Slope Stories: Jack Sullivan
- Andrea Hamilton
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
80 Over 80
Jack — A Big Voice and a Big Heart (80 Over 80) In memoriam.
Here is my Uncle Jack with his ski buddy Dom at Alpental. Early 1990s, Jack in his sporty wool cap at age 63.
Uncle Jack and my aunt Marion built a cabin at Alpental in the late 60s. Their four kids grew up skiing, racing and teaching.
Jack taught in the ski school in order to share all the mountain perks with the family.
In the early 1980s, Jack was a silent partner in the Alpental Ski School with Ingrid Simonson. Ingrid was an instructor, race coach and mentor to many athletes, including Deb Armstrong, Olympic gold medalist.
Jack was never “silent.” He had a big voice and a big heart.
Aunt Marion and Jack skied all over the world. They took the family or went with friends. From Sun Valley and resorts across the U.S. to Canada and Europe, they loved exploring places together.
Listening to Marion’s ski stories and adventures is the best. It really is a family and community sport.
Jack passed away in 2017 at age 83. Marion still spends a lot of time at the cabin with the kids and grandkids. Ingrid is retired and living in Washington.
Slope Stories: How Jack and Marion Shaped My Ski Story
Andrea — 60 Over 60
I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time with my cousins and learned to ski at the Summit with my brother and sister. At age 19, I met my husband-to-be, Tyler Hamilton, at the top of Chair 2 at Alpental. He loved to ski and encouraged me to teach a few years later.
Tyler passed away in 2010; our sons were 9 and 17. The following year I skied for Tyler on his birthday. I had a great time skiing Chair 2 and all over the mountain. It had been a long time, and I realized how much I missed it.
My sons love snow sports at different levels — one is 100% in, and the other is more so-so.
In 2012, I was back at the mountain for instructor orientation and have been teaching skiing at Alpental ever since. I love it and have discovered a great community of people who share the passion of being on snow.
In 2016, I was hired by Tracy Gibbons, president of Sturtevant’s, as marketing and event coordinator. That kicked off what I do today.
In 2015 I was reacquainted with a friend from high school, Amund Nicholson.
He's an avid skier and very good at it. We married in 2019. We love spending time on snow together.
In 2022, when Larry wanted to retire, I bought the company. Larry is a key player in the community, tone and energy. Instead of writing 65+ snow forecasts each year, he now gets to ski more. Thanks to Michael Fagin, our operational meteorologist, Larry spends a lot of time traveling and skiing.
This will be my fourth season running the Powder Alert. I love being part of this bigger community, meeting Larry’s loyal fans and making new ones.
Thanks for reading.
Send your stories.
Andrea
Comments