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Ethan Jensen, a 3-year-old skier from Hailey, went big at Dollar Mountain on Sunday morning, ripping 18 laps on the magic carpet.
“I ski fast,” Jensen said Sunday evening as he recovered from a big day of vert. “I like hot chocolate.”
Jensen said he hadn’t planned on pushing himself so hard, but the snow was soft, the sky was blue and he was feeling good.
“I was in the sone,” he said, as his mom corrected him that it’s actually “the zone,” not “the sone.”
“Yeah,” he said. “The sone.”
Jensen has now skied three days at Dollar Mountain. This is his first season on skis. He said he plans to ride the chairlift to the top next time.
“It’s scary, but I can do it,” he said.
After his marathon ski sesh, Jensen retired to Dollar Lodge, where he thoroughly indulged in après, ordering french fries and a hot cocoa — topped with a towering heap of whipped cream.
Jensen eventually ordered a second cup and while it didn’t come with another whipped-cream mountain, it did include extra marshmallows.
Jensen hadn’t quite finished that second cocoa when his eyelids began to sag with exhaustion. That’s when his mom sprang into action, collecting his gloves, helmet, goggles, jacket, buff, skis and poles to schlep back to the car.
“I was kinda tired,” Jensen said, a dark ring of chocolate around his lips. “I ski like Ryder Starset.”
His mom corrected him that it’s actually Ryder Sarchett — a Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation veteran and member of the U.S. Olympic alpine ski team competing in this year’s Milan-Cortina Games. (GO RYDER!!!)
“Yeah,” a sleepy Jensen replied. “Ryder Starset.”
Once Jensen was buckled into his car seat, his battle with sleep came to a swift end.
He instantly passed out.
