Local Color
Photography: Dan Campbell
Ernest Oriente
This dad, husband, business coach, athletic fanatic, mentor and community supporter likes to talk about champagne personalities, but his is the bubbliest of all.
Getting in Shape I was a sickly kid born in New Jersey — pneumonia, oxygen tents, the whole thing. My family moved us to Florida when I was 5 so my lungs could get healthier. By age 7, I’d become one of the top 20 runners in the nation for my age group. In middle school, I took up tennis. We didn’t belong to a tennis club, so my brothers and I played over a speed bump in the road. When a car would come by, we’d have to move out of the way. I played on a state championship tennis team in high school. We won every year.
Coaching When I read about business coaching in 1995, it was like the world stopped moving. Oh my God, I thought, I’ll do that for the rest of my life. I love my work, my clients, I love helping them succeed.
Community Father Bob founded Niños on Skis 10 years ago. I’ve been involved for nine and have been director for seven. My mother is from Puerto Rico. I speak Spanish. I’m on the board of the People’s Health Clinic. By living in Park City, we all know that we have a Hispanic culture in this community that’s living on a lower income scale. So living in a world-class resort, these children see the mountains every day and have never skied. So it’s about being a compassionate citizen. Park City Mountain Resort provides the kids equipment, lift tickets, lessons and we have English-speaking families ski with these children. I love to share my passion for skiing with my own family (wife Patricia, Gabriel, 17, Alexandra, 9 and Thomas, 7) and now these extended Hispanic families.
Measuring Up It’s a very simple principle: what you measure is what improves, personally or professionally. I’ve kept track of my workouts every day for 12 years. I write it like I’m in third grade on a simple piece of lined paper. I put what I did (skiing, cross-country skiing, tennis, speed skating, punching bag), how many minutes I did it. I share it with my business partner. Then there’s an element of accountability, and therefore we’re more apt to accomplish our goals and dreams. It makes me work out. I don’t want to put a zero on the page and have to send it to her.
Modus Operandi Have high standards. Give and give again. Be extremely generous with your time, thoughts and ideas. Always have fun. Really love the work you’re doing, no matter what it is. Take time to be with the ones you love and be certain to tell them you love them. Be present in your life. Try to live each day as though it could be your last. Look to share a smile, a handshake, reach out to those around you. Do random acts of kindness — from the simple act of picking up dropped keys to seeing an old person having dinner by themselves and just picking up the tab. Don’t go through life so focused on your own navel that you miss those opportunities.
Sarah Hendrickson
This 14-year old Park City native is the second-youngest woman ever to be named to the U.S. Ski Team. She lights up international competition as one of the top junior Nordic ski jumpers in the world and illuminates our hearts with her plucky spirit.
In the Genes I’ve been skiing since I was 2. My mom (Nancy) works for the National Sports Foundation. My dad (Bill) was a competitive Nordic jumper in New Hampshire when he was a teenager, and my brother Nick (17) is a Nordic combined athlete. I always had to go to his events and got sick of watching, so I decided to try it, too.
Off the Top I’ve been training at the Utah Olympic Park since I was 7. We start off really small from a jump that’s five meters — so the takeoff’s only about two feet tall. You just build up and up and up. It barely even fazes you. If it’s too windy, my coach might not let me go off. I’m 4’10” and weigh 77 pounds.
On Her Mind When I’m standing at the top of the jump, I usually think just about what my coach has been telling me and just what I’ve been working on in my training. Sometimes I try to block out the crowds or the other jumpers just to concentrate. Sometimes I think uh-oh!!
Go Big I love flying through the air — the thrill after I land feels like I’ve accomplished something. I like going up to bigger jumps and jumping new hills. All of the jumps have different feelings. There’s different air — thick air — thin air, depending on the altitude. The biggest jump I’ve done is the K120 in Park City. Anything bigger than 140 is called a ski flying hill — they don’t allow them in the U.S.
Seeing the World So far I’ve been to Germany, Poland and Canada. I love competing, but my other favorite part is hanging out with all of the older girls and rooming together. It’s such a great experience. I was part of a U.S. team that got third in Germany last spring. That was a really good memory standing on the podium in my first Continental Cup with my teammates.
Bad Days A bad day is if I get nervous and try too hard. In this sport you have to be relaxed. My good competitions are when I’m just having fun. Then I do a lot better.
Growing Up In Park City I just love the outdoors, there are so many sports to do here. I love skiing and I love winter. I play left-mid for the Park City Soccer Club. I like to mountain bike and road bike, telemark ski and ride my unicycle around the neighborhood. I like hanging out with my friends.
Outlook on Life Just reach for your dreams and the decisions that you make will hopefully contribute to making those dreams come true. My mom teaches me to put a smile on my face even if it’s not the best day or the best competition I’ve ever had. Because that’s how people look at you. It’s not what you did in the competition, but what kind of person you are.
