Not to brag, but one of our ski columnists, Edward Brennan, has just published a great new book that is a fun, philosophical, timely romp through his history of skiing in the Mad River Valley as well as the broader history of skiing in The Valley and how it has shaped his life (and so many of our lives.)
Brennan published Just Exactly Perfect, Cautionary Tales of Skiing and Being in the Mad River Valley last month and the book is available locally. For those who don’t know, Brennan has been writing Along the Fall Line for The Valley Reporter for the past five years.
In this book, he has compiled his columns along with anecdotes, history, great pics and thoughtful commentary into one great read. Brennan shies away from nothing, neither the physics of skiing, bullet-proof snow, skiing in the time of the Corona-19 virus and the machinations of ski area management and ops.
Even though I’ve read and edited his columns in The Valley Reporter over the last six years, I thoroughly enjoyed them in this context. I particularly enjoyed the historical lens that Brennan layered over the book, moving us forward in time not so much in a linear fashion, but more in the way he grew and evolved (I hesitate to use the word ‘matured’ in the context of a die-hard ski bum) and skied over time – with a local cast and crew of characters keeping him company on his journey.
He sprinkles in local folks along the same, some still here, some long gone, some no longer skiing and many still playing on the mountain. Uniting most of these people are the mountains and skiing/riding. It’s fun to read about the ripping and roaring and shenanigans of the folks who are now the stalwart and respected leaders of our communities.
Throughout the book, Brennan’s deep love of the sport, the mountain, the place and the people shine through. His respect for and fascination with gravity is unparalleled and borders on the religious – or perhaps the sacred.
Visit www.edward-brennan.com for more details.
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