'Big' Dave Martens honored for 45 years of service to Ski Bowl

Triple Dog Brewing Company played host to this year's Pray for Snow event, put on by the volunteers who run the Bear Paw Ski Bowl who also took the opportunity to honor "Big" Dave Martens for his 45 years of service to the ski bowl and the National Ski Patrol.

National Ski Patrol Chief Outdoor Emergency Care Instructor Byron Ophus said Martens has been a constant and positive presence at the Ski Bowl as a volunteer, hill manager and primary lift operator.

"In all the years I've been involved I can count on one hand the number of times Dave has not been there on an open ski day," Ophus said. " ... No child was spared his jests; 'hey snot nose,' or 'is that a booger?' No cookie within his reach was safe."

He talked about Martens' tireless work over the last 45 years to keep the place running, as well as remarking on his entertaining ski reports on the radio and his signature call to people to get skiing: "Raccoon the eyes, rack up the boards, rack up some runs, rack up some fun, and ski knee deep cheap at the steep and deep."

Ophus said Martens' contributions to the ski bowl have been vital, and he fully deserves the recognition paid to him by his peers in the NSP.

"It's not hyperbole to say that none of this would have been possible without the dedication of 'Big' Dave Martens," he said.

Amid the cheers for him that night Martens said, "It's not just me," a sentiment he repeated in an interview after the presentation.

"I'm just one man and all these guys contribute," he said pointing to everyone at the event. "I'm just a little spoke in a big wheel, I've just been around for all this time."

He said the fact that the ski bowl exists is thanks to all the people who've worked there, volunteering their time.

"Havre's one of 15 towns in the state of Montana that has a ski area, and we're on the prairie, we're on the bald-ass prairie, we're not in the big mountains," Martens said, "So we're very fortunate to have all these volunteers to keep that place going."

He also thanked the Chippewa Cree Tribe, which owns and operates the ski bowl, for their generosity and time.

"If it wasn't for them there wouldn't be a ski area," he said. " ... It's a gift from them to the community."

Martens said he fully intends to keep volunteering and still enjoys all of his time there.

As for this year, he said the area needs about 15 more inches of snow to reach ideal ski conditions, but that's about normal for this time of year.