On the recordMarch 2, 2010
on a happier note, I see the distinguished Senator from Vermont, Senator Sanders, on the floor today. I want to congratulate the Vermonters who represented our country at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The Olympics themselves were exciting. I know Marcelle and I watched hours and hours of them. But we watched especially, obviously, when we saw some of these young Vermonters. These athletes carry on a long tradition of Vermonters participating in the Winter Olympics. Hundreds of Vermonters have competed in the 21 Winter Olympiads, and it is no secret that Vermont produces great winter sports athletes, thanks to our northern climate, beautiful rugged terrain, and also a healthy sports industry. After all, the first ski lift in the United States was a rope tow built in the town of Woodstock. I remember what a thrill it was when then-President Gerald Ford told me that the first ski lift he was on was on that ski lift in Woodstock. It is a nice memory of a wonderful person, President Gerald Ford. Thanks to Jake Burton Carpenter and his wife Donna, Vermont is the cradle of snowboarding and it is now a central Olympic event. The Carpenters have worked so hard to make this a real sport, and they have. Our schools in ski areas have hosted dozens of international snowboarding, Alpine, and Nordic ski competitions. Many Vermonters have won medals at the Winter Olympics over the years.
