Get plenty of rest, eat a good diet, and pace myself on the hill. I get into a gym a couple times a week, and mix in alternative winter activities like XC skiing or snowshoeing. Do you train pre-season? The stronger you are when the lifts open, the better. During the summer I hike and mountain bike the trails, and jog to the top of the tram. In the late fall, I take a ski-fitness class to help me get in more defined ski shape. Days to reach top form? After about 10 days of skiing I’m feeling pretty good. The day I can do seven trams and a Hoback sweep, I know I’m ready. Rest days? As a mountain host, I work two days per week and usually try to free ski a couple days, so fitting in rest days is easy. Still, I like to get in a day or two XC with my Malamute and also hit the gym twice if possible. Aprés ski? Nick’s at the base of the Tram for my Shifty with fellow mountain hosts and employees. When do you hang it up for the season? Varies with conditions, certainly, but usually only a few weeks into April. Last spring I had a great time enjoying the 10th Mountain Division huts in Colorado—incredible backcountry skiing in spectacular mountain terrain. What’s the best thing about your job? Helping skiers, enhancing their experience. It’s the best gig on the mountain. My boss is the best, the people we work with are all great. Plus, I get to ski all day long on what is arguably the best mountain in the West, and meet people from all around the world. What part of skiing do you like the best? Sharing the experience with friends. Skiing offpiste under blue skies after a several inches of nice, light snow. And being in the zone, where every turn is seemingly effortless. Feeling good after a great non-stop, top-to-bottom run. Or a great run down Gros Ventre, where every turn brings out a loud ‘Yahoo!’ That’s the perfect run. Try to make every day have at least one. And then get up tomorrow and do it all over again.
Peter “Chanman” Chandler, musiPeter “Chanman” Chandler, musician
44
J AC KS O N H O L E S K I E R 2 0 1 2
Rob Weed, mountain host, a JH skier 34 years, from Wayzata, Minnesota Pairs of skis? Three. Acquired a fatter, allmountain / powder ski last year. You tune them? No. I leave that to the pros in the ski shop. How do you stay healthy and prevent injury?
Photos: Tom Russo (top); Wade McKoy
cian, JH skier since 1978, from Falmouth, Maine Pairs of skis? Two. Getting a pair of rockers this year. I buy new skis or boots every other year. You tune them? I do tune my own skis, but also get a pro tune one or two times a year. How do you stay healthy and prevent injury? Do you train pre-season? I run: road, trail, and marathons. I play foot-bag. I play golf. I stretch and have an upside down hanging unit to avoid injury. I’m also wiser about my choice of terrain. I don’t have a preseason training routine. Days to reach top form? I usually feel on top of the boards by Christmas. Rest days? I take a lot more rest days than I used to. I ski about 4 days a week. Aprés ski? Hopefully, I’m playing a paying gig. Otherwise, I go to the Village Café. When do you hang it up for the season? It changes from year to year. Lately, the off-sea-
son means more time to practice music and book the summer season. I hang ‘em up for the year when the resort closes. I bring ‘em back out for the random excursion. What’s the best thing about your job? The best thing about my job is that I play music I love, with musicians I love, at a ski mountain I love, for a community I love, in the season I love. What part of skiing do you like best? Technical terrain. I love powder, I love skiing with my friends, I love the aprés scene. I loved air in the past, but what kept me in Jackson was the easy access to so many steep, technical runs.
Rob Weed, ski host w w w. f o c u s p r o d u c t i o n s . c o m