Hey grillers all across the land!
So, I get asked all the time what I do when the high season ends for the "Grateful Griller Party Experience" and I thought to myself the other day, why not share my other passion with you all which is for skiing! Ever since I can remember I have been totally in love with this sport and awesome mode of transportation. Having been born and raised in the Laurentian mountain area north of Montreal you could say that I was fortunate enough to have a blessed upbringing in, by far, one of the countries most beautiful areas and these fond memories travel with me to this day.
Winters then were epic and I remember like it was yesterday yearning to see the first snow fall of the season and skipping school to get first tracks at any one of dozens of ski hills that exist in this area. What started out as a passion for alpine skiing quickly turned into passion for cross country as a discipline and then onto telemark skiing as well. Both my brother and I, him being older and me being better looking, lol, were competitive to the core and still are and there's nothing better I enjoy to this day then hooking up with him for a few days of skiing and barley pops at the days end topped off with you guessed it, a fat juicy steak grilled to perfection by yours truly! It also gives us a chance to check in on our father who still lives in Ste. Agathe des Monts where we were born.
Over the past few years I have taken the winters off partly due and thanks to my wife, a.k.a. "sugar momma" and partly because it is so important to me to get to ski with my daughter as much as possible before she doesn't think I'm cool anymore. This year however is different and I have taken up partial residency for the winter at Kunstadt Sports in Ottawa's Glebe community back in a field that I know and understand well, the world of ski retail! In my former life as a seasoned sales rep for a variety of companies spanning a fifteen year career you could say I met a few great people and made some connections along the way. Two of those connections were Eric and Ron Kunstadt of Kunstadt Sports and although I never did very much business with them as a rep I always enjoyed stopping into the Kanata location and checking in to see what what was shaking in their world.
When I refer to their world I mean a world based and focussed on customer service and ski knowledge like no other in the business. These born and bread European stock passionate skiers started stringing tennis rackets as the story goes in their parents basement back in the late eighties and now are one of the key players in the Ottawa ski/snowboard market, hands down! They like my brother and I were competitive to the core in ski jumping and technical events and when I considered going back to a retail position and after finding out that they had recently leased a new location and their third in the city my decision was pretty easy. I also spent a great deal of time in this building when it was owned by a nearby competitor and was known as a ski shop location for years in the city. I made the call to Eric and we had a coffee and the rest as they say is history.
As it turns out my decision was a great one as I now work with some really great people who, like me, have a common interest in the business and the ski/snowboard world. The youthful staff and managers keep me young and on my toes, thank-you Sarah and Adam and Aimee King well, words can't describe your constant buzz, like bees to honey! Nick, Sam, Matt, keep being the cool cats that you are and Angelica, oh Angelica, I can't find the words!!!!! LOL!!!!! Eric T. and Mike P and I can't forget Neil, keep being real in the tech shop down under! I feel really lucky to have worked for a handful of the best ski shops in Canada in my opinion over the years. First, I got my start at Sporting Life in Toronto's north end, then I went westward to Banff and had the opportunity to work for Monod Sports who are an institution in their own right as it relates to the ski business and now I find myself full circle back in the city that my repping career started in with once again, legends in the ski business!
If you would have asked me a couple of years back if I could have seen myself back in retail I would have said without a doubt, no way, not a chance, but the truth is I'm addicted to my passions and my obsession's with life's natural highs that I get from grilling, chilling and carving huge lines in perfect corduroy or accepting the epic face shot with open arms, yes my friends this is the life of the "Grateful Griller" in his low season if there is such a thing, constantly trying to work less and play more and always striving to live life on the rockin ragged edge!
So if you happen to be cruising by 680 Bank St. in the Glebe in Ottawa and see the "enterprise" parked in the lot, ( you can't miss my truck people) come on in and say hello! If your looking for skis, snowboards, apparel or service we can help you without a doubt and if its a party you want to throw in the near future, consider The Grateful Griller open for business and taking bookings! Until we do meet in person, feed your fires and passionate desires to take all your grilling games higher! The next few lines came to me while listening to some awesome, not to mention vintage Groove Armada! Love these guys and this little lyrical slam session got penned in less than five minutes! What can I say, a new personal best! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!
G Love and special sauce.........
Can I Grill With You?
I'd like to know your name, I'd like to grill with you, can I take you home?
Thrill to grill, relax and chill.
One desire, to start the fire.
An elevated state, let's not hesitate.
Sauces and rubs, like bubbles in a tub, soothing for the restless soul!
Show me yours, I'll show you mine.
Steaks to heat, smell so sweet, ditch the pda and the tweet, tweet, tweet!
Its deck time now for all to savor, pull up a chair, what's your flavor?
Ahhhhh the rush, in a setting so plush, perfect time to flush all life's bads away and at the top of our voices declare this to be the greatest day to be alive as we all strive to take this party higher!
The fires sooo hot like snap, crackle, pop!
Bailey's to dip, forget the chips, your so hip, doin back flips,
Pants done splits, they need some zips, ahhhh the taste of a sugar hiccup!
I'd like to know your name, I'd like to grill with you, can I take you home?
The night so full, the sand man now pulls at eyelids yearning for rest.
This party was a test, for the best has yet to come with tomorrow's rising sun in the shape of continued kamado games and firey, smokey fun.
Rest now grilling soldiers, for in the morning we will be all the wiser and older as we stare into coal still a smolder as it burns into our minds along with all the great times!
Blazin trails and setting our sails as we pen new tales from the kamado crypt!
Peace..........
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