Last weekend I chose to ski at Bretton Woods for a day because Glen Plake was going to be there. For those who don’t remember, Plake is the guy who showed up in Greg Stump’s film, “Blizzard of Ahs.” He played the wild and crazy one to Scott Schmidt’s straight skier. It was easy to pick him out with his foot-tall Mohawk going straight down the fall line. When I asked Stumpy where he found him, the reply was, “he found us.”

They were filming at Squaw Valley, when Plake with his Mohawk skied into their shot line. He wound up skiing in a another film or two for Stump, and since has skied in numerous ski films. That was how he built his reputation, but since then he has found another niche. And it’s important to the ski industry.

His idea was simple: Travel across the country visiting ski areas, especially the small ones. He would go out and ski with the kids and anyone else who showed up at the lift. He would ski with the hot shots through the bumps, with kids in terrain parks and low intermediates on the novice slopes. Over the years I have had the opportunity to watch Glen in action in numerous situations, from autographing posters at a ski shop in downtown Portland, to skiing with shop employees at the annual On Snow Expo at Stratton, Vt., and at a product intro at Bretton Woods.

One thing was always the same. He had a great time and gave time to everyone who showed up. According to Irene Donnell of Bretton Woods, he did the same there. “His visit was excellent, as he always does, he took Bretton Woods by storm.and entertained and visited with guests. He skied with children, ran gates on his twin tips and spread his high energy.”

I kept missing him. We were on the slopes at 8:30 a.m. and were running late. Maybe because in that wind-driven snow, a ski hat made more sense than a hatless Mohawk. I caught up with him by cell phone Tuesday while he was driving by Cannon Mountain, and by the time I learned that he had never skied there, he hit a dead area, something quite common traveling through the White Mountain notches. We finally hooked up again Wednesday morning and continued our conversation while he and his wife, Kimberly, were preparing to hit the road again on their continuous trip through ski country.

Glen described the folks at Bretton Woods as a “great group. I skied with everyone. Sunday, I skied with the race team, and they were skiing great after skiing every day during vacation. I had ’em doing ballet, and they were falling all over the place.”

That’s how Glen Plake operates. He draws everyone along and shares an incredible enthusiasm for skiing. He skis 200 days a year, and he greets every ski day with enthusiasm few can match.

That enthusiasm carried over to his visit to the Mount Washington Hotel.

“We had a super time, what an opportunity to stay in that wonderful old hotel,” he said. “It’s like being in a time warp.”

I had skied with him a few years ago while we were introduced to Elan’s latest skis. Elan skis and Dalbello boots are his sponsors. On that day he told us how the different skis were supposed to work. On one particular run, we both wore Mag 8s. This was a ski designed for low intermediates, yet he showed how fast it could go with complete stability, and I found out that for a ski in that low price range, it was a lot of ski for the money.

This is one reason I like to cite Glen. His idea of a good ski is one that will make a skier’s day more enjoyable. Anyone who has watched his early ski films with Stump knows that he preferred a K2 TNC, a full race GS model. He loves to ski fast, but can have just as much fun on the beginner slope giving tips to novices.

“We get caught up in equipment,” he said. “There are so many skis, all great for doing certain things. Ski whatever makes you feel good and have fun.”

That’s the attitude he takes to his sponsors. Part of his swing through New England was to visit them to consult on new models, passing along his experience to put into ski design.

When I asked what boot he was in, he said, “It’s a hybrid. I like the Krypton (Dalbello’s stiffest boot) for its lateral stiffness, but I use the cuff from the iL Moro.” He went on to point out that the iL Moro was designed as a park and pipe boot, but it has become a very popular boot with recreational skiers.

Although he has an offbeat image, Glen Plake is really a pied piper, spreading the word about skiing. His idea is simple. Don’t get hung up on equipment, find a ski you enjoy and go out and have fun. The message is important, because a lot of skiers think only the best and most expensive equipment is adequate. In truth, there are skis out there today in the $400 to $500 range with bindings that will make even advanced skiers happy. And, with the shorter skis, we can save a lot of money by going with a softer boot.

So, do it like Glen Plake, make every day on skis a day of fun.