Profile Story

When Gary Lane first got accepted to the University of Maine in January of 2009 he never thought he would become a participant in the University’s Alpine Race Team. He claims that he is “just average” right now, but his performances have steadily increased since the beginning of the season.

Gary started skiing when he was nine years old with the sole expectation of having fun. He is still having fun but now he is doing it as a part of a team. He said, “When the opportunity came, I had to take advantage.” Although his skill level has dramatically improved, little else seemed to change. When he was a young boy growing up in Groveland, Massachusetts, the nearest major ski resorts were about two hours from his house; he is in pretty much the same situation in Orono as far as driving goes.

As well as being a part of the team, he is also a member of the University’s Ski Club, and the Maine Outing Club. Even with all of these different activities, Gary still managed to earn a 3.0 grade-point-average for the first semester of his freshman year.

Gary’s next race will be at 9:30am this Saturday at Hermon Mountain. It’s just a short drive from campus which will be “a nice change of pace” because his previous races have all been at least an hour away. He’s not too concerned with how well he will do in the race, he said that he was “nervous at first, but [he’s] now becoming more at ease with the pressure”; he also believes that the future is “wide open with possibilities.”