Two Gold Medals

This was sent out last year, but as many people who have been in the ski industry for years knew Andrea, and as her records are seemingly in reach, for the first time in 60 years, it's worth repeating to get to know the nature of the lady. Andrea Lawrence had won two Olympic Gold Medals and two World Championships in 1952.

"Cary...Andrea Lawrence is going to stay here during Skiing Heritage Week ". Being old friends, Merrill Ford had offered her hospitality to the great lady, and two time gold medal winner in Alpine skiing. Aspen was the site for the heritage event in winter 2008.

But as time rolled by Mrs. Ford had to leave and couldn't be the hostess and friend, at that time, that she wanted to be.

Virginia welcomed Andrea for her mother, and came by to talk about shared memories when she could.

Over the next week we got to spend time together on a few occasions. I told her about Ride In Harmony and she was very open, even suggesting that maybe she was an Osprey (a rapter) when she skied, as “What Animal Are You?” TM is a question that I ask many skiers.

Andrea would say that she wasn't a celebrity, but didn't mind being a hero to inspire and show a path to others. She never thought there was anything that you couldn't do, from her childhood in a castle-like home alongside Pico Peak ski area, to effecting harmonious growth in the face of developement that threatened to upset the balance of Mammoth Lakes.

She was always in the present, and had the gift of great people to make you feel that you were the only one on the planet when talking with you.

Andrea, and Allison Pobrislo, who has been a friend and biographer of Andreas' story. The painting that Andrea is admiring, is from the Tonoussi Brothers of Essaouira, Morocco; Ride In Harmony TM artist-athletes.

Andrea took to Manou, renamed Ester, the late Ferenc Bercos cat, rescued from an animal shelter, by Merrill.

We seemed to bond over many things. I am a talker sometimes, and like some other great people, Andrea had the ability to make you feel as though you were the only person on the planet at the moment.

I followed up with a trip to Mammoth.. Somehow Mammoth, and Mammoth Lakes had already been on my radar screen, and it has a nice feel. In June I was able to go for a few days, and she arranged room with a friend who was out of town.

Andrea and I went to dinner my second night there, and the conversation roamed about to George Mason and Andrea's visit to Gunston Hall in Virginia, his home. George Mason, a founding father, had written the Virginia Declaration of Rights that was the template for our national Bill of Rights penned by Thomas Jefferson.

In formative fashion, he and Andrea had both lost their fathers in boating accidents at age 10. Andrea had been determined not to shed a tear. That was a shared event that influenced them both, as history will move in a right angle to a stimulus. A diatropic theory of history.

After returning, I received a package from Andrea, her book, A Practice of Mountains, so intelligently written with Sara Barnaby. I saved it until after working on a series of patent applications, then read what was a litany of the seminal themes I'd encountered since moving back to the mountains myself, in April 1980. What those themes are, you may guess by reading her book. They speak to all of us.

She thought that maybe she could still cross country ski a little, and she enjoyed a full moon hike among wild flowers with friends, but Andreas physical abilities faded. She regretted, that she didn't have more energy to pursue the projects of the Andrea Lawrence Institute for Mountains and Rivers, her ALIMAR. High on the list, was computer modeling that would enable visualization of developement effects, in advance of approvals.

There is more to say, much more. But many of the concepts of Andreas', that have mirrored my life since returning to the mountains in 1980, can be found in her book, A Practice of Mountains. I think that more than, or as a continuation of, winning two gold medals in the '52 Olympics, this was a lady, unafraid to live a life of substance and intelligence.

During one recent winter I had a commercial binding come apart while skiing, and dislocated my shoulder. Oh well, worst things have happened. But I wrote my friend Olivia Thompson, who's had over a thousand ski dives, about it, and she sent back this story.

Oh wow! Hope you feel better soon. Just about two weeks ago, my mom,
Rosalyn and I were skydiving in DeLand, FL. My mom had a malfunction on
her main canopy, cut it away, and pulled her reserve. We jumped upwind
from the dropzone because of the high winds that day, so she was forced
to land off the airport. She crossed a main road, flew over a major
fence and power line area and landed in a parking lot. She ended up
boucing against a car and hit it with her full face helmet. She walked
away, injury free, at the same time to $1300 worth of damage to car with
her body impact. Pretty wild. She did a good job and made wise
decisions. The winds were high... and messy. Lesson learned. She
could've had a broken colar bone or anything... We're thankful.

Hope you rcover quickly!!! Olivia

Iconic Hall of Fame Skier, and Native Voices Co-Founder, Suzy "Chapstick" Chaffee, and Cary Thompson, Ride In Harmony TM founder, have agreed to promote ski club activities jointly. Suzy will be available for a limited number of club programs, building interest in club activities, traveling to and skiing with the group, and participating in club events, during the week.

Christina Oxenberg was quoted as saying, in a two page article for the Four Seasons Magazine, the in-house magazine of the luxury hotel chain, as the Aspenite and New York writer, talked about her life and favorites.

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