Let the trash-talking begin

Things are starting to get busy for the UAA Ski Team.  The alpine team is at training camp in Colorado this week, and the nordic team begins their racing season this coming weekend in Fairbanks in our annual grudge match against the "other" University of Alaska ski team - UAF.  This past weekend, the team held its annual ski swap, where people can buy and sell used winter sports gear, and the UAA Ski Team and Alyeska Ski Club gets a percentage of the profits.  It's a big fundraiser for the team.

However, I've had to miss a lot of the action lately because I've been bouncing around western Alaska for work, trying (unsuccessfully) to avoid storms that keep the planes grounded.  In fact, as I write this, I'm marooned in a storm on an island in the Pacific, and I'm now being told I won't be able to leave here until Wednesday at the earliest. 

I asked some of the team members how the ski swap went over the weekend since I wasn't able to be there to help out.  A couple of the skiers on the team responded, "It was a big success - there were only two items left over that didn't sell:  an old pair of boots and a UAF Ski Team hat that nobody wanted even though the price was only $1."  They even sent me pictures:

...So I guess the gauntlet has been thrown down.

By the way, here's a link to this weekend's races in Fairbanks:
http://skiraces.sportalaska.com/2012-2013/11-30-tds1/tds1.htm