48 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM If you’re a ski buff growing up on the Peninsula, winter rain means just one thing: snow in Tahoe! That’s what Menlo Park’s Gary Hohl remembers most about his childhood. When the wet stuff began to fall, it wouldn’t be long before his family loaded up the car. “Growing up, it was a station-wagon-baggedlunch kind of thing, when a lift ticket cost $12 and a season pass was a whop- {due west} ping $125,” smiles Gary, as he describes frequent Highway 80 trips up to the High Sierra. Back in the ’70s and ’80s, hitting the slopes was a fashionbackwards kind of activity, he reminisces, where you could throw on whatever winter-ish clothes you could toss together. Frequently, it was a carefully Scotchguarded pair of jeans paired with a hand-me-down sweatshirt for the annual rite of spring skiing. In addition to flying down the mountain in his favorite Levi’s, Gary’s favorite memory is the uninterrupted time he spent with his parents, and more recently, the precious time he’s had with his own spouse and two sons, all because of skiing. “Skiing or boarding is one of the only times you can find yourself alone with your child,” notes Gary, who reflects how rare that is today, especially quality time that’s free of devices. “Some of the best conversations I’ve ever had with my family were on a chairlift. Even now, I ski with my kids more than anyone else. It’s a lifelong bond.” It’s no stretch to say that Gary Hohl is an expert on the subject of local snow sports. Raised in Burlingame, he started skiing at the age of nine. Then, after EQUIPMENT hit the slopes words by CHRISTINA EWING
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