Letter: Words to live by from Dr. Charlie Tuft
The new ski season is upon us. I’m excited. I’m stoked — as it were! We’ve got early-season fresh snow and it’s exhilarating. Hopefully more coming. But — it reminds me of when we lost Dr. Charlie Tuft. He was my neighbor for years and a very, very decent man. The gentleman was a Mount Everest expedition physician but, more importantly, my friend.
He fixed me up when I busted my butt on Vail’s finest runs when I made errors and I never even asked him to do so. He just saw me taking out the trash in East Vail with deep tissue bruises and knew a newbie needed help (and guidance). I took it.
A fine man. I’ll never forget his impact on my life and the guidance he gave me. “Take it easy, go slow.”
He died on a cat track. As I remember, it was not his fault. I was on that run 20 minutes after he was. He was an expert, excellent skier. Fine form. I miss him. Vail’s best were on site.
This is a fun sport. Smiles for miles. Be aware of what is happening down the mountain. You never know how much someone will miss you when you’re gone. Real talk.
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“Take it easy” — words to live by … Dr. Tuft.
Johnny Pohlmann
Vail and George Town, Cayman Islands