I thought my ski season was over. Then I got a call from Bonnie MacPherson, who handles PR at Bretton Woods, inviting me over to take part in the First Annual Bodefest.

The event was scheduled for Saturday, May 1, with teams of four taking part in a giant slalom race in the morning and a nine-hole scramble in the afternoon. Bode Miller, who is now Director of Skiing at the resort would be on hand to take the first run down the course and play golf in the afternoon. All the proceeds would go to the adaptive ski program at the mountain. How could I pass up that opportunity?

In addition to taking part in an event that would combine my two sports, I could actually learn where the CVA grad was in his quest to become the world’s best skier as symbolized by the overall World Cup title. He won the GS title this season – the first U.S. skier to accomplish that since Phil Mahre 20 years ago. His goal was the overall title, so to some that failure to meet expectations was a poor season. Actually, he had a great season, especially in the eyes of those who understand how difficult it is to win even one of the disciplines against the best skiers in the world.

Teams from all over were on hand, some from Cannon, where he learned to ski and plenty from the Mount Washington Valley ski areas. He was just Bode to all of them and relaxed, signing event tee shirts and kids helmets.

Miller’s connections were obvious. The top prizes were Rossignol skis and Cleveland Launcher drivers. He has a contract with Rossi, which owns Cleveland Golf. The clubs are part of the deal. For those unfamiliar with the golf side of his athleticism, he is close to a scratch golfer even though he has little time to devote to the game. He does find time to participate in celebrity tournaments each season and is one of the top players among the athletes.

In a long drive contest at Drew Bledsoe’s event he lost to Bledsoe by a yard, 303 to 302. He told me he finally has his clubs dialed in after having them fitted and is now getting good distance. He switched to a chest length putter and said he almost never three putts.

I heard shortly after I arrived at the resort that he signed with Atomic for the coming season. When I asked him about it he replied, “Not yet.”

Of course, this might mean the end of his connection with Cleveland, but to my knowledge, Atomic has no connection with a golf company. I knew he had been in tight with someone from Titleist and asked about a return to that club. His only comment was that he hoped he had not burned that bridge. I suspect with his image and celebrity, Titleist will be happy to see that he has the finest clubs they make.

As to the ski switch, Rossignol is the biggest ski company in the World, but if you look at the world’s top racers, more of them are on Atomics. They produce a great race skis and Miller’s problem with Rossignols coming apart in slalom races is well known. Skiers switching at the World Cup level is common. Each skier has to find the right ski for his style of skiing, and Bode Miller is no different. If Atomic turns out to be the ski that brings the overall title, it will be a good move. We should all have such problems, ski and golf companies trying to sign us to use their equipment.

Getting the scoop on Bode’s equipment changes was fun, but the reason we were all there was to race and play golf. With sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s, waiting for the start was comfortable and we knew golf would be perfect. The race moved quickly with 80 skiers making up teams of four, many taking two runs.

Bode made the first run and set the standard at 22.85. No one came within a half second, but four finished within a second of the best GS racer in the world this season. Our team had to rely on golf as we were 11th after the skiing. Unfortunately our tie for third in the scramble was not high enough to move us into contention. I haven’t figured out how the events were combined, but we know the real winners will be the handicapped skiers, who will benefit from the funds raised. Nearly $3,000 will help with the specialized equipment these skiers need.

Considering the temperatures the race course held up well and the recent warm weather brought the 18-hole Mount Washington course into good condition.

We’re hearing reports from early golfers that most of the local courses came through the winter well, and are rounding into shape. From the looks of my lawn, grass is growing fast, so we’re ready for a busy season. And unless an invitation come along to visit South America or New Zealand this summer, that’s the last you’ll see about skiing in this space until fall.

Dave Irons is a freelance writer who lives in Westbrook.

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