Golfdom, March 2018

Keeping up with The Jones KC BIER CO S DUNKEL While I wasnt worried about getting kidnapped in Killington I was worried about incurring major damage to a limb Im not a skier SETH JONES Editor in Chief Associate Publisher Ducking danger in its many forms I am knocking on wood thanking my stars pointing to the heavens while whispering a quiet thank you Because once again your pal Jonesy got through an I retired from skiing on New Years Eve 2000 after I broke my ankle in Angel Fire N M I came out of retirement only once a few years ago when the CEO convinced me to give it another try while on a business trip to Aspen After seeing me on skis for about 10 minutes he was convinced that I should have stayed retired He was terrified to hear I was attending an event where skiing was involved He called me before the meeting and said Tell them youre having back problems so you dont have to fake a limp to get out of it Good news I fessed up to being a flatlander but still was able to drive to the site of the race I hiked a short distance up the mountain and got the adventure unscathed I sometimes think about the time I got lost in London or when I was shouting Spanglish in a Guadalajara bar and I realize how lucky I am to be upright today Im happy to report that Ive just returned from Killington Vt sounds ominous right and Im still in one piece My good luck started at a dinner at the end of the Golf Industry Show when a friend asked me where I was going for my next trip I thought about it then said Somewhere northeast to a ski event where these supers all compete in a downhill race My friend looked across the table and said Paul arent you doing a ski race here in a few weeks Paul was Paul Blodorn photos My wife my kids and my CEO were relieved to hear I was able to stay off the skis and still get the story photos That evening I celebrated what turned out to be an amazing event photos coming soon with a huge crew from numerous surrounding states We ended up at a place called the Wobbly Barn where they awarded a cup cutter meets ski pole trophy to the fastest skier I was called up to the stage to say a few words and made a toast that somehow derided the Kansas City Chiefs and celebrated the event at the same time it made sense in the moment Adorably Frank Wongs little boy Calvin quietly heckled me from the side of the stage The plan was to finish the trip ice fishing with my old friend Chris Francis of Turf Products Corp But then a serious Noreaster bomb cyclone ruined that plan I headed for the airport The drive from Killington to Albany N Y was a whiteknuckled trek in a cheap rental car I saw almost a dozen cars in the ditch I got lucky and was able to draft a heavy duty plow truck for the last hour of my drive Add another moment to my list of near misses I somehow not only ducked skiing but also survived a bomb cyclone and even Calvin Wong I fly out to Las Vegas tomorrow Wish me luck Email Jones at sjones@ northcoastmedia net or tweet him at @ sethajones Quali Pros northeast sales manager Not only was he attending the event the Noreaster Cup he lives in Killington and gave me the full scoop He explained that the Vermont GCSA and the Northeast GCSA were the two main chapters represented at the event but that I could expect to run into more than 100 friends from the Met GCSA the New Jersey GCSA the Pennsylvania GCSA and more He even hooked me up with a friends and family rate at the local resort Ive said it before Its better to be lucky than good While I wasnt worried about getting kidnapped in Killington I was worried about incurring major damage to a limb Im not a skier 6 Golfdom March 2018 Golfdom com