Hovland, Neustel show young skiers the way

A couple of seasoned skiers served as forerunners for the kids’ downhill ski races this past Sunday at Chester Bowl in Duluth.

While more than 90 young skiers with racing bibs waited at the bottom of the hill, George Hovland, 85, and Wes Neustel, 91, carved their way down the hill as forerunners for the race.

Wes Neustel (left) and George Hovland

The idea was that of Thom Storm, executive director of the Chester Bowl Improvement Association, who happened to be talking to Hovland a couple of days before the race.

“George said he had never skied at Chester Bowl since the chairlift had been installed, only back in the rope-tow days,” Storm said. “And I said, ‘How about we get Wes?’”

The deal was on.

Both men grew up ski jumping at Chester Bowl. Neustel went on to become an icon in Duluth’s downhill skiing and started the first ski shop in town. He owned the Ski Hut in Duluth for many years and still hosts an annual ski trip to Montana. Last Sunday’s race was sponsored by the Ski Hut.

Hovland became a Nordic combined skier, which blends the disciplines of jumping and cross-country skiing. He competed in the 1952 Olympics in Oslo, Norway. He has cross-country skied competitively throughout his life and now owns Snowflake Nordic ski center in Duluth.

The forerunners were a crowd-pleaser, Storm said.

“The whole thing was a lot of fun,” he said.

Hovland may returning a couple of weeks to serve as a forerunner for the next race, Storm said. Neustel won’t be able to make it. He’ll be skiing in Montana.