The forecast wasn’t like last year but it was still great. Buoys are WARNING us of more soon.
Anyways, every year, a contingent of F3 Metro men heads west to Alta, Utah — not just to ski, but to invest in making stories that are ultimately unverifiable. One truth worth celebrating, however, is that Checkpoint’s son chose Alta as a wedding venue. Huge congratulations to their family on an incredible milestone and, objectively, a very strong venue selection.
This year’s roster was stacked, including Checkpoint, Slaughter, Valdez, Dredd, Scabbs, Governator, Boba Fett, Coach, Boy Scout, Disney +2.0, Lambeau, Hitman, Owl Bait, Sampson, TD +2.0s, Jacko, Mokey Feet, Spoons, Red Warrior, Cardinale +2.0, Frankie Five Angels, Magellan, Rhapsody +2.0s, Judge Smails +2.0, Italian Job, Santini, Scratch N Win, CrotchRocket, Monk +2.0, Double Play, Tommy Lee, Grasshopper, Sparrow, Bobby Fischer, Newport +2.0, The Other Cold Cuts, and Kato Kaelin +2.0. Wahoo, Frogger, and Holtz did not really show up.
If you were counting, yes — that was a significant concentration of bright arm bands and F3 helmet stickers on one mountain at the same time.
The trip began on Wednesday with Checkpoint leading the early charge while we're all mentally in Utah mode. Most of the PAX arrived Wednesday evening via direct flights into Salt Lake City before making the classic 40-minute shuttle climb into Alta. Many of these guys do not travel often, so there was an aggressive push for a 9 PM bedtime, which felt optimistic but well intentioned.
On the way into the mountains, there was nearly an F3 ethics violation when Monk was left at baggage claim waiting for his skis while the PAX accidentally kidnapped his 2.0, Double Play. Monk was eventually delivered safely to Goldminer’s via private shuttle along with his valuable set of classic boards. Overall, it was a strong start, and most importantly, no one was lost permanently.
Thursday morning kicked off with rentals, 2.0 ski school drop-offs, and Valdez’s first annual clinic with 18 followers. The Oil Slick’s clinic was open to beginners, men with jobs, and men who like Lindsey Vonn. The instruction likely prevented multiple accidents and successfully warmed up the group.
Conditions delivered three to four inches of fresh snow, which was enough to inspire confidence while still allowing for responsible tree access. By late afternoon, legs were cooked and recovery protocols began. The Goldminer’s spa saw heavy action, while Newport, Bobby Fischer, and Kato Kaelin enjoyed exile at Alta Lodge hot tubs, steam room, and yoga — purely for performance optimization and future site planning.
After dinner, we struck up a nice conversation with a stranger from Boston. I shared how much I liked that town, until about 20 seconds later when the stranger shared they graduated from Harvard. At that point, I remembered I do not miss Boston.