Replying to MY SINCERE APOLOGIES

Please, take this only as a personal note:

I think we all have heard a version of this a time or two, “anyone can stand aside and criticize someone, but it takes a real person to stand up and admit that he is wrong.” Actually, it doesn’t make very good sense but please relate it to the following:

And damn was I wrong…

I owe Doug an enormous apology. I am whole-heartedly sorry for the things I posted in the regional forum and regret my decision to post them. To be honest, the comments I made and the consensus I agreed to do not represent my real opinion of Doug for any manner. I can say that those were the result of a very jealous person and were completely uncalled for.

It was wrong for me to say the things I did because they aren’t true. Doug is down for the Midwest and really does give a shit about our grassroots skiing community. We ski on enormous, beautifully crafted rails at least once a year thanks to Doug. We shred limos in parking lots during the summer thanks to Doug. We have rail jams in downtown Minneapolis thanks to Doug. Pinewski’s is your core ski shop thanks to Doug. Doug’s cause is legit and doesn’t come easy.

I don’t know why I said the things I did. I can honestly say I was there every step of the way with Doug. Before FreshTip Design was even conceived, I was there to watch the struggles Doug faced just to make it all happen for us. I even use to say that Doug had the worst luck in the world and that he was the most shit on person trying to do “good” for people. Hell, he sacrifices for a P.O.S. vehicle and doesn’t have a permanent home just to try and make these awesome events fun for us. He has worked hard for five years; there is no reason why anyone (including myself) should degrade his efforts.

If anyone were to read all the way through the threads, at the end of it you would probably perceive Doug to be a selfish bag of douche. He isn’t by any means; in fact I owe the industry position I am in today to him. I have worked with Doug for 8 years now and in that time; he has given me more opportunities than I can give him thanks for. Doug showed me what it meant to work “hard,” he hooked me up with sponsors and industry contacts and really made it so I could have a better ski life. He asked for nothing in return.

I have made a serious mistake, but mistakes are only mistakes if they happen more than once. I will not allow for something like this to happen again and it was a very shallow low for me at this point. Please learn a lesson from all of this… that talking shit gets you nowhere. Remember where you’re from, remember who you are and remember that the Midwest is a family. I am not sure if I’ll ever gain the respect back that I lost from Doug tonight, but I’ll tell you what… I took it for granted while I had it and now I miss it that it is gone.

Hopefully the saying, “time heals all wounds” is true. But I truly did Doug a disservice that he did not deserve. And in time, I hope I can still resurrect a cooperative relationship with him. Whoever you be and to anyone that reads this… help Doug support our cause by supporting him. Please be in attendance at all his local events.

Without wax,

Kyle

P.S. From this point and now into the future, this alias will only represent non-bias ski shop opinions, facts and details.

P.S.S. I’d also like to apologize to Reed. I did not realize whom we were speaking to discussing the online vs. brick/mortar issue. I am sorry, that too was uncalled for but yet again a very touchy topic.