“Are you working for the Summit?” this reporter was asked by a group of rowdy Manitobans learning to luge at Red last Friday. “It’s not called the Summit anymore?”
Nineteen years ago, the Big Dog Ski Tour made their group’s inaugural ski trip, choosing Red Mountain as their destination.
“We were in this Rossland Winter Carnival,” said Rick Duha, the de facto spokesperson for the group that was otherwise busy laughing, poking fun at each other, or swigging on a beer. “This same group of guys, and we won a half-page ad in the paper, in the Summit.”
“We got a picture of us and everything,” he continued. “We actually have that and we’re going to be marching today in your parade with a picture from that newspaper.”
That ad read: “Shake & Bake ‘93. Rossland Rocks!”
It was followed by the names of the members beside a picture of what is clearly a big party.
For 19 years, Big Dog Ski Tour has traveled to a different resort each year. “The rule was you could never go back to the same resort,” Duha explained. We changed the rules last year so we could come back.”
“I’ve been luging for about 30 seconds,” Duha said as he settled onto a sled to learn how to brake.
“We did the bobsled at Park City once — a real four man bobsled with a professional driver — but we’ve never luged.”
Others in the group boisterously claimed their provincial affinity to Jon Montgomery, the 2010 Olympic gold medalist in skeleton from Russell, Man.
“We have the Big Dog Classic Luge competition for the first time today,” Duha laughed.
“We have a good time, we love to ski here, and you have a great town.”