Denis Germain: Daffy Downhill
Skiing
Denis
Germain, 33, a firefighter with Ladder Company 2, spent
his working hours in the canyons of Midtown Manhattan and
his free time on the slopes. He was a ski instructor at
Sterling Forest, near Tuxedo, N.Y., where he trained high
school racing teams. He skied the Rockies on department
trips. And he was indispensable at the annual downhill
race at Hunter Mountain, which pits firehouses against
one another.
Teams of five people grab hold of a 50-foot fire hose
and spread out across the trail. The goal is to ski
together without letting go, falling, or otherwise
messing up. No, they are not allowed to use ski poles.
Yes, there are other skiers sharing the snow. Depending
on the firefighters' finesse, the spectacle can be either
mildly funny or completely hilarious. "The hoses in many
cases would cross and guys would go head over heels down
the mountain," Lt. Neil Skow said. But not Firefighter
Germain: "Denis was always one of the better skiers we
had."
His other specialty at Ladder 2 was starting enormous
debates in the fire house kitchen with politically
incorrect statements he was sure would set people off. As
the argument heated up, he would slip away. "He loved
what he did," said his brother Brian, a firefighter in
Harlem.
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