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Fernie Ski Patrol News by Steve Ruskay
From frost bitten cheeks, to soggy snow pants. From perfect grooming, to waist deep powder. The past few weeks have been a wild ride!
Love is in the Air
Our cold and snowiest month seems an unlikely time of year for hot and steamy romance. After all what is sexier than long underwear, runny noses, thick beards, chapped lips and frost bitten cheeks? February is the courting season of an unlikely resident with the devilish nickname ‘’tiger of the air’.
Mike Moore, Endurance Runner
I didn’t really start running until I moved to Fernie nine years ago and the main reason I started was to help me quit smoking. I was always athletic and reasonably fit but had smoked for five years before I accepted the fact that it was killing me. Quitting was not an easy task, so to fight off the cravings I would go for a run. It was horrible and made me realize just how bad smoking had been for me. As it got easier and easier, I became more fit and started to enjoy running.
Fernie's FAST Growing Alpine Presence
Growing up in Edmonton, AB, I never really had the terrain around me to become a world class skier, that and the fact that I probably only skied a handful of times until I moved to Banff at age 22. However, being a self proclaimed sports nerd one might have guessed I am a huge ski racing fan. Ski racing holds a special place in my heart as I spent seven years working at Alpine Canada Alpin (ACA), which is the governing organization for the Canadian National Ski Team and ski racing throughout Canada.
Editor's Fix: Thoughtfulness vs. Bling this Valentine's
There is a lot of hype around Valentine’s Day, whether people take it to “heart” or find its commercialization offensive. Perhaps you’re asking yourself what the point is in setting aside one day a year to show your loved ones how you feel when it should be something ingrained in our daily life. Honestly, how often over the last year have you taken the time to express your feelings or gone out of your way to do something meaningful and thoughtful for your partner, sibling, parent, grandparent or child?
All You Need is Love?
Many of us grow up expecting that we will graduate from high school, go on to university or college, meet the man/woman of our dreams, get married, and raise a family. We are socialized in North America to believe that this is "normal". Many of us do just this, and to a large degree, do it successfully. Some of us do it less traditionally; we do it in multi-generational, multi-cultural, sole parent, blended families, and all with a measure of success. What keeps us all on the same page are the values we have, not only as parents, but as a community.
The Spirit of Achievement - Featured Events in Fernie
From national and international ice stars to extreme sports adventurers and even an Olympian and Paralympian, there's no limit to the sporting heights that can be reached if you start out in the Elk Valley.
Keepin Rippers Ripped - Griz Bar, Fernie Alpine Resort
I’m not sure there’s anyone of legal bar attending age in Fernie who hasn’t stepped over the threshold of the infamous Griz Bar. Furthermore, I doubt anyone has ever left without a large smile on their face, whether from the ski boot stomping live tunes, or from devouring an excessive amount of nachos. Which is why, this month’s Unsung Heroes are the “faster than light, know what you want before you actually order” staff of Fernie Alpine Resort’s Griz Bar.
Steve Morrison, Fernie Ski Patrol and CARDA Representative
Steve Morrison is someone most people in the ski community recognize or know well as he is one of the friendly faces you often come upon at Fernie Alpine Resort, where he has been working over the last 15 years that he’s lived here.
Go with the Freeflow
January gets all of the pressure to switch things up, to make fresh starts. The challenge is to carry that initiative into February and beyond. One way to avoid slipping into the same old ruts, however, is to always have something new to look forward to.
This Month in Movies by Midge: February DVD Releases
February 1: While Welcome to the Rileys may not promise to be a great film, it does promise to be an interesting one.
Movie Review - The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Human beings have always been fascinated by magicians. Whether it’s the old testament tale of Moses parting the Red Sea or Prospero summoning storms to torment his brother in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, people have always been enamoured of the idea that somewhere out there, there are individuals who can alter the world simply by concentrating really hard and uttering a few magic words.
February Book Review: Snowdrift by Lisa McGonigle
February’s review is a no-brainer: a book set in Fernie, written by a Fernie writer and published by a Fernie press. Of course, you’re going to read Lisa McGonigle’s ski-bum memoir Snowdrift. With any luck, you can also share a beer with Lisa at the Brickhouse and have her sign your own locally purchased copy. Isn’t Fernie great?
February Fernie Business news
Fernie Nature Tours 250-423-4306
Fernie Nature Tours invites you to experience an evening of nocturnal adventure, sweetheart stories in the heavenly stars, while stealing a kiss under the bright moonlight. While love is in the air create a memory with someone you cherish. Wrap up the evening with a decadent chocolate dessert fondue, champagne and roses for the ladies. To book a Valentine’s Day snowshoe tour from 7-10 pm, call 250-423-4306.
RRSP versus TFSA
A frequently asked question is whether it is preferable to invest in an RRSP or a TFSA. We would like to receive an answer that is “cut and dry” but that’s impossible since we are all at different stages in our lives and our goals and objectives vary.
To refresh our memories, here is a brief recap of the characteristics of each plan.
RRSP
_ You can contribute up to 18% of your prior year’s earned income to a maximum of $22,000 for 2010;
_ Your unused contribution room is carried forward to the next year;