Betsy Carlin ’87 — Skiing

She’s never been one to “leap off cliffs” on her downhill skis, but Betsy Carlin, sure loves to “go fast” on some of the steeper runs in Jackson Hole, Wy.

Carlin, who spends one day a week on the slopes, did what many other ski lovers have done. She moved to Jackson Hole, arguably one of the country’s greatest skiing spots. She was lured by the breathtaking scenery and the recreational opportunities that come with being so close to the Teton Range of the Rocky Mountains.

Family skiing vacations in the western U.S. as a child and a summer job after college as a horse packing outfitter in Lander, Wy. convinced her to relocate from her hometown of Columbus, Ohio.

Carlin loves her job as a child care center director and living at the base of the mountains. In summer, she rides her mountain bike on nearby trails.

“It’s fun and rewarding and keeps you in good shape,” she said.
Another benefit of living in Jackson Hole is that Carlin’s brother Ted, a Hobart graduate, visits and they either ski or go mountain biking.
“We have a great time,” she said.

Dr. Allen Verne ’66 — Climbing and Sailing

San Francisco Bay area retinal surgeon Dr. Allen Verne has climbed some of the world’s highest mountains — including Kilimanjaro, Mt. Blanc, the Matterhorn and Mt. Rainier — and has sailed around the globe.

His adventures have often involved great risk, but Verne is a stickler for safety and mental and physical preparation and he has learned to expect the unexpected — like when the wind grabbed him as he was rappelling down Grand Teton, furiously spinning him in
mid-air.

“It was the biggest rush and then, when it’s over, you just go ‘wow,’” he said.

Verne also sailed with friends around Cape Horn, confident in their navigational skills, but aware of the danger.

“It’s the equivalent of scaling Mt. Everest. It’s known to be the roughest area of the world to sail,” Verne said. “It was cold and wet and rough and miserable and for most of the trip there were gale-force winds.”

While the expedition lived up it to its ominous billing, he said it was breathtaking, especially sailing through the Straits of Magellan and into the Bay of Whales.

“The wind had died down, the sun was low on the horizon and there were a lot of whales. It was enormously enchanting,” he mused.
Maintaining humor amid adversity is essential. Once, the crew was unwinding by playing Scrabble when a powerful gust knocked the 50-foot schooner on its side. After righting it, the trio was concerned only about the score of the game.

“All in all it was a great adventure and I thanked my friends for giving me one of the best gifts — a memory that will last a lifetime,” Verne said.

Jen Hettler ’02 — Wakeskating

Jen Hettler’s career plans are still up in the air, but at 24 she’s certain of one thing. She wants to spend as much time as she can in Orlando, Fla. with her two feet planted firmly on a wakeskate.
“I did the office thing for two years and now I want to see where I can go with wakeskating,” said Hettler, who recently moved to Orlando, the state’s wakeboarding and wakeskating mecca.
She tends bar by night and wakeskates by day.

“You can’t make a living at this, so I want to do this while I’m young because it’s fun,” said Hettler, who described the increasingly popular sport as similar to skateboarding.

“But you do it behind a boat or a jet ski or even a truck that can pull you over as little as six inches of water. And instead of doing flips and springs like you do in wakeboarding, you do shuvits and varials like in skateboarding,’’ she explained. “Your feet aren’t attached to the board, but you wear skate shoes. It’s a new challenge for me.’’
Before being converted to wakeskating in 2003, the 2002 William Smith graduate made a respectable name for herself in amateur wakeboarding competitions in both New York and South Florida.
But her loyalty to wakeboarding, which she started at 14 at the family cottage on Silver Lake in Wyoming County, N.Y., quickly waned after she tried wakeskating.

“I was hooked,’’ she said.

And the risks involved?

“I wear a helmet because it is pretty risky,’’ Hettler said. “But it’s also very exciting.’’

Alex Preiser ’90 — Mountain Climbing

Some people might say mountain climbing during one’s lunch hour is a little extreme.

Not Alex Preiser. With so many climbing opportunities nearby, the Boulder, Co. attorney says he occasionally heads skyward during an extended lunch break.

Preiser discovered Boulder was an idyllic spot for climbers during a law school vacation. He moved there in 1995 after working with the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, D.C. for three years.

“I decided I needed to live out here. I didn’t like living in the city,” he said.

Now Preiser, wife Jody, daughter Sophia and two dogs live in a house that’s 9,000 feet above sea level.

With the grandeur of Rocky Mountain National Park only 50 feet away from their home, he says it’s the perfect spot for someone passionate about climbing and hiking.

