Return to Park City

I was skiing in Utah, for the second time, with The New York Times ski club, although I had already left my job there earlier in the month to live in New Mexico. The weather was good some days, not so good on others, and on one of the not so good days we went shopping, when I found this ornament. I don’t remember traveling with the group on the way out. But I remember flying home with them, because we had to spend a night in Cleveland, courtesy of Continental Airlines, when bad weather forced the airports in New York to shut down. We checked into the hotel late and raced to the bar before it closed. To make the most of the little time left, we began drinking prairie fire shots. You fill a shot glass with tequila, add six drops of Tabasco sauce, and swirl the glass in hand before downing. The Tabasco whirls up like a flame (or like a red scarf swirling behind a flashy ice skater), and it burns all the way down.

Papier-mâché Park City, Utah, 1988 skater with red knit scarf

Acquired: March 9, 1988
Number: 0112

Size: 4.75 inches tall