Arne Peterson says he “still enjoys skiing” at the age of 92. He started skiing when he was about 10-years old on homemade skis in his homeland, Denmark. There was no ski lift, so he was pulled uphill by a horse. In 1950 he arrived in Canada and he moved to Worsley, Alberta in 1960 where he was employed within the oil business.
Whispering Pines, near Worsley, was started in 1984 with a small handle tow, and in 1986 the first T-bar was installed. Arne borrowed ski equipment from a friend, as Whispering Pines only had a small supply of rental equipment, and he was hooked. The next opportunity he had, he went to a sports store in Grande Prairie to purchase his own equipment, which he is still using today. “My coveralls from Denmark keep me nice and warm,” he says.
Arne made several trips to Jasper but in the last years he has been staying closer to home where he is always ready to give a helping hand. Just last September he was helping put sandbags on the chair when we were doing the load test on the chairlift. He is also eager to be a passenger when we have our evacuation training.
You still see him coming down the hill alone, with friends, or with his grandchildren and when you ask him he answers with a smile, “I still enjoy skiing.”
