The Presidential Skier

ESPN.com reminds us that the late Gerald Ford was not only a president of the United States, but an outstanding athlete unafraid to try new sports as an adult:

Though Ford first began skiing in 1939 in New England [26 years old is a fairly late age for a never-ever], his first taste of the slopes of the Rockies came in a 1968 vacation. Among his contributions to Colorado skiing was his role in bringing two World Alpine Ski Championships to the state, providing a unique opportunity for Colorado to showcase its world-class venue.

In 1982, Ford established the Ford Cup in Vail, which is now called the American Ski Classic.

Whether Ford ever thought of trying snowboarding, I don’t know. He was 70 years old in 1983, after all, around the time that riding was still in its infancy. But if snowboarding had developed sooner than it did, we just might have had a snowboarding president, and perhaps an end to the tired “shredder dude” image.