In surprising reports seen elsewhere on the web, well known journalists and bloggers are writing about how First Lady Laura Bush is actually a fanatic skier now living part time in Vail. What’s more, her daughters Jenna & Barbara have been seen numerous times on the Vail groomers taking telemark lessons!
Numerous web forum posts and blogs report that, after trying for more than three years to enjoy water skiing after she married George W. Bush, Laura was watching a Warren Miller video with her daughters, and developed an interest in snow skiing.
When watching videos wasn’t enough, Laura headed to Vail to try the real thing. “If Gerald Ford can do it, so can I,” she was heard muttering by a ski valet who was dropping off her skis for the day. (Asked later what kind of tune the First Lady liked, the valet shared that she always requests a 1×1 bevel, and doesn’t seem to mind if the skis are waxed or not.”)
“Her interest in the sport went through the roof in 1999, indicating she was probably going to try it,” Laura’s close friend Nancy Weiss told one insider who spoke with a blogger. “One Monday, she had numerous copies of Skiing Magazine and said she had found a good web forum called “tea gee are” or something like that. Within a few days she bought tickets to Vail. When Laura took her second ski lesson everything clicked, and that’s when she insisted her daughters try the sport. She obviously was not going to enjoy her Vail trips without having fun with her girls. ”
Web posters also write that Laura occasionally sneaks a sauna, enjoys hot tubbing, and even skis the Vail x-c tracks at night (she’s rumored to prefer a Black Diamond headlamp). “In 1994 and 1995, she totally quit a lifelong smoking habit,” they say. “When asked by the media, she would honestly say that it was ‘difficult’ to quit. But after 1995, Laura went back to bumming cigarettes from friends, though never in front of George or her staff. With her new found athletic interests, word is that Laura has finally quit for good.”
And if that wasn’t enough, web posters also chronicle that the First Lady’s twin daughters have taken a turn to the rebellious side.
Jenna and her twin sister Barbara had a good time cavorting on the Vail slopes with handsome ski instructors,” report various web posts, “but it wasn’t long ’till they got bored with regular skiing and wanted something different. First they tried snowboarding, but Jenna said it was ‘too easy.’ That’s when they saw a couple of Vail telemarkers genuflecting down the renowned ski resort’s milky slopes. ‘That looks like the shizzle,” Jenna is reported to have exclaimed, “I’m gonna make my sister rent some of those skis with me and see what it’s like!”
Numerous reports indicate the twins took to the sport of making telemark turns in a big way. From one Bush twins blog: “It’s more fun than anything on snow, and once I started reading wildsnow.com I knew it was the sport for me,” said Jenna. “They’re nice folks and have helped me a lot. I like that I can read about gluten allergies there, as I think I’ve got some. I’d let you know who I post as, but the Secret Service guys tell me that’s not such a good idea. But look for me at Vail, I’m the one with the Karu Jacks and 7PM bindings.”
— Compiled from wire reports, blog posts, and web forums
Leon Sendmuller is a reporter for the Aspen Daily Cryer and specializes in ski related issues. He is personal friends with nearly everyone in Cinch Creek as well as having been employed as a cabin boy on the Unlimited yacht. When asked if he liked is former job as an Aspen Powder Tours guide better than being a cabin boy, he said “cabin boy, for sure, the tips were better.”
