High school skiers decend upon Hard'ack

For the second year, the ski, snowboarding and sledding hill at Hard'Ack in St. Albans hosted a slalom ski race. Sure, the course is a little short - the best skiers could make the trek in about 20 seconds - but it was techincally difficult and very fan friendly.

I was stunned at how many parents were able to attend and the skiers didn't disappoint. Neither did the weather ... nor did the cheeseburgers and hot dogs. But I digress.

All in all it was a great day to spend outside photographing a sport that has never been included on my Cold Hollow Photo website. Boy did that ever change today. I have 2,150 images from today's event.

I arrived at the end of the boys first run and took 85 photos. (I missed the girls first run, but I made up for it, believe me.)

The girls second run gallery has a shade under 600 photos in it. I took photos of every skier as they came through the flush (look at me talking like a ski bum - actually I just learned that term yesterday from starter Matt Crawford.)

I maintained the same vantage point for the boys second run, the gallery from which has 587 photos - I got a little more judicious with my shots for the boys because I began to run out of memory card space (silly photo boy left his camera bag in the car, but then again I thought maybe I'd take 1,000 photos).

For the girls third run gallery (there are just over 400 photos) take from a bit higher on the course.

I moved to a lower vantage point for the boys third-run gallery (483 photos). I left before the end of the run to start the editing and uploading process - that will likely take about five hours when all is said and done. That said, I'm confident I the guys I missed in the third run are the guys I shot in the first run. Confused, don't be. Just look through each gallery (the photos are posted in the order the skiers came down the hill) and eventually you'll find the skier you are looking for.

If you are interested in ordering photos - here's a link explaining the process, some notes on cropping and a special offer that ends at 11 p.m on Saturday night.

My kind of champion

I was born in a small town.

(No this isn't going to be a John Cougar - or whatever he calls himself these days - homage.)

Nope, I only bring up that simple and prideful fact because I interviewed a young lady today who is just as proud of her small-town roots as I am.

Richford sophomore Elle Purrier is a farm girl. And not shy to admit it. And that, my friends - in the age of where some define Snooki as the queen of cool - is pretty neat.

After talking with Elle (pronounced Ellie, for those who don't know her) it's refreshing to know that while she's one New England's top cross country (and track and field) runners, that is just a part of who she is ... not a defining attribute.

Sure, her fourth-place finish in the New England cross country championships (and her Gatorade Vermont cross country runner of the year award) cemented her place in the Vermont cross country running lexicon for the next two years, but she's an oustanding student and very much a true Franklin County kinda girl.

Need more proof?

In her school's girls basketball program she lists her future goal as owning a farm.

Now that's a true Vermonter.

Introducing ... Tweets of the Week

My name is Shawn and I'm a Twitter-holic.

And I'm not alone - I only follow about 150 Twitterers or are they Twits? I forget. Anyway, as lame as some Twits or Tweets can be, there's some pithy remarks that come down the line and I've decided to create a regular (or more likely, given my proclivities, a one-and-done) blog feature called the Tweets of the Week.

As the title suggests, it's a mish-mash of things that are either funny (mostly) or apt. At some point, I might get better at putting a context or date to the Twit or Tweet, but for this go round I'm going to do both ... or neither. Hey, it's my blog and I'll do what I want to.

Without further ado (and not Freddy Adu) here are my first Tweets of the Week.

(The too-cute Tweet of the Week)
• While eating lunch at my daughter's school, a 4th grader asks how I forcast the weather. Another answers "He has a weather-teller machine."
@TomMessner

(The why I'll never fly again TotW)
• Waiting to board connecting flight. Guy next to me barking at ex-wife on the phone that HE IS stable,and that she is afraid of happiness
@Buster_ESPN

(If I could be anyone for a day it would be Scott Van Pelt)
• People campaigning to get me an ESPY invite - I would end up bombed, pilfering gift bags and being creepy to Emma Stone. It'd be hideous.
@notthefakeSVP

(This is the tamest post she had this week, but one of my faves)
• I just can't imagine there's a god, but I do believe he has a plan.
@SarahKSilverman

(One of the few people more addicted to Twitter than I, and much more enjoyable to read)
• Young TV reporter to Francona: "What are the odds of you winning the championship?" Francona: "Are you from Vegas?"
@PeteAbe

(Our reigning Miss Vermont is prolific - and timely)
• Overheard at the #VTStateHouse: "You haven't played angry birds?! Here, let me show you..." *Legislator whips out iPad*
@CarolineBright

(Nice jab considering UVM beat the Bearcats in men's hoops Sunday)
• -7 in Burlington, -4 in Binghamton. They can't even beat us at bad weather. #gocatsgo #uvm #fearthestache
@VTMotorMag

(Seth is a fellow Twit-maven and his RTs - retweets - for you newbies - and pithy insights make me smile often)
• Well done RT @noahovernight You know it's cold out when they change the name to Al's French Frozen #vermontarctica
@WCAX_Seth

(I thought of this the first time they showed the ref in the Steeler-Jet game. He's what a real-life Ken doll looks like at 53.)
• How cold is it in Pittsburgh? Ed Hochuli has the pythons covered.
@richeisen

That's all I got for this week. To paraphrase the illustriuous (and often orange) Tony Kornheiser - I'll try to do better next time.

If you are feeling lucky, try to check back next Monday sometime after midnight for another edition of TotW. Who knows? It could happen ... and it might even be typo-free. Yeah, right.

SHAWN CORROW, when he's not making promises he likely will not keep, is the owner of Cold Hollow Photography and an infrequent blogger. Got a tweet that can't be beat, email it to him at shawn@coldhollowphoto.com

Friends, rivals meet in Richford

I'm so old I remember when Cagney Brigham and Steve Jette were kids.

I covered their high school careers as sports editor at the St. Albans Messenger. (The photo I took of Cagney after the Division III baseball championship game is one I'm most proud of taking.)

But now these kids are men. They are still friends from their playing days at Enosburg and their short time coaching the Enosburg boys basketball team together.

Cagney now leads the Richford boys. Jette is still at the helm in the 'Burg.

Tuesday, they crossed paths professionally for the first time.

Here's an article I wrote on the pair for examiner.com.

And a slideshow from the game - hundreds of more photos will be on my website for instant 99-cent download later this week.

SHAWN CORROW, when he's not feeling older by the day, is owner of Cold Hollow Photography, maintains this blog and sometimes even updates his channel on Examiner.com. Have a story idea, please let me know and I'll do my best to oblige.

Separated at birth? Brian Bonvechio and Scott Van Pelt

I took in the MVU-North Country boys basketball game earlier this week and was struck right away about the resemblance between Falcon coach Brian Bonvechio (left) and ESPN's Scott Van Pelt (right).

Just what is the significance of this? None whatsovever. Just something I thought was interesting. Or not.

SHAWN CORROW, when he's not really going out on a limb trying to find things to blog about and not admiring (and emulating) the hairstyles of Mr.'s Bonvechio and Van Pelt, is the owner of Cold Hollow Photography and a freelance photo journalist. He maintains this blog, his photo website www.coldhollowphoto.com and you can follow him on Facebook (Shawn Corrow) and Twitter @scorrow or you can email him at shawn@coldhollowphoto.com