This
is a small tribute to Bode Miller. Bode
is a member of the US Alpine Ski Team.
He is the most successful male skier in US history and is considered one
of the greatest World Cup racers of all time.
Inspiration on Ice
By Bradley Meister
Bode pushes forward in the start house
And stops at the wand across the gate
He is focused and ready and gets into that
place
Matching his mindset and mood
To the rhythm and pitch of the initial course
conditions
As he looks down the course
That iconic stoic stance is captivating
His unique style uniquely fascinating
The risks and thrills beyond exhilarating
The admiring world stares waiting for Bode
Miller
Moments away from a run that will be
inspiring
The time clock starts its countdown
He’s in a place he knows as the zone
In seconds he’ll unleash the many skills he
has honed
Flying down the steep sides
Of a treacherous sheet of ice he will own
His motivator starts in on his motivating
tone
Then onto the course he is skiing all alone
Remembering the place he has previously flown
That
now feels less like a ski run and more like a drop zone
Filled
with endless rush as he carves his way home
In a
two minute race he will break eighty or more
Screaming
down a run most would not dare
Laying
on his side with a chiseled base pattern
He
rides a tuned steel edge to the limits
Arcing
a new curve as he slices through the snow
On a
set of World Cup skis that are black and white Head
Down
a run he’s quickly repelling
Soaring
through the air like a man on a mission
Like
fire through the cold
He
is now completely ripping
Skiing
straight down the fall-line
Releasing
leveraged power
As
the course crowd goes louder and louder
With
the tactics and plan perfectly dialed in
He
now steps up the intensity
To
the limits of his mind
When
he’s really on the edge
He
hangs out at the place called “neutrality”
Then
waits for his innate talent
To
just wed with reality
Then
boom he defies gravity
Like
he’s from a different galaxy
Living
his words and...
"Skiing
as fast as the natural universe will allow"
Each
run is once chance for gold
Bode
will let it all go
The
only thought through his mind is skiing sublime
When
asked how he does it
I
think I know what he’d say…
Inspiration
on ice
He
doesn’t need to think twice
He’s
got the balance of life in his hand
Skiing
the circuit and being a husband and dad
He
loves his precious daughter
And
now has a son and is the two-time proud father
He
found the love of his life with Morgan
She
improved the quality of his life
You
can see it when he skis
He
is focused and ready
And
turns the skis with ease like he’s running the table
Rolling
the dice every time
Lighting
up that course when he tucks
With
his heart in every turn he is running on the edge
But
consistent and steady
Poised
like a cat ready to pounce
He’s
alert and always ready
Far
from a New Hampshire farm where he was homegrown
Living
his State’s famous motto to “Live free or die”
Skiing
in the backseat as he believed true all along
Frustrating
the coaches advice from the sound of their tone
Doing
it the Bode way from the start
In a
red barn with the high jumps and squats
And
the freedom to roam alone…in the woods by his home
Where
he built strength in his legs that allowed for more power
So
he could ski off the wall on the Strief
Like
when he’s doing a high speed left footer
At
the bottom of an ice covered tower
Coupled
with the many skills he has shown
Made
him a rare five event winner
And
put him on top with 33 world cup golds
Each
run is once chance for gold
Bode
will let it all go
The
only thought through his mind is skiing sublime
When
asked how he does it
I
think I know what he’d say…
Inspiration
on ice
Is
his prescription for life
In
2002 Salt Lake City games, he was supposed to be down
His
body got twisted and he nearly spun around
Then
he popped back up and actually flew down
In
the downhill portion of a race called combined
And
finished the slalom run after turning on a dime
To
speed to Olympic Silver with an awe inspiring time
In
2005 at the Alpine World Championship Races
He
lost a board on the high speed Bormio downhill track
And
nearly finished the race as he continued to attack
He
flew down San Pietro and tucked La Konta with one ski
Until
he decided to stop
To
the cheers of the crowd
To
the sounds as Bode rocked
In
2008 he almost won the Kitzbuhel Hahnenkamm race
He
did something crazy coming off the Steilhang face
I
still think the Italians had the best playback call
“Mama
mia” they said… as he skied on the wall
Then
Bode came from over a half second behind
Just
after the Hausberg to again blow our minds
To
close after the Zielsprung
In a
high speed mid-air tuck
Was
something to see
Surreal
for sure
He’s
rare company
I
could go on and on - there are just too many to list
Every
time he gets on the mountain
Is
like a masterpiece of skiing bliss
As
he flies through air and turns ice into mist
He’s
Rembrandt, Monet and Van Gogh all in one
His
canvass is the mountain and his paintbrush a ski
Each
run a unique piece of artwork
Personally
carved for us to see
The
balance, the skill and crazy risks he takes
Makes
him Bode Miller - makes him history
Bode,
when you ski, the world is inspired by your talent
And
we are captivated in time
In
every turn you push yourself to new record lines
You’ve
earned your place in history and set yourself apart
A
magnificent Overall, World and Olympic Gold medal champion firmly etched in our
minds
The
epitome of Inspiration
And
a true legend in your time
Good
luck with the 2015 ski racing season!
Solden 2013
