Proud of my husband!

 This week Marcel received a letter at work that was later published in the "Opinion" section of the paper. It was about an article he wrote about the Pistenbully, a huge grooming machine that heads out early each morning to set the tracks for the hundreds of ski-enthusiasts of the North. He actually went out to the ski club one morning and experienced riding in the newly purchased machine to give himself a bit more background knowledge on the praised piece of equipment. It seemed to make a difference in his writing.

Below is a link to the article:

http://www.whitehorsestar.com/archive/story/the-pistenbully-seeking-the-perfect-trail

And what follows is one person's response to Marcel's way with words:

January 24, 2013

 Letter to the Editor of Whitehorse Star,

I wish to applaud your writer Marcel  Vanderwier for his dedication to true journalism that shines out in his story ‘PistenBully: seeking the perfect trail.  To call Vanderwier a sportswriter does not do justice to his skills. Rather than simply doing an interview Vanderwier went with his subject in the middle of the night to get the feel and to capture the magic of Jan Polivka’s job. He succeeded in spades!

Operating a PistenBully is an art. If there is just one zig or zag  you can guarantee that I, or dozens of others in the 1,300 member Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club will complain vehemently.

Decades ago, before we had a PistenBully to groom our trails I spent days skiing in the High Tatras, on the border between Slovakia and Poland. It was terrifyingly steep but I quickly learned that the trails were groomed by a skilled PB operator and if I just steeled my nerves I could stay in the track. It was exhilarating and explained why Olympic athletes from Europe trained there.

Since Whitehorse got a PB in the early 1990’s we too have world-class track setting that can be trusted at high speeds. I’ve taken novice skiers out who were stunned that with a few technique tips they could zoom down touring-trail hills.

Thank you Marcel Vanderwier for beautiful journalism! Your writing took me out amidst the boreal forest in the middle of the night and I felt the purr of the PB as Jan Polivka worked in solitude to create fantastic skiing for all.

 R. Livingstone

 

 I think R Livingstone has a pretty good way with words as well! It's nice to hear that the public recognizes Marcel's writing skills and for him to hear some positive feedback- what a great way to start the New Year! Way to go, Marcel!!