Play

Vacations are one of the best things in the world.
You visit new, exotic and beautiful places; you make lasting memories with family or friends; you interact with new people as you experience the food, music, art and language of different cultures, and best of all, you get a break from reality.
While you're experiencing bliss in your temporary home away from home, don't forget about the people working while you play. After all, your vacation experience depends on someone else's – rather, a lot of people's – job.

by Casey Hurlburt
Hannah Kearney, from Norwich, Vermont, won the Olympic Gold Medal for Freestyle Skiing in moguls, the first US gold medal for women in that event since 1992.
No one starts out on moguls, when did you realize that was your destiny? When did you realize you wanted to compete in the Olympics?

by Casey Hurlburt
Vermont was ranked number one as the healthiest state in the country last year for the third year in a row, according to the 20th annual America’s Health Rankings. It’s no wonder since the state is known for its natural beauty and outdoor recreation. Vermont also has four of the best outdoor towns and three of the best adventure towns.
Among the many outdoor activities, the opportunities for mountain biking in and around Vermont are excellent.

An outdoor hike can be a terrific experience. Whether it's for the exercise or to get reacquainted with the wilderness, hiking is an excellent activity for the mind and the body.
Vermont boasts dozens of great places to hike, but the undisputed king of the hiking trails is the Long Trail, the oldest long-distance trail in the nation. Built between 1910 and 1930, the Long Trail is a monster of a hike that stretches nearly 300 miles from the Massachusetts border to the Canadian border.

Ross Powers is a world champion halfpipe snowboarder hailing from Peru, Vermont. Powers began snowboarding at an early age and he competed in his first US open when he was only 9 years old. A day after his 23 birthday, he lead the US sweep at the 2002 Winter Olympics, bringing home the gold in the men's halfpipe competition. In 2004, he won the Mt Bachelor Grand Prix, and he continues to compete regularly in the Vans Cup, the US and European Opens of Snowboarding, and the X-Games.

Tips by Pete Driscoll
A few basic step-by-steps for a beginner:
Establish which foot should go in front and be the one that points down the hill. If your left foot goes in front, you are termed a “regular” rider. If your right foot goes in front, you are termed “goofy”.
Once you learn to buckle your bindings, practice skating around on the snow with your front foot strapped in and your back foot free (like a skateboard).

In the fall of 2004, Sports Illustrated writer and Cornwall, VT, resident Alexander Wolff began to explore the possibility of bringing pro basketball to Vermont. The result is a fan-friendly and affordable model, tailored to the state the team calls home.
Wolff hired Cabot native Will Voigt as head coach of the team, and in the Frost Heaves' first season, they won the American Basketball Association championship on their home court in Barre.

Vermont is not only a great place to work, but its a great place to play too. With the Green Mountains, Lake Champlain, and some great state and national parks it's not hard to understand why Vermont has some of the best skiing, hiking, and sailing in the northeast. Try to participate in all these activities over the next year and you'll not only be in great shape, but you'll see all that Vermont has to offer.
 

Some activities you can do throughout Vermont:

hike

run

ski

kayak

swim

How did you get into snowboarding? When did you think you might get to the level you're at now?

Mount Mansfield: Sunset Ridge Trail
Location: About 17 miles east of Burlington and 22 miles NW of Montpelier
Also listed as 69th best hike in the U.S. in the trails.com 2005 ranking

Camel’s Hump: Forestry, Dean and Long Trails Loop
Location: Between Burlington and Montpelier, south of I-89

Mount Ascutney: Weathersfield Trail
Location: About 20 miles south of White River Junction, just west of the Connecticut River