Matthew Farfan

Out of Bounds: The Glen Mountain Ski Story (2004) is a new book by Brian Eddington, published by Price-Patterson Ltd. The author, a columnist, former teacher, and (apparently) lifelong ski bum, has managed to craft what he himself calls the "story" -- as opposed to the "history" of Knowlton's Glen Mountain, a small ski resort in the Eastern Townships.

In his foreword, Eddington points out that because documentation on the subject matter is so hard to come by, he relies heavily on the recollections of skiers, staff, and other people associated with Glen Mountain over the years. With his typically dry sense of humour, Eddington points out that "having been a Glen Mountain patron for going on thirty years, much of the accumulated detail, references, anecdotes, tales of adventure and misadventure, have been gathered from my personal experiences and recollections. And, given what supposedly happens to the male brain beyond the age of forty years, much of that material may be suspect... Further, the bulk of information came from other people's recollections... and most of them are over forty, too."

That said, for anyone interested in the ups and downs of a small, quirky ski hill, from its heyday in the 1960s and 70s through to the present day, this book is a must. It offers a first-hand, often humorous, glimpse of modern ski culture, which, after all, occupies such a central place in the hearts and minds of so many Canadians.

Roughly chronological, The Glen Mountain Ski Story touches upon the key phases in the evolution of the resort. It features most of the key players, as well, including investors, staff, and patrons of both the ski runs and the celebrated après-ski scene. Far from being a dry recounting of a local business story, the book is a nostalgic, colourful look back at what has been such an important gathering place in the Eastern Townships since the hill first opened in December 1960.

Players involved in the development of skiing at The Glen have included Hank Rotherham, Eddy Persons, Peter White, and even the legendary Jackrabbit Johannsen, to name a few. All of them play their parts in Eddington’s book.

The Glen Mountain Ski Story is woven around the adventures and misadventures (some would say disasters) that have punctuated day-to-day life at the mountain that was once referred to by Ski Canada magazine as “the zany black sheep of the Ski East centres.”

Throughout the book, Murphy's Law seems to play a very prominent role, from minor mechanical failures to major business setbacks. The reader, for example, learns of how Peg Barnes, the hill's chief groomer, had his Sno-Cat catch on fire in the middle of the night one time while he was grooming a trail. The "burned-out hulk was found frozen solidly into the hill courtesy of the surrounding snow it had briefly melted. Overnight squalls had completed the burial process... The charred remains sat there reproachfully the rest of the winter, a sober reminder that danger comes in many forms and unlikely places."

Eddington’s tales include ski lift operators installing t-bars backwards, runaway machinery, leaky roofs, breakdowns, fires, bankruptcy, and near bankruptcy. And all of these mishaps are set against a continuous backdrop of changing ownership, seemingly endless legal wrangling, and winters with highly irregular snowfall (and hence unreliable skier revenue).

Yet, one gets the distinct impression that throughout these setbacks, the good times just kept on rolling. Great skiing, good partying, and what Eddington calls The Glen’s “hominess and ambiance” seem to have established the mountain firmly in the hearts of its patrons.

Eddington tells of some of the great skiers the mountain has produced over the years, including slalom racer Leigh-Jay Quilliams and snowboarder Trevor Gavura. He tells of slopeside parties, downhill races, and Jello jumps. He tells of the Glen’s forays into night skiing and snowmaking, and of the arrival of the first snowboarders. He reports happily that, unlike at some of the other Townships ski resorts, from the very beginning, the bar was always a major facet of culture at The Glen. "I knew there was a reason I was quickly drawn to the place," he jokes. Naturally, the book includes tales of drinking and related antics at the various bars in and around the ski hill. One local après-ski hangout, the author reports, was so crowded on some nights that "if you tripped or passed out, it could take twenty minutes before you hit the floor." Now that’s crowded!

Out of Bounds: The Glen Mountain Ski Story, by Brian Eddington, is an entertaining, not-so-serious look back at “a great place to ski, raise a family, or raise a glass.” It will be enjoyed by almost anyone who has skied at The Glen or in the Eastern Townships.

Available in soft-cover, the book contains 164 pages, black and white photographs and a table of contents. Copies may be ordered directly from the publishers at: Price-Patterson Ltd., 310 Victoria Ave., Suite 105, Westmount, Qc, H3Z 2M9. Price (including shipping within Canada and GST): $26.70.

Consult the publishers' website at: www.pricepatterson.com. Copies of the book may also be purchased at the following locations: Brome Lake Books (Knowlton); the Golden Book (Sutton); Archambault ( Sherbrooke); Bishop's University Bookstore (Lennoxville); and Townshippers' Association (Cowansville and Lennoxville).