Man

Keith Baker Wins Gold!

Operation Legacy

Operation Legacy

“It’s not how far you go, but how go you far”

– Dave Marshak, Section 8 Ski School, Whistler, B.C.; 1991

Since the dawn of time, man has fought for freedom.  He has battled for independence, liberty and country, waging wars based on the virtues established by countless explorers, visionaries and adventurers of our great history. As modern men, we still seek a life without borders and constraints; removed from the shackles of the ordinary.  I speak of an ethereal freedom which transcends the everyday and gives birth to a fluid, radiant and enveloping energy; one which sustains us and propels us to soar to great heights and unsurpassed excellence.  In a small Canadian village, nestled within the rugged embrace of Quebec’s Laurentian Mountain range, we have found this freedom in a ski resort; the majestic Mont-Tremblant.

The year is 1999 and three friends, skiers and adventurers set off on a journey to experience a place which would become the genesis of a life-long obsession.  Unbeknownst at the time, two of those founding fathers were walking into their own destiny.  Our story begins with a boy who’d heard his father tell stories of a place far to the north, where the cold cuts right through, where the snow falls in furious waves, where people, earth, trees, rocks and the very air vibrated with a steady hum of winter excitement.  As this boy grew, he took with him the memory, a vision of this place as he traveled through his own life.  Along his journey he met others who shared in this vision and who as well, sought something…magical.  With stars aligned and kindred spirits bound, these brave men set off to find themselves.  They traveled north, across borders and over mountains. Their journey ended in that small Canadian ski town on a cold, misty morning, December the 9^th, 1999, and their lives would never be the same…

They descended upon the village and the mountain like locusts, devouring every experience and breathing in the culture, beauty and people as if it were the very oxygen to their lungs.  They ate, drank, skied and bonded in a way that would shape the very fabric of their lives.  In a sense, this experience was molding their future, binding them to this place and unleashing a child-like delight which can only be described as pure freedom.  From these first footsteps, the PQ Ski Team was born; born in Provence-Quebec, a home away from home.

In the 10 years since, the team has come a long way.  We have expanded ranks, experienced far-off adventures, challenged ourselves on and off the mountain, laughed, loved, drank and yes, did a little skiing.  We’ve also evolved, shedding the old for the new, by creating a stronger identity with the advent of the Provence Quebec Freeride Institute, the mighty PQFI.  This new organization was founded on the principles of the original PQ Ski Team.  The same credo, values and responsibilities established during those first adventurous days still ring true within the souls of its members.  The PQFI represents freedom, fraternity, respect and most of all determination. 

Over the years, the PQFI has opened its doors and hearts to new friends, some remain, most have gone, but the true constant lies within the strength of mind and body which crafted the very essence of the team, personified by their oft-quoted mantra:  “Ski hard, ski with authority and do not give in to the mountain.”

On this, the 10^th Anniversary of the PQFI and the first trip to Tremblant, I would like to thank the team for their resilience, consistency and friendship.  This has been an amazing journey, one deep with memories and laughter born of the rich experiences from trips past.  I could not fathom 10 years gone without these trips, nor would I want to.  From the top of the mountain, through the trees and everything down to the smooth ale of La Diable, we have conquered these moments together, as it was, as it is and as it shall be…

Gentlemen, welcome to Operation Legacy…