Preiser, who trains “constantly” and enjoys mountain biking, rock climbing and back country skiing, has climbed most of the 14,000-plus-foot peaks in the United States, including 40 of the 54 in Colorado. His goal is to climb the tallest mountain on each continent.
So far, he’s summited Elbrus in Europe, Aconcagua in South America and plans to summit Mt. McKinley in Alaska this spring.

“Training, preparing for and climbing is very interesting and challenging,” he said. “And it’s great to be outside.’’

Michael Fudzinski ’96 — Triathlons

Before and after his work day as assistant director of alumni and alumnae relations at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Michael Fudzinski bikes, runs, swims or lifts — preparing for yet another triathlon like the Ironman Austria competition in July.

Fudzinski is a two-time Ironman USA finisher — swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 and running another 26.2 miles in Lake Placid. He thrives on the “incredible challenges” that accompany training for and competing in triathlons.

Fudzinski’s involvement in extreme sports began at 12 with snowboarding. His love of careening down Adirondack slopes eventually led, after college, to membership on the Airwalk National Snowboarding B Team and being photographed for magazines and ads. He also designed graphics for wakeboards and was events coordinator for the Olympic Regional Development Authority before returning to the Colleges in 2004.

Like snowboarding, Fudzinski’s career path has included exciting twists and turns. But he’s glad he chased his dream and happy he’s landed on his feet with a job in Geneva he really enjoys.

Alex Hamilton ’81 — Skiing and Climbing

Alex Hamilton has made many life and career choices based on his love of skiing and rock climbing.

At Hobart, he took a year off to ski and climb in Colorado. And with no immediate plans after graduating, Hamilton headed for Yosemite National Park. He spent the next four years bouncing between there and Telluride, Co., gymnastic rock climbing, vertical ice climbing and skiing every moment he wasn’t working.

After competing regionally, he realized he was not a good enough skier to turn pro. He became an expert climber, but understood that “these guys were literally living too far on the edge.”

After four years of playing, Hamilton thought he should become a sports medicine doctor. But after two years of pre-med studies, he couldn’t imagine another four years of school and a five-year residency.

So he shifted gears and got a job with Racquet Magazine, eventually becoming an editor. Later he worked for a computer magazine in Boston because he wanted to be close to good ski areas.

At 31, he married Leslie Benoliel, an expert skier and sister of a Hobart College friend. They moved to Philadelphia; today she heads a nonprofit that helps inner city entrepreneurs and Hamilton started his business, Computers & Communications Consulting Inc., which produces product marketing materials.

Working at home affords him extra time with his boys: Ben, 9, and Nigel, 5. Hamilton cherishes such things as accompanying Ben to his piano lesson.

Skiing is still a love, but not the all-consuming one it would have been had Hamilton chosen a different path.

“I gotta spend time with my boys,” he said.

One of the family’s favorite activities is skiing at Mad River Glen in Vermont, where they have a ski house.

“My goals haven’t changed,” he said. “I could work harder and make $200,000 a year. I do what I do to support my family and our skiing habit. We love it and we’re economically fortunate enough to live our life on our own terms. And I don’t forget how lucky I am.”

Dave Higgins ’74 — Skiing and Cycling

Dave Higgins’ favorite skiing has been on fresh powder in the trees at places like Zermatt, Switzerland, and closer to his Albany home at Jay Peak and Mad River Glen in Vermont.

A founding member of the Mad River Glen Cooperative, Higgins — who works for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation — skis about 35 days a year.

Though many people consider skiing in the trees dangerous, he doesn’t.

“Trees stand still,” he said. “The most fatalities are on groomed trails where people can go really fast.”

Higgins also enjoys the solitude and challenging terrain in the woods. And he’s learned some interesting life lessons skiing and cycling, which he also enjoys.

“Sometimes modern life can be very stressful and you often need rejuvenating — to get your batteries recharged,” Higgins said. “Just as in a computer when the memory tends to get clogged up and crash and you have to reboot it, you have to do the same when you are on mental overload. Skiing and cycling do that for me.”

Higgins has also enjoyed heli-skiing in a remote mountain area in British Columbia.

“It’s the ultimate back-country ski experience,” he said.

The most “extreme” thing he’s ever done was the “Hotter ’N Hell” 100-mile bike race in Wichita Falls, Texas. Higgins said the race tested his mettle.

“There were 9,000 people riding and it was 109 degrees at the finish,” he recalled. “The water stop areas had medical tents and cots with IVs hanging over them ... I finished OK, but I’m in no rush to do it again.”

Higgins enjoys cycling for charity. Each year, he joins thousands of others who ride across Massachusetts to benefit the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

“Last year $22 million was raised,” he said. “It’s a socially positive and productive way to enjoy the sport.”