Gentlemen: Please could you forward the following message to Steven Winter or to the director of the Dawson Chamber of Commerce. I'm a semi retired businessmen and originally from Austria. Besides skiing in the Austrian Junior ski team I was founder and president of the Georgia White County Ski and Travel Club. At the present time I am full time certified Ski Instructor in Breckenridge, Colorado and Marketing Director for a well know Colorado Museum. My main residence in near Cleveland, GA since 1970. If there is any position open for the start up of the planned Ski Dome I would like to offer my services and be glad to send in my resume. Thank you for forwarding the message to you it may concern. Bernie Nagy Cell.706 319 6037 nagyvbernd@yahoo.com

Dang, I left my snowboard in Maine. I figured I'd take up skateboarding and wakeboarding as cross-training while I attend college here...

When I told my ski buddy from Vermont the good news about the possibility of a park down here, he said, "That's crazzzzzyyy!!" Well, crazy as it sounds, there are more snowboarders in the USA (around 7 million!) than mountain bikers, trail runners, bmx bicyclers, wakeboarders, roller hockey players, mountain/rock climbers, or windsurfers. (Source: Sporting Goods Manufacturer's Association, 2001) Then there's the ever-popular freestyle skiers...It is mainstream as ever. Skate/Surf businesses one can see in the local malls are often affiliated with snow sports. Burton Snowboards owns Analog, Gravis, and now Al Merrick Surfboards (ridden by Kelly Slater, the 8x World Surfing Champ from Florida). Maybe we'll see Slater shredding the slopes here in Georgia! Quiksilver, the

boardshorts/surfwear/sunglasses company, has its own team of riders and line of winter apparel. Nearby, Athens, GA has a world-class skatepark. That's potentially another huge pool of local athletes ready to rip! All of the local extreme sport athletes (from motorcyclists to wakeboarders) I've spoken with are absolutely stoked!

I believe that the skiing/snowboarding area should be located within neighborhood gethering places and that skiers/snowboarders, like any other group of young athletes, should have their healthy choices enthusiastically supported by our community. It will encourage healthy athletic activity over alternatives. It's a self-esteem building activity that helps kids build the confidence to do well in other aspects of their lives. Also, I believe it can meet many broder community needs: like many skateparks across the country, it should reflect local aesthetics, history, or norms. Incorporating the natural waterfall, is a great start! Year-round skiing and riding is more rare than gold. The closest place for

this is on a glacier up north in Canada. World class athletes will travel from all over for

a place to keep their skills fresh in the off-season.

I'm all for it. Please, pass on some knowledge to me at JYouker@gmail.com Let's make this happen, Peace

I think this is an excellent Idea! Hey what is one ski resort off 400, where alot will have fun. Verses zillions of wal-marts everywhere!