Winter Divas Spotlight: Pat and Libby

I've had the chance to get to know many of our Winter Divas this season. During our most recent Winter Diva Wednesday, I spent some extra time with long time friends Libby and Pat and I got to hear their stories, both skiing and otherwise.

You could call Libby “backyard” skier. As a teen, she borrowed her mother’s long wooden skis and bulky leather boots and skied in the yard (her mom got to ski at Seven Springs). She still has those skis, only now she uses them as decorations. She taught her kids to ski the same way in her backyard, but on the more technologically advanced red plastic toy skies. Libby didn’t just ski in the backyard, she also skied down her hilly Pittsburgh street as her husband shuttled her back to the top in his truck!

"Skiing has always been a big part of my life and it sure makes the winters fly by." said Pat. Pat’s first time on skis was at Seven Springs in December of 1955 when she went with Bell Telephone Company. At the time, Seven Springs had three rope tows and no snowmaking. Pat struggled with her rental equipment and left sore and bruised but she didn’t give up! The next time she tried it, she took a lesson. Good thing she stuck with it, she met her husband skiing!

Pat and her husband joined Der Sitzmark Ski Club in 1992 and that's where she met Libby. While most of its members do ski, Der Sitzmark has activities year round, from biking, horseback riding, white water rafting. They even had a segway trip last year. Pat says of the club, "It has changed through the years as far as people coming and going but the friendships I made during the years remain strong. My husband passed away in Jan 1994 and my friends at the ski club were a great support for me." She travels with the club, always going on at least one trip a year, many times two trips.

Pat and Libby are planning a trip to Tahoe later this season. Along with her equipment, Pat will be sure to have down and wool items. “I’ve found that there is nothing warmer than wool and down. My socks and bottom layer of underwear have to have wool in them. Mittens have to have down.” Libby's Motto: “Comfort is the key.” Her must-have accessories, a pretty cotton handkerchief for under her mask, hand warmers and the “softest-longest glove liners.”

Libby’s favorite place to ski: Where she’s skiing. That puts Seven Springs at the top of her list. She likes it because it is a close, family friendly, has great slopes, good grooming, beautiful scenery and short lift lines. Pat's a little more pragmatic “It depends on the conditions at the time. That determines if it was a good place to ski.” To her, a sunny day skiing with friends on well groomed slopes is “just about perfect.” Both ladies enjoy taking ski vacations and are heading to Tahoe at the end of the month.

Like all of us, skiing is a passion of Pat and Libby's. “It lifts my spirit, adds jazz to my life, it’s outdoor fun, it is the right prescription for a wintry day that rejuvenates and warms. It’s the closest sensation to flying and makes me happy to be alive...and because I can.” Says LIbby of why she skis. Why does Pat do it? “That depends on what day you ask me. If it’s sunny, conditions are good, I’m feeling good, it’s great to get a rhythm going flying down. It’s like dancing with the ‘Stars’. If it’s cold, windy, icy, I’m not sure why I do it, but for some reason I still do.”

Pat hasn't missed a Winter Diva Wednesday. She enjoys meeting new ski buddies at our Winter Divas Wednesdays. When I asked her what she likes about Winter Divas she said that she’s enjoyed all of the guests and that she feels that she’s learned something new each week. Libby likes being called a Diva because she was never a Prima Donna and now she gets to be one. She likes the smiles, hints, encouragement and enthusiasm of the group. She is grateful to Seven Springs for the hot chocolate and pastries that take the chill out of a winter day.

Join us for Winter Divas Wednesdays and get to know Pat, Libby and all of the other wonderful women of Winter Divas!