ISLAND SKIER JAMES MARTINSSON SCALES NEW HEIGHTS
BY STEVE SHEPPARD INDEPENDENT SPORTS EDITOR
When last we spoke with James Martinsson, he was planning a winter of serious downhill skiing in the western United States, where he would reach speeds of 80-85 miles per hour.

MICHAEL GALVIN/The Independent

The Nantucket resident is one of an elite group of world-class downhill racers who ski for national rankings. At 51, he is no longer a candidate for Olympic consideration, but skis instead for the sense of accomplishment, the competition (often with much younger athletes) and the thrills.

His expertise is such that a month ago he was honored by being just one of two skiers from the U. S. invited to ski Farnham Glacier in British Columbia. "I am one of two Americans to ever ski on the glacier," he said last week.

Skiing down a glacier is not new to Martinsson; last year, for instance, he trained on a glacier at Hintertux, Austria, and he plans on returning there this fall. Being invited to Canada, however, underscores his prowess and stature in the world of skiing.

He was one of eight who braved Farnham Glacier from July 8 to July 16, with six of the group members of the Canadian national team who are preparing for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. The trip to the top of the glacier was rigorous in itself.

"We traveled three and a half hours up to the base of the mountain, then rode 40 miles on a dusty, dirty logging road," he said. "From there we hiked up for a mile and a half to base camp."

To get to the top of the 10,000 foot high glacier involved transportation aboard snowcats, a truck-sized, tracked vehicle made for traveling through snow. "We were up at 3:30 a.m. and on the snow at 5," he recalled. "We were flying down the glacier until 11, when the snow got too soft."

Martinsson and the other skiers repeated the process for eight days - up at 3:30 and in bed by 8 p.m. "It was amazing," he said. "I could not have missed this camp."

But he almost did. When he booked his plane ticket online, the reservation was made for a month earlier. Martinsson did not notice the mistake until the night before he was planning to leave. "I didn't look at the ticket until Friday, and I had to be there on Sunday." Many phone calls later, and after a scramble through several airports and waiting lists, he made it to British Columbia harried, but on time.

Despite the mixup, it was all worthwhile. "The glacier in Canada was steep, gnarly and the courses were very long," he said. "It really tested your strength."

Racing at full speed down a mile and a half long glacier run is a pastime for a select few. "First, you have to have the brass to want to go down a mountain at 70 miles per hour," Martinsson notes. "One of the skiers who was there said we descend faster than a jet plane coming in for a landing."

Martinsson is back working at his catering company, Avec Panache, but he is looking forward to another winter of world-class skiing. Being committed to such an endeavor requires a special dedication, and it helps that people are also committed to him. "My family and friends have been very, very supportive," Martinsson says. He is also very appreciative of those who sponsor his downhill pursuits. They know that Martinsson is a special athlete who puts in serious hours of preparation.

"When you're in the starting gate looking down the run, you know it's your training that has embellished any talent you may have," he said.

And you don't have to ask him what he might be getting from all this.

"To fly down the mountain and be just a ski edge from wiping out - it's a thrill," he says. "I'm still beating

guys who are 20 years old." I