That's all folks..............

Again, sorry to the 2 people who actually read this blog for my delay with this post.
So, it's all over. Coronet Peak has closed for the 2009 season. What a last few days though. I mentioned in my earlier post that the season wasn't going without a fight but this week it went crazy. Like a heavyweight slumped against the ropes almost about to get knocked out the season suddenly sprung back to life and hit the close date with a left hook and won the world title. What I'm trying to say is that 2 days before we closed we got hit by a massive winter blast which dumped 25cm (yes, 25cm!!) of awesome dry white powder on us. On Thursday i worked as a lifty and was trudging through knee deep wet slush but on Friday i was trudging through knee deep amazing snow! What a difference a day makes. It was epic!! So cool being a lifty on a powder day too as all i did was ski my ass off with the other lifties. It was so much fun. The last week at work has been a sombre affair. I did 4 shifts as a lifty as Toshi decided to cut my hours to just 8! So lifts embraced me and i was a proper lifty for the week. Actually running the lifts too. A lot of responsibility but so much fun. I got to shout abuse at stupid Australians who were too gormless to realise that a massive chairlift was about to scoop them off. They don't have a clue i swear to god. It almost made up for being told how their coins are different to NZ coins about a hundred times a day for the last few months. Almost, but not quite. I did take out my frustration on a few unsuspecting clients though by hurling snowballs at them. Managed to hit a few perfect shots too. I have discovered that the perfect snowball shot is not a hit to the face or anything but a shot to the back of the head. It is relatively safe, it looks hilarious and they get snow all down the inside of their jacket. Perfect shots are the way forward.


My shift in the shop last week was cool as i took in my guitar. It has been super quiet and in a drunken conversation earlier in the week i had promised Dicks i would bring it in as he hasn't played guitar for 18 months. We had an awesome little jam session. At the end of the day there was me, Dicks, Richard and Gemma all sitting on the counter singing "your beautiful" by James Blunt. We kept stopping for the really high pitched chorus so i said i was gonna play it one more time and we all had to go for it. So there we were singing our heads off but all stopped again at the high pitched bit. Except Richard who gave it all he had. Eyes closed, fist clenched in a boy band style, looking to the heavens. What he hadn't realised was that Dicks was holding his radio to Richards mouth and had just broadcast him singing across the whole mountain!! I nearly wet myself when i realised what he had done. My next day as a lifty a few of them were talking about some dude warbling over the radio the day before so i told them the story and they thought it was pretty funny too. Sorry Rich.


After work we all went into town for a few drinks with the rental crew. I still had my guitar with me and we all ended up serenading the staff in KFC. We were a wee bit tipsy but they seemed to enjoy our rendition of "your beautiful." Didn't give us any free chicken though the tight bastards. To be fair we probably cleared out the restaurant. Oops.
So the last week has been filled with more merriment. I have started to fall back in love with poker again so we played a few times last week. It's amazing how much better i do when i am enthusiastic. I got 4th the other night which i was well happy with. We then went to Frankton for a tournament that we haven't been to before. I imagine we will go again as my housemate Laura smashed everyone and won her first ever tournament. She played awesome and took out some big names along the way, including me! Revenge will be sweet and swift though. Ba hahahahahahahahah! (Evil cackle)


We also hit the links this week. Yes, actually played golf! Kate, me, JC, Laura and Dicks all bowled down to the little nine hole course in Frankton. Not really what i'd call a proper course but still better than Northolt. We hired some clubs (2 sets between 5 of us) and went round in a big 5-ball. Totally illegal in the UK but here they didn't seem to mind as long as we didn't hold up play. Laura had never played before and JC had only been to pitch and putt so i thought it would be a nightmare but it was really fun. I played OK on the front nine and was 6 over. Not bad considering i triple bogeyed the 2nd hole. The guys struggled a little and after nine i thought we were pretty much done but to my suprise they wanted to go around again. The pro in the shop had told us we could do 9 or 18 holes for the same price so we did the full compliment. The back 9 was brutal though as the sun dipped behind the hills and the wind began to howl. It was freezing by the time we finished and the beer in the pub after was greatly needed. It was a hoot though and definately worth doing again in the next few weeks. Seems a few of the guys from work are keen to join us next time. Maybe we'll make up a 12-ball or something. They don't seem to mind.


Sorry, so yeah yesterday was the final day. There was a summer theme so we all wore shorts and flip flops or hula skirts. A few girls wore bikinis over their uniforms, which i liked a lot. I worked in the shop but managed to get out for a 2 hour ride break. Told Billy i was nipping out for a bit and just disappeared. He has done it to me all season so i don't feel bad. It was awesome. At one point there were about 20 of us. All staff on our ride breaks. We went to the greengates area of the hill and ripped it to shreds! By the time we got to the bottom there were only 5 of us. We seemed to lose most of the guys who i imagine went over to the exchange, which is a really sweet bit of the mountain. Our other housemate JC met up with us and we went back up. I got a bit emotional on the lift up as it dawned on me that these were going to be my last few runs at Coronet. I wasn't crying or anything but i had a moment. When we got off the lift JC and I led the less experienced guys through a sweet powder run. A few of them loved it but Gemma hated it. She hasn't really skied off piste before. I gave her lots of encouragement and she did really well but in the end i had to lead her back to the groomed run. When i got there i saw this massive drop off into what looked like a sweet bowl. As it was the last few of the season and i wasn't bothered about breaking my leg i decided i would jump of it. I nailed the landing and was super stoked! I met back up with the guys and told them about the drop. JC wanted to hit it with me so on the next run i led him to it. The other guys just watched as i launched myself off it. It was probably the biggest air i have gotten. I was so happy. Nailed the landing again and rode away clean. Actually felt like a pro!! Ah yeah! I then pretty much straight lined it down. I over took everyone in sight, even one of the ski patrol, and those guys fooking gun it! I stopped at another little lip and waited for the guys to catch me up. I surveyed the mountain from my little vantage point and let it all sink in. When the guys caught me up i launched myself off the ledge and rode in. As last runs go it was amazing. I walked in, dumped my skis and got changed. I then reflected on the season all afternoon in the shop. Billy finished on a half day so i was in the store all by myself. A few of the guys from all over the resort came in to see me and gave me a few sneaky shots of vodka but mostly i just chilled. When we closed we all headed up to the deck for a BBQ and free booze. It was so much fun. Our boss congratulated us all on the best season they had ever had (i think it had a lot to do with us in the shop selling over 500k! - mainly Bolle, LOL!). We all danced and drunk then some dude decided we should all race down the hill on trays so most of F&B climbed up the hill a little and slid down on their little trays. A few guys stacked it big time (Richard included) and suddenly realised that sledding in shorts and flip flops is never really a good idea! After we drunk the bar dry we all headed into town for a proper big piss up. It was awesome. I felt i had united a lot of the mountain as lifts, rentals and some of F&B were with my usual little posse. One of the lifties asked me if i could be her midwife too which for me is the ultimate compliment. I told her to fuck off!


No i should of for comedy value but it was such a sweet thing to say. The team leader of lifts also asked me if i wanted to be a lifty next year. I said if i was in NZ I'd be there. I also got told that i was an amazing skier by one of the patrol. I always thought i was OK but for them to say that, again i was emotional. I have worked so hard on my skiing this season and it looks to have paid off. When i mentioned it to a few of the guys they all agreed. Spence from Lifts said he thought i was awesome which made my head swell even more. I think a lot of it has stemmed from the last few days of really good snow. I have gone from some anonymous guy only known to a few who hides out in the shop all day to a recognisable bloke who now everyone knows. They have seen me flying around the hill all season but haven't known who i am, until now. With the snow being so good and it being the end of a long season i have pretty much said "fuck it!" and gone for everything i have seen. I am proud that i have. Carpe Diem and all that (nods towards heaven).


Last night was also Richards last real chance of getting his ESPB (End of season panic bonk). Rich believes that as the season comes to a close people will panic and all start shagging each other. People will either lose their inhibition, or realise they have no more chances to pull the cute guy from work and just go for it. He is a really nice and witty guy but for some reason he has not had much luck with the ladies. Everyone in Q town is boning each other but sadly Rich has missed out. He is quite a camp guy (being the youngest male and having 4 older sisters, maybe?) to be fair but he is lovely. I think he is one of those guys who is forever in the 'friend zone' though. Me, Gemma and Dicks have all tried unsuccessfully to be his wing men/women but all we managed to get was Jo (who is smoking hot btw!) from rentals to sit on his lap for a picture. Pretty lame effort really. I guess there is still a little bit of the season left (Remarks is open for another week) and i imagine we will hit the town a few more times so never say die Rich.


So, i have a few more shifts in the shop. Ironic that this week I'll be working more in the shop than i have for the last few weeks and we have closed already. We have to pack up the store, stock take and all that which will be super dull but it is much needed beer money. After that i intend to go hit the Remarks for their last few days. Hopefully the warm weather will stay away for a little bit longer so the 30cms of snow they have had will stick around. I have one more challenge left for season. One of the parks at Remarks is called the stash and it has a hut which you can ride up to, jump onto then get a massive air off. It looks gnarly. JC broke himself on it a few weeks back which has scared me off a little bit but maybe on the final day i might (just might) do it. Gulp


So this week will be full of meaningful reflection and self analysis on how the season has been. Nah, we'll just get pissed i reckon. Rich still has to get his ESPB after all.


Peace

D

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