Bittersweet patrollers to work Games

OTSEGO, Mich. (WOOD) - Six ski patrollers from Bittersweet Ski Resort will head to the Vancouver Olympics next week to work at the Winter Games.

They will serve as volunteers -- even paying their own travel expenses to Vancouver.

"It's a lot of hard work, but it's satisfying and at the end of the day when the race runs successfully, you know you've done your part of it," said Jim Mahaney, one of the ski patrolers.

The Bittersweet workers were selected individually to perform various tasks at the games.

For example, Dan Navis will work on the ski patrol staff for spectator care at Cypress Mountain and Randy Schmucker will serve as a gate judge for men's alpine skiing,

Some of them have done it before, but others are newcomers.

"Last time, we had four from (Bittersweet) go, and this year, two of us are going back and four more new ones are coming with us," Navis said Monday.

Although the experience will be unforgettable, the team knows it will be hard work, too.

"Behind the scenes everyday, we're working on the course, putting up fences (and) maintaining those fences," Mahaney said. "(And) we're scraping the snow off because the course has to be all ice."

Added Bill Cleair: "You get all those people there and the intensity of everybody that's interested in skiing is just beyond belief."