On New Year’s Eve day in 1988 or 89, I was one of the first Haole’s{caucasians} to join in a peaceful protest on Maui of the proposed building of the the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua, Maui. This Hawaiian Kanaka{Hawaiian bloodline} organized event attracted pure blooded Hawaiian’s from all over Hawaii. Why? The Ritz Carlton Kapalua was to be built on a Hawaiian cememtary where over 1500 remains were buried.
This was a cloudy overcast day and the event was very well organized and peaceful. Around mid-afternoon the Makani{wind} came Wiki{fast} and blew ten miles down the coastline to a more modern cemetary called “Hanakao’o”. The Makanl Wiki was so intense, around a dozen electric powerlines were blown over and blocked the access to Lahaina from the resort areas to the north. The way that locals and tourists got around this area was the Sugar Cane Train that ran all New Year’s Eve.
The day that I skied Vail, the largest ski resort in the USA, Colorado had winds of 50-100 mph. On the upper peaks of Vail, the winds blew so hard, on some of the slopes it was hard to go downhill. The most interesting part of this day was that Vail was packed with skiers and snowboarders. Why? Because it is Vail. A resort with a class and reputation known world over. I heard numerous differnt languages, saw the newest and best gear, and marveled at the organization that this huge resort has.
Liz Biebl, Vail Mtn. Communications Mgr., set myself up with a pass to enjoy Vail with John La Conte, a free lance reporter with the Vail Daily. John is quick witted, snowboards like a pro, and knows the Vail Ski Resort well. He works in his own “Boardroom”, introduced me to one of the Ski Patrol huts, and knows all the secret “Local’s Only” spots. This was the third interview that I did concerning MauiSkiBus.com.
Vail, a resort that I have visited before and one that I will ski again. The frontside is abuzz with energy and the back bowls are known world over. Moguls skiers play on the bumps with a grace and ease, instructors seem to be everywhere, and my legs yearn for another day on this mountain. It is appropiate that Vail was to be my sweet sixteen resort on my quest to ski over 100 this year. Aloha to you, “Nani Wahine”{beautiful lady} Vail.
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