Thanks for A Long and Great Run, