It's All Downhill: Olympic memories [Presented by BSSC]

[View web version]( [It's All Downhill. The latest from the slopes of New England and beyone by Matt Pepin] Friday, Feb. 16 | [Follow Matt Pepin on Twitter]( I WAS THE KID WITH SALMON ON MY HELMET BY HAYDEN BIRD (With Matt in South Korea for the Olympics, I'll be handling the newsletter for a few weeks.) As a skier, I realize my opinion of the Olympics is biased. I’m probably in the minority that prefer watching the Winter Games over the Summer. This is partly due to the simple reality that I identify more with skiing events than anything else at the Olympics. But it’s also more fundamental than that. My favorite Olympic memories are still tied to the 1994 Lillehammer Games. So many of my friends remember Atlanta hosting two years later in a similarly fond way, yet while they ran around pretending to be Michael Johnson, I imagined myself as Stein Gruben. And Tommy Moe. As a kid just learning to ski, I was hooked the instant that Gruben boldly [took the Olympic torch off of a ski jump]( during the opening ceremony. (It was only later that I discovered he was actually the emergency backup, [called in just 48 hours beforehand]( due to Ole Gunnar Fidjestol’s injury in a practice run. This only adds to what was a legendary moment.) My father recognized the interest my brother and I had in ski jumping, and before we knew it, we were driving 45 minutes every weekend to take part in the youth ski jumping program in [Salisbury, Connecticut](. It was a fantastic experience to clip on those massive skis, practice the terrifying technique, and finish it all up with a nice warm cup of hot chocolate. Gruben wasn’t the only ‘94 skier to have an influence on me. Watching with wonder as Tommy Moe won men’s downhill gold and Picabo Street won a women’s downhill silver, I immediately set about recreating their runs on my own at our local place, [Ski Sundown](. To this – as I raced down the mountain with reckless abandon – my father was probably less pleased. Even here, the impact of Lillehammer was felt. Having become increasingly concerned with my newfound need for speed, my parents got me a helmet. Of course, it wasn’t just any helmet, it was one with [Tommy Moe-approved salmon stickers]( on it (which Moe had worn during his Olympics runs). Yes, I was *that* kid. I recently told Tommy Moe about this during an interview for an upcoming piece. I waited until the end before revealing it in an attempt to retain a modicum of professionalism. His response? “Heck yeah, man!” Silly as it may sound, I found myself beaming ear to ear. Almost a quarter-century afterward, I was able to happily explain to an American gold medalist how, despite having never met me, he helped shape my early life as a skier. His enthusiastic response was the icing on the cake. Olympians are rightly hailed for their high level accomplishments, but it's often the unseen impact they have on countless kids around the world that is their real legacy, in my opinion. I think my experience reflects that. And with that, the Lillehammer Games remain comfortably ensconced in a special place in my memory. POSTCARDS FROM PYEONGCHANG The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics are off and running, and Matt is there as part of the [Globe's coverage]( in South Korea. INSIDE CHLOE KIM'S GOLDEN DAY: Chloe Kim was the favorite to win gold in the women's halfpipe despite the fact that she's only 17. Of course, she won with an impressive performance. [Here's an interesting breakdown of her entire day]( including the "hangry" moments. A NEW ENGLANDER WHO'S BATTLED UPHILL TO BE AT THE OLYMPICS: Just because Ryan Cochran-Siegle comes from a family with an Olympic past doesn't mean his path to PyeongChang has been anything close to inevitable. The 25-year-old has overcome injuries and bad luck before and even during the Olympics. [His story is an inspiring one](. DEVIN LOGAN IS READY FOR A SECOND ROUND: USA freestyle skier Devin Logan, who honed her skills at Mount Snow, is back for a second Olympics. After taking silver in women's slopestyle at Sochi, [she's more experienced this time around](. And for an encore, Logan is ambitiously eyeing success in both slopestyle and halfpipe. CLICKWORTHY SKIER LOST IN NEW YORK ENDS UP IN CALIFORNIA: This strange and scary story emerged earlier this week of a Toronto firefighter who had been skiing in New York but disappeared for six days, turning up in California still dressed in ski clothes. The full story remains unknown, though man in question, Constantinos ‘‘Danny’’ Filippidis, says he "[suffered a head injury, rode in a 'big rig-style truck’ and slept 'a lot]( OLYMPIAN WINS AT WATERVILLE VALLEY: Nolan Kasper, who will compete for the US ski team in Olympic slalom on Feb. 22, [won the World Pro Ski Tour race at Waterville Valley last weekend](. The 28-year-old Kasper, who attended Burke Mountain Academy, could also return for another WPST race at Sunday River in March. KENWORTHY BREAKS THUMB: Gus Kenworthy won silver in men's slopestyle in Sochi four years ago, but may have a slightly harder road in PyeongChang. Kenworthy revealed that he [broke his thumb in training before this weekend's competition]( though he said he still intends to compete. AVALANCHE FOOTAGE FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA: A recent video released on the BC Transportation and Infrastructure Facebook page showed the results of a controlled avalanche. The incredible footage shows the result of a snow surge that [reportedly closed six miles of highway](. JAY PEAK AND BURKE TO HIT OPEN MARKET IN MAY: According to a [report from VTDigger]( the book may be closed soon on a rocky period in the history of Jay Peak and Burke Mountain. After the previous ownership was caught enacting a "Ponzi-like fraud," the two resorts could finally be placed on the market for sale as early as May. [Subscribe to BostonGlobe.com]( [Like It's All Downhill? Tell a friend to subscribe.]( [Sign up for more Boston Globe newsletters.]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Pinterest]( About This Email You received this message because you signed up for the It's All Downhill newsletter. To automatically unsubscribe, [please click here.]( Please note: this will unsubscribe you from the newsletter only. If you wish to cancel your BostonGlobe.com subscription, please call 1-888-MY-GLOBE (1-888-694-5623). 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