Volunteer in red boots
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By the time Olympic downhill skiers streak past Brent Stout they will be nothing more than a multi-color blur in a tight tuck position.
Bishop of the Hughson Ward, Turlock California Stake, he is one of many volunteers chosen by the Salt Lake Organizing Committee to help groom the icy course. Stationed about 20 seconds from the finish line — just below the Muzzle Loader Jump and just before the spectaular Slingshot, the steepest and most dramatic hill on the trail — Bishop Stout will have a breathtaking, split-second glimpse of the best skiers in the world.
As an almond farmer living near Modesto, Calif., and president of the Roberts Ferry School Board, Bishop Stout didn't volunteer for the Olympics because he didn't consider himself an expert skier.
But his wife, Nancy, did. So when she completed entry forms two years ago for herself and her mother, she filled out an application for him, noting his proficiency in Spanish and as a skier.
To his surprise, Bishop Stout was selected while his wife was not.
As a member of the five-man section crew, Bishop Stout will help prepare the course for races by using hand tools and by side-slipping down the course on skis. Other chores include hauling a roll of fencing material in one hand down the mountain while lugging a drill in the other.
"I'll be the one in red boots," he said. "If you see me on TV, then I've done something wrong."
