"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything."
An older gentlemen working at Bristol Mountain told me about this incident. Two guys were entered into a ski racing competition, but did not finish in the top places. In disguise, they both snapped off their ski and threw them down on the ground saying the equipment was garbage and they didn't want their skis anymore.
Now, I entered a Vertical Challenge ski race sponsored by Mountain Dew and Chevy @ Belleayre Mt several years ago. It was the first time I had race skied since college where @ St. Bonaventure it was a intramural sport. I waited in line as each racer was released from the gate. One very determined child had fallen many times going through the course. It was finally my turn, I stood at the starting line and took a long look down @ the red and blue gates (Gaper view), then my cell phone went off as my son and his friends saw me getting ready to go as they were traveling up on the lift near t
he course. Unfazed, I released from the starting gate and when through the slalom run without falling. I thought that I did pretty good until later that afternoon the race times were published. The winning time was about 23 second, my time was about double that, but I didn't finish last. I did beat out several DNF's (Did Not Finish). The point to the story is that at the awards ceremony, the young child who repeatedly fell during their attempt to ski the course did finished the race. This child received a very nice trophy for the courage and determination. The goal was not only to acknowledge the fastest time, but to award sportsmanship; something that was lacking from the account by the older gentleman.
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