4/5/04 Spring has sprung! My knee has sprung too! I'm on the long road to recovery from a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). The injury occured at Whistler in Canada. I was skiing through a skier cross course and jumped too high and too far off of the last mound before the finish line. There was a serious snapping feeling when I landed. My knee gave out and I slid across the finish line. I also broke my hand in the crash! Oh well, all in this life of skiing. To next year!

1/11/04 Happy New Year! Again, a long overdue update. This ski season is shaping up to be the season of the least skiing possible in my life! Luckily, it's only the end of January and it's still salvageable! How to re-light the fire in my ski life? Telemarking and scheduling. It's time for bed and I vow to write more tomorrow.

6/11/03 So here we are, into June, the Leafs long gone and the hockey season has ended. Or has it? On Thursday night my hometown Hamilton Bulldogs will battle the Houston Aeros for the Calder Cup in the American Hockey League. Then we can finally get on with the preparations for the next ski and hockey season! Mind you, the off season isn't too bad. With Lake Nojiri heating up and tennis and golf and all those other beckoning sports, well there really isn't anything to complain about. The green season is pretty fantastic in my books. Even us busy folk can find time to get out there and enjoy it! I'm on my way out the door now to work up a sweat before the day's business begins.

3/27/03 Today was that first day of spring when you really don't feel any hint of the cold anymore. It caused me to throw the keys to my truck on my desk, don my cycling shoes and ride to my lessons. As I rode, I thought that I had become a non-cyclist recently what with work and work and more work.. So, I here and now, dedicate this spring and summer to the bicycle, to becoming a cyclist again. I hope that you can get in the saddle and discover or rediscover the joys of the bicycle Since my last report I've been up north in search of powder. My brother came over from Vancouver and we went on a good old time ski/road trip to Hokkaido. The winner of best ski resort was Niseko, with honourable mention going to Asahidake. The powder at Niseko was such a pleasure to turn through. After 2 days I was beginning to feel like a skier again and really began to rip it up by night skiing time. Part of the bittersweet pleasure of ski trips is moving on to the next waiting ski adventure and knowing you'll be back someday for more. Thank you to Yasuo and Keiko at Kimamaya Pension in Niseko. How's the raisin bran? Gotta sleep now but more soon. Enjoy the spring and go Leafs go!

2/27/03 Winter is just hanging on here. The snow this morning in the mountains covered up the crust caused by the sun and warm temperatures of the last week. The glorious sun of Wednesday made for a great day of skiing. I was at Togakushi, gazing out at the alps and the sharp rocky ridge of Mt. Togakushi. I've got to say that Togakushi is a great little ski area. The runs down the south side to the old single chair are my favourites but there is something for everyone. The snow was still dry and great for turning. Of greatest importance was the sun and blue sky. If you can see well, you can ski well. The Leafs had a win in New York and now meet Detroit for a real test. If they can put down the Wings then I may have to consider heading back to Canada for the playoffs. This team is balanced enough to beat anybody. Toronto versus Vancouver in the finals would be hard to beat. Ah the spring. Time to really run! Ian

2/24/03 Well it's been a long time since I sat down and put some words into this page! Sorry, but I'll get there eventually. The skiing has been neither spectacular nor abysmal. The snow has come and gone and come again. I have to admit that with a pulled back muscle at New Years in Whistler while it was pouring snow, I had to gather my wits just to keep from the drink! Now I've had a chance to get in some good turns and can get back to feeling on top of of my skis again. So what's going on in the world of sports? Hockey is all for me. The Leafs are red hot. With a win over Montreal on Saturday they put themselves into the upper echelons of the league. Curtis who? Canadian skiers were great at the World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Hideki Matsui is in Florida and wowing the fans with his batting practice feats but it's only baseball. So what's a guy to do? I'm going up to Hokkaido in search of powder. i'll let you know how it goes. All for now. Ian

9/26/02 This is a very good time of year for sports fans. In Canada and the U.S, the exhibition season has started for the National Hockey League. The Toronto Maple Leafs begin their quest for their first championship in 35 years. Hey, I'll be 35 years old soon! It would be a great year if those darn Leafs would bring home the Stanley Cup. Most likely, the Red Wings will repeat but we can always hope for a Vancouver Canucks, Leafs final. Can't believe I'm saying this but even a good campaign from the Montreal Canadiens would be welcome. The National Football League season is also underway. My beloved Buffalo Bills have won once and lost twice. All of the games have been close, high scoring affairs. Drew Bledsoe, the quarterback, is putting up some amazing numbers. If nothing else, the Bills will be exciting to watch. It's hard to say who will win this year as parody is the order of the day. I'll go out on a limb and say the Miami Dolphins will go far. I don't think the New England Patriots will repeat. I'm sure many will beg to differ but thank god the boring old Major League Baseball season is winding down. The marginally more meaningful playoffs at least make the games slightly watchable. The Expos are the only real baseball team in the league as they have no money and have to just go on talent, not free agents. I'd like baseball if there were more brawls, less rantings about the grand old game, a much lower salary cap, tougher drug tests... I could go on and on. Now, how about the Japanese league? I can't get excited but gambatte anyway. There is a lot more to come but for now that's all. I.D

9/20/02 What's going on in the world of sports? Check here for all the information. All of you athletes and fans out there keep it up! For now I'll say, Red Team, White Team: Undokai gambatte!