With the Winter Olympics starting in Russia on Friday, it brings to mind the exciting opportunities that we have to enjoy winter sports in Richland County.
I have always been a winter sports enthusiast and have followed competitive ski racing since the mid 1970’s. My grandfather Eugene Smith was a skier and he lived right across the valley from Snow Trails, south Mansfield, in a home that my parents now live in on Touby Road. I grew up watching the torch parade, and, yes, the bikini races, that were part of the annual “Ski Carnival” at Snow Trails.
Of course, we are extremely fortunate to have not one, but two ski resorts in Richland County with the re-opening of Clear Fork Ski Resort, just outside of Butler, last winter.
This thing with winter sports and me might be traced even farther back to my heritage in the old country. Some on my ancestors are from Austria, which is a country that truly embraces winter sports, and in fact the small central European country calls on tourism dollars from places like America to be a major part of the their Gross National Product. The success of their ski team helps generate that income.
The victory by the legendary “Kaiser” Franz Klammer of Austria in 1976 at Innsbruck is the most famous downhill race in the history of the sport. His victory, and its coverage by ABC Sports, helped jump start ski racing in this country.
If you get a chance, scroll to the bottom of this article and watch his run and come from behind victory. I suggest you do.
It is simply one of the most exciting single sports events I have ever had to privilege to watch. It ranks right up there with Bill Mazeroksi’s and Joe Carter’s World Series winning home runs, Michael Jordan’s game winning shots or Jack Nicklaus’ putt on the 17th to win the 1986 Masters.
There are parts of the country, the Rockies and the Northeastern United States, where skiing is a completive sport from even the pre-teen years. Not so much here in Richland County, but most area schools have formed ski clubs that get together and ski at Snow Trails and Clear Fork and then take trips to usually western New York or West Virginia.
Of course, you don’t have to be a skier to enjoy winter sports in Richland County as both of the resorts have snow tubing runs for all ages. Unlike skiing or snowboarding – in which I would strongly suggest you get some instruction before heading out to the top of the hill- snow tubing can be for the novice of all ages.
Although I am a traditionalist and have and will remain a skier, snowboarding, or surfing on snow, is all of the rage for especially the youth of the area.
Don’t like skiing, snowboarding, or tubing? Well, you can try ice skating. The village of Bellville offers free opportunities to enjoy that sport on the village green when the temperature is right.
Sorry, no hockey is available, but if you want to recreate your own “Miracle on Ice” there are hockey clubs as close as Wooster.
Skiing or skating can be a nice place to take a date, although make sure you know what you are doing before you tell your date you are an expert. I once had a friend who had never been on skis ask me on Wednesday to teach him how to ski because he told a girl he was an expert.
The date was that Friday.
Instead of starting on the bubby hill, he wanted to start on the top of Mt. Mansfield. I think he fell 25 times. I should have filmed it, it would have made for great comedy.
So, if you live in the Mansfield area, don’t whine, embrace winter.
After years of toil and sweat behind radio station microphones, longtime broadcaster, Jeff Swank joined the new generation of sports followers on the web.
Swank launched his internet radio station with nothing more than some wire, a box with some knobs and switches, and an itch to do much more than just scratch the surface of everything sports.
Richland Source is proud to introduce Jeff as a writer focused on high school sports. He will contribute a weekly column and analysis of a featured game of the week from one of our area high schools.
In addition to his work at Richland Source, Jeff provides complete high school sports coverage for over 70 Ohio schools at his web site, http://www.swankonsports.net76.net/.
