Not a day has passed since our son first qualified for U16 Nationals, and then a couple days later, our daughter also qualified, where I have not been brought to tears by the generosity of our Loon Mountain community.  I’ve started to write our individual thank yous, and then I get a note in the mail from someone– or, for instance, last week at school, when I’m standing at bus duty.  “Please give this to Greta.” And then I do, and she shares the note back to me that says, essentially, she will always be cheering G on and that she hopes this will help with her next season.  And I’m reduced to tears at my desk at school, so grateful and appreciative of the financial support we received to get our whole family out to Jackson Hole, Wyoming in early April.  

Like many families, we are living above our means thanks to our kids’ big love for ski racing.  But, man alive, are they crushing it.  They were the number 3rd and 4th Loon Race Team kids to make it to Nationals.  They were the only siblings at Nationals (57 girls and 53 boys- I think), and with the exception of a couple kids leaving their public schools in November for ski academies or home schooling, they were the only ones attending a full year public school. 

So whether you are a Loon dev team coach, Lin-Wood school teacher, Loon lift operator, mountain host, ski patroller, food and beverage person, bartender, New England Disabled Sports instructors, Loon Race Team coaches–whether you are a local who remembers the early days of the Krill kids on the magic carpet or the Kanc Rope Tow, whether you were there the day someone tried telling 4 year old Carver he needed to make a pizza with his skis and he told you, “My dad says parallel is best” –whether you are Aaron Loukes, David Edry, Jesse Anser, Kim Bourassa, Marcus Corey, Rob Bevier, Kevin Bell or the parking lot guys on race days wishing them good luck at the crack of dawn or the kind folks at the transfer station telling them to come home safe–whether you are the lady at the bank or our postmistress who said, “Heard your kids made Nationals, amazing!” — whether you are part of Team Thoma, who helped us with every kind of race gear imaginable these last few years (especially Marc and Brandon), and Adam with the boot fittings– whether you are Dave and Helen Rodgers whose support of the Lin-Wood Ski Team has been unwavering all these years–whether you are part of our Nordica family–whether you remember the day 6 year old Greta told us she was “saving her fast” for a race and has never looked back– whether you only learned about us from a friend who knew we were trying to send both our kids to Nationals and you donated to the gofundme that LRT mom, Emily, started–whether you are Ryan Clermont who used his own Delta miles to get flights for Geoff and me because he remembered when he went out to Nationals years ago how important it was for his own dad to be there for him– whether we knew you or you wished to remain anonymous– whether you are the third grader Lumberjack who wanted to high five the kids in the parking lot at school the morning they returned, exhausted and proud– whether you are a dear friend to our family, our aunts and cousins and neighbors, or a complete stranger who just wanted to throw some good into the world– our kids carried you with them all the way west.   

They carried you with them out to Jackson Hole, in one of the many ski bags we had to pay extra for in order to get all their race skis on the airplane.  They carried you with them in a rented pick up truck with LRT Coach Joe Peznola twice a day for six days in a row over the Teton Pass from Jackson to Grand Targhee. They carried you with them in their body armor and their cut proof long underwear protecting their skin after epic crashes into the B-net.  They carried you with them in the memories they made meeting kids from all over the country, running amok all over downtown Jackson after racing was over for the day.  They carried you with them in their hearts through the sportsmanship they displayed on the hill.  They carried your good wishes and good luck and, above all, the love of their home mountains all those thousands of miles and back again.  

We are grateful.  We are humbled. We are likely never able to pay you back for the opportunity we had to follow our kids to Nationals, but we promise to always pay it forward.  Thank you from the very bottom of our hearts.  

Love, Team Krillin’ It

Heather, Geoff, Carver and Greta
PS.  If the Loon Race Team impacted your own children at any point in their progression (as racers or humans), or you wish to see it continue to support local, hardworking and talented ski racers, please consider making a donation to them in the months ahead.  The Loon Race Team non-profit tax ID number is 36-3998339.