A week ago last Wednesday, I had stopped at Shawnee Peak to make a few runs with some of the older skiers that are there every weekday morning. After making several runs on a perfect blue-sky day on packed powder over a firm base, I finally caught up with Bob Fitzimmons. Bob was a member of the Pleasant Mountain Ski Patrol in the 1950s and ’60s, and as a member of the Downeast Ski Club, worked as a volunteer for decades at the area.

Bob will be 82 in April and was on his 52nd day of skiing for the season. As we rode the Pines Chair, he pointed to a woman making nice smooth turns down the open slope and said she was close to 80. Later, as we stood near the mid station on the summit chair, he identified another whose precise turns and perfect control stood out. Bob told me how he prefers to ski non-stop on each run. Later, he introduced me to a few others, and we talked about how the new skis made things so much easier.

Bob was skiing on a pair of 151 cm all mountain skis and all of his friends agreed that the new gear had extended their skiing lives. It’s interesting that the 70-plus club started many years ago and many ski areas gave them free skiing or discounts. Then their numbers grew so large that the free skiing ended at most places, but many still had senior discounts. I noticed that at some areas junior and senior prices are the same. Bob told me that he was looking forward to skiing some of the areas that offer free skiing to those over 80 – now that he had passed that age. This would not be happening if these older skiers were trying to push around those 7-foot wood skis they learned to ski on. My longest skis are 178 cms, and I have some slalom models that are 167 cms, which is just over 5 feet. Any skier who has not visited the slopes for a few years would find a much easier sport on the new skis.

During my visit, I got to spend a little time with GM Ed Rock and learned that a team from Shawnee Peak was headed for South Berwick Friday night. Ed explained how 25 ski and snowboard instructors were taking 150 sets of rental equipment down to Powderhouse Hill where they would offer free lessons to the local beginners.

Monday, I got the results from Bill Page, president of the ski club that runs the operation for the town. 120 beginners received lessons, and there were over 350 on hand as either spectators or participants. Bill said, “Rumor has it that the Shawnee Peak people were fighting over who would get to come, and it was all volunteers.”

For some of the younger instructors, it was their first time on a rope tow.

Ski Maine’s Greg Sweetser said it was a great example of the partnership between the members of Maine’s ski industry. It was very helpful for Shawnee Peak to travel down to South Berwick with all the equipment. He hoped that this experience would mean less intimidation when these new skiers make it to Shawnee and Maine’s other bigger mountains.

I also learned from Greg that on Sunday a Sugarloaf team made the trip to Mt. Jefferson in Lee for the second year with the same kind of deal – free lessons and rentals. Sugarloaf had actually left some rental equipment at the area for their use. He mentioned that programs such as these and partnerships with the bigger resorts is important support for all of Maine’s community areas, including Big Rock, Spruce Mountain, Titcomb, Black, Powderhouse Hill.

These programs are part of a realization many years ago that ski areas cannot grow by stealing skiers from each other. New skiers have to be nurtured, and it’s a lot easier for kids to start at small areas near home. That makes areas like those mentioned along with other small community areas such as Eaton Mountain in Skowhegan and Baker in Moscow just outside Bingham. But most of these smaller operations don’t have the resources to put on extensive “learn to ski programs.” For the big resorts to bring in the manpower and equipment is a great benefit to both the big and the small.

I was reminded of another important program when I saw Seth Wescott on a TV commercial for Winterkids. Started in conjunction with Ski Maine and led through its formative years by Lewiston-Auburn native Carla Marcus, this organization has been getting kids away from the television and into the outdoors since 1997. It began with a Passport that gave kids skiing privileges at Ski Maine areas and grew to a full program that works through schools to get kids involved in both alpine and cross country skiing, snowshoeing and other winter activities. This year there are 5,000 Passports – meaning that many families can enjoy the outdoors. Fran Mullin now directs the program, and you can find details on how to get your family involved at www.winterkids.org.

Watching Seth on the commercial, I was also reminded how this is one world-class athlete who doesn’t hesitate to give back. On the Friday at Sunday River during the World Cup Snowboard competition, we watched as the fog came down the mountain. A few boarders had come down the course on training runs, but before the time trials could begin, visibility had been reduced to the point where running the course would have been dangerous. With the competition on hold, most of the competitors dispersed, many to the base lodge to wait it out. A few remained at the finish area, and one was Wescott.

The Olympic Gold Medalist posed for countless pictures with anyone who had a camera, especially the kids. He signed anything handed to him, with helmets being the most common item. This is a young man we can be proud of.

Dave Irons is a freelance writer who lives in Westbrook.