Mary Flinn Ware
Kids’ Mountain School Manager at Park City Mountain Resort
Mya Frantti
Children’s Program Manager at Deer Valley Resort
Kathy Monniger
Children’s Program Supervisor at The Canyons Resort
Caring for 500 to 1,000 children a day during ski season, these angels of patience, these goddesses of guidance, these nannies of nurturing use caring and humor to keep our kids safe and invite them to fall in love with winter recreation.
Job Requirements You have to be able to stop a kid, parent or ski instructor from crying. You have to be able to multi-task. And you have to be flexible. You can go from rocking a baby to teaching mogul skiing, all in one hour. You have to have a love of people and an appreciation of different personalities. You have to understand parental concerns, like allergic reactions. Hint: Oreo cookies are peanut-free AND kosher. Who knew?
Extreme Requests Can you locate my child on the mountain right now? We need to catch a plane in two hours. My kid’s potty trained, but he’s afraid of the toilet, so here’s his potty seat. Can our secret service people ski with the class?
Bad Days When you hear this over the radio: “Code Brown.” Or “10-poo-hundred.” The day one child had a hand down his pants and pulled out a pile of poop, while another was projectile vomiting something purple just as a new parent came in to check out our day care. You have to be nonchalant about it.
Good Days It makes it all worthwhile when the kid says, “Mommy, I want to come back tomorrow.” Or “You made our vacation” — especially for first-time ski vacationers. When you have staff members come in at the end of the day and tell you they love their jobs. Or when a parent says, “I need to sign up for lessons now because my kid skis so much better than I do.”
Industry Innovations Detachable quad chairlifts — the slower speeds for getting on and off the lift really help. Magic Carpets are so much easier than rope tows. Ski vests with handles on the backs.
Advice for parents The key to a successful vacation experience is planning ahead. Sometimes our lessons and child care sell out. Think of it like a plane reservation — if you don’t make it ahead of time, you’re not going to fly. Let your kids ski at their own pace. It’s about safety, fun and learning, in that order. Let the kids be kids.
Job Satisfaction If the kids come back safe and had a great day, then we’ve done our job.
Jess Reid
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his real estate business, this adventure seeking Alabaman came to Park City in 1978 when there were no stop lights, no Deer Valley, and Main Street was a partial ghost town.
Reputation Because my name’s on the side of a building in town, people think I’m some dead guy. I need to get out more.
Before Real Estate From Alabama to Sun Valley, New Orleans, Lake Tahoe and Acapulco, I was a room service waiter, bartender, dishwasher, lifeguard, and worked in ship yards and casinos. I was a caretaker of 75 horses in Sun Valley. Being a cowboy wasn’t quite what I thought it would be. I didn’t like mucking out stalls and working irrigation ditches — it just wasn’t as romantic as the Lonesome Dove hero pushing cattle across the West. I’ve solved all of that in my old age. Now I ride for fun. I go on the wild buffalo roundup on Antelope Island. I indulge my cowboy self there.
His Mom’s Words You’re always into something. You’re a nice boy; you just get into trouble a lot.
Community I’ve been on the boards of the Chamber/Bureau, Utah Travel Council, was co-chairman of the All American Cities committee (I think we lost to Detroit or something because they said we were too happy), worked with a really dedicated group of people to put on golf tournaments that raised $40,000 - $60,000 a year for the American Cancer Society and Huntsman Cancer Institute, have served on Rotary forever, and for nine years have run the Interact Club with 80 high school kids. They volunteer at the Running of the Balls event down Main Street to raise money for cancer research, and they participate in humanitarian missions to Mexico. They’re great kids.
Family I coached my three boys, Jason (32), Matthew (27) and Kevin (24) through baseball, soccer, basketball and football. There was no rec department then. Jess Reid Real Estate sponsored the teams and the Booster Club, which put lights up at Dozier Field. I’d still like to see us get a scoreboard out there …
Business I’m proud of my company. We started it when the town was 70 percent owned by banks. Seems like it comes full circle! I’m still homegrown and independent — not a faceless corporation or franchise — that’s what Park City is all about.
Goals Living in the moment more. Being happy. Standing on my own two feet. Giving back. Seeking balance.
Spare Time Skiing, lots of hiking, a little mountain biking, riding horses, reading and traveling. My dog, Gus. His real name is Augustus McCrae (from Lonesome Dove) Reid. He’s the biggest black lab I’ve ever had.
Park City Today I don’t like the traffic. But I don’t think we’ve screwed it up too badly. The open space, creating all of the trails — that’s been great. There’s still a sense of community here that hasn’t gone away. It’s safe; there’s clean air. Everyone wants to live here.
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Reader Comments:
I taught Sarah Hendrickson when she was in fifth grade. She was such a mature, well-mannered, and humble young lady then. I am so proud of how she has developed into an even more incredible young adult! I know she will inspire many other children to reach their goals! Thanks for the positive reminder of another outstanding Park City student!