Ode to T. M.

[Skilasnow]

I hope that you will all read this in the fun and truthful manner that it was meant. I am a nut sometimes but in the world of extreme sports Toni Matt is IT! imnstho {imnstho = in my not-so-terribly-humble opinion}

ODE TO TONI MATT

There was a man
That had a plan

He would ski
For all to see

The mighty inferno
That we all now know

He left the gates
At summits weight

Looking for Headwall
Hoping not to fall

The lip came up
And "holy f__k"

Many feet of air
Did him a scare

But he safely landed
Headed for creak bed

We cannot imagine
What he imagined

The Sherbourne trail loomed
At 60 he must be doomed

I'm sure we can't think
That he had an ink (ling)

That we have no clue
What it is we can do

Approaching the sherbourne at 60
Let alone the l'il headwall at 80

Yet, on hickory sticks
He blew by the hicks

And bamboo poles with canvas baskets or some such insane pieces of latter-day equipment, let alone no steel edges, or plastic boots, or crank-the-DIN-up-bindings, -- And Joe Dodge running the famous Dodges Drop,... what, in "free-heels"?

So I must conclude
That to a dude*
We are a bunch of WHOOSIES**

* Dude: This is intended as a non gender-specific term
** Some exceptions may apply != eg. Stupid Guy in rubber body bag(+)

(+However, I am unsure this truly qualifies)

[skicdave]

Well done skilas!

Yup Toni Matt is a big inspiration to many of us. Just trying to remember the exact time he ran in the 3rd Inferno (April 16, 1939)... 6 minutes something or other... oh here it is 6 minutes 29.2 seconds with a total vertical of 4,200 ft.

http://timefortuckerman.com/gifs/tonimatt.jpg

I believe there is some footage of one of the Inferno's on the Dr Quackenbush Skis the Headwall video.

By the way skilas, you only have 56 more posts before your status gets upgraded to 'The Toni Matt Club' (Matt - M@ is the only member currently). :eek:

[Skilasnow]

Well if I just keep hitting the back button after every post I will be there in no time.... :D

[skicdave]

Ok, better make than 55 more posts!

[RR]

Choice poetry...

Ahhh, two more weeks......

[Mumster]

Is Toni Matt still alive?

BTW, who is Tuckerman Member #1? ...Is it Toni???

[Skilasnow]

Sadly, The Tuckermaniac, Toni Matt, died in May 1989 of Heart trouble. :(

This is the best article (http://www.concordmonitor.com/stories/top100/matt1121.shtml) on him I've read.

As for who is member #1, ... Dave? It would certainly be a fitting tribute if it is Toni. :)

[skicdave]

I just checked skilas,

There is no member #1 actually. Maybe subconsciencely (spello) I reserved it for my hero Toni Matt... or was that Nancy Greene :o

If there is interest, I'll post a pix of me and Nancy when I was about 15, posin with her with my crooked glasses held together with a wad of epoxy glue and me old raggety anne outfit. This won't mean a thing to anybody who is not familar with Nancy Greene.

Sadly I never met Toni.

Considering your avatar is b&w skilas, I'll take it your an old foggy like me.. perhaps you know of Nancy, our Canadian legend.

To be more exact it is my B day tommorrow and I'll be 44...

P.S. All gift welcome and excepted!

[Skilasnow]

Well, then, I shall simply beleive that it was meant for Toni, ...or Nancy ... or maybe even Suzy Chapstick :D

I may be foggy sometimes, especially after a night of beers and a hike to lunch rocks, but I am not quite as old a fogey as you. I'll give you a hint: I was six when that photo was taken ... and color film was available (though perhaps a bit pricey for my parents at the time)

And HAPPY B'DAY y'old ffart :p

[skicdave]

Old fart? Yah right...

http://timefortuckerman.com/gifs/daveheelclicknassau.jpg

[SkiStooge]

Ya'll are a buncha kids. I'll be 45 in June. Still goin strong though. Shooting to go this Fri night still. Find the rusty 89 Chevy Celebrity (grey with lots of rust and a Barrecrafters ski rack) in the AMC parking lot, stop by and introduce yourself. Please though, not at like 2 in the morning, OK? lol. Have fun, be safe. Al :cool:

[Mumster]

skicdave:

There is no member #1 actually. Maybe subconsciencely (spello) I reserved it for my hero Toni Matt... or was that Nancy Greene :o

Sadly I never met Toni.

P.S. All gift welcome and excepted! Happy Birthday, Dave. I'd give you some new instant graemlins for a present, but I haven't figured out to design them....how about "envy", "curious", and one "busting its gut laughing"?

Wasn't Nancy Greene an Olympic racer? What was her relationship with Tuckerman? I think Toni should be #1 since he was the fastest down, unless Nancy did something at Tuckerman that tops his run. Let's think about making Nancy the honorary member number 1000...

[skicdave]

Ok some basics on Nancy Greene...

Nancy was a former member of Canada's national ski team and won a gold metal in GS and a silver medal in slalom at the 1968 Olympics in Grenbole. As well she won 2 world cups and defended her title winning 10 races in a row.

In 1999, Nancy Greene was declared Canada’s female athlete of the 20th century.

I doubt Nancy has ever been to Tucks actually.

[Skilasnow]

I think you should make a formal invitation to Nancy. T4T will carry all her gear, I for one volunteer.

[Bannick]

Nancy is a pretty wonderful dki ambasador. She is involved with Sun Peaks, formerly Todd Mountain in BC. Really big on young skier programs and if I remember right she takes people on free tours of the mountain most every day. She was also was involved with a propsed mountain development across the valley in whistler years back. I think the story was something like that it was in final approvals, trail surveys were done and marked etc, etc, and then the plug was pulled due to environmental issues. That is when she left whistler for Sun Peaks.

[Jolly J]

Wow someones been digging in the history books. Great Poem Skilas

B - Didn't NG have something to do with the Vancouver 2010 bid?

[RR]

Happy birthday Dave.....still a spring :chicken: though. I'll be 54 in February, just an aging hippy rediscovering arcs.

That makes TT the King of "old, but not in the way, yet."

[Bannick]

B - Didn't NG have something to do with the Vancouver 2010 bid?

She was involved somehow....lots of little quotes and photos trying to drum up suport for the bid. But the only thing I found of interest was her bio....

http://www.sunpeaksresort.com/winter2/nancy.aspx

[skicdave]

Another older post coming back to life! Gives us a chance to revisit Skilas's fine poetry too.