Hi there, my name is Lawrence (Larry} Keister
I was born in February 1945 at Akron, Ohio. This explains my not being able to get past the COSTCO exit without stopping to smell the Goodyear s. Actually it was the smell of rubber in the morning that led my family to move to a small farm in northeastern Ohio, where I thrived in the hay and oats until heading off to college in the fall of 1963. I graduated from Mount Union College in June 1967 with a BS degree, and was drafted 11 days later to Vietnam. I managed to out-maneuver the Army and served in the US Navy and National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration for over 21 years. I retired in 1989 at the rank of Commander.

So how does this relate to skiing? The Naval base on Puget Sound in Seattle had a ski bus that would take you to Snoqualmie (pronounced Snow Crummy) Pass for ski lessons. So my wife and I embarked on what would amount to a 25-year ski odyssey that took me from novice skier to ski instructor at Snoqualmie's Ski Acres, Stevens Pass, and now Schweitzer. I think my former career taught me the value of good training, which led me immediately to ski instruction. One of the best ways to learn a new skill is to teach it. I have worked hard at this sport and have achieved Level III certification in alpine skiing, as well as teaching Nordic, and Adaptive skiing. However, as it turns out, the biggest reward in teaching turned out to be the gratification of helping other skiers improve and enjoy this wonderful sport! I seem to have developed an addiction to teaching skiing.

This year marks my 12th season at Schweitzer and my 5th season as a Nice Turns Instructor.

Hope to meet you on the slopes!
Knowledge is power. Let's put some power into our skiing!

Larry Keister
208-265-5007
lekeister@verizon.net