TIM TALK, WINDELLS BLOG #3

TIM TALK, WINDELLS BLOG #3
Durtschi Highlights Air Bag Radness of Strenio and Martini and Interviews Long-Time Camper, Varyk Kutnik

Words and Photos: Tim Durtschi

Windell’s gets better and better every summer—that seems to be a given now. This summer, Tim Windell juiced up camp with some sick new features. I have already mentioned the ropetow, so now its time to introduce the air bag.

The air bag is a massive balloon of air that people huck their meat onto and into. I had the pleasure of watching some of the pros hit the air bag this week, and what was even more enjoyable was watching my campers hit the bag. My camper Matthew threw his first double back flip ever on the airbag. He was the most stoked I have ever seen a camper. There was no way he was going to go and try one on snow, but the bag gave him the opportunity to have the feeling on skis. LJ Strenio was pushing it on the bag, practicing unnatural double flips into the airbag. I have never seen any unnatural double flips or corks on snow, but I would put money on LJ to be one of the first throwing them next season. Nick Martini was also throwing down hard—the more he hit the bag the more confident he looked throughout the day.

I decided to interview a camper that has been coming here for four years to see what his thoughts on all these changes. Varyk Kutnik has been in my group since I started coming here, and he is the most veteran camper at camp this session. He kept his grades up all through high school so his parents would keep sending him to camp—Good job, Varyk!

Durtschi: You started coming to camp when you were 13 and now you’re 17. How has camp changed your life?
Varyk: Camp has brought me so many great opportunitie, and introduced me to a cornucopias amount of new people. It has also taught me so many new tricks and helped improve my existing ones. Without camp I don’t know where I’d be today.

Durtschi: Camp has obviously changed since your first time here. What’s the biggest change?
Varyk: Well I’d have to say the addition of the high-speed rope tow. No other camp offers a private tow that is open from 9-3. It’s now possible to hit a jump 50 times in an hour without having to hike a step.

Durtschi: Has camp gotten more fun over the years? It seems to me that camp is the funnest [sic] place on Earth.
Varyk: It gets funner [sic] every year I come and that’s why I keep coming back. Never have I been here and not been having a blast every second.

Durtschi: What parts of camp do you feel helped progress your skiing—trams, coaches, the park crew, the food—what is it?
Varyk: Without a doubt, the great coaches. They always give that extra confidence you need to stomp the trick and ride away. Also just being around the best skiers 24/7 gets you super stoked to ride, and it pushes you to that next level.

Durtschi: Ok, enough serious questions. Have the girls gotten better or worse looking since your first year, and are you bummed Kristi Leskinen isn’t coming this summer?
Varyk: Just like camp, the girls get better and better every year. I remember my first year that it wasn’t too hard to choose since there were only two girls. Now you’ve got your choices from fat to skinny, they got ‘em all! Yeah when I heard Kristi wasn’t coming I wanted my money back, but it was too late for a refund. But it’s definitely not too late to get things rolling between her and me! Call me, Kristi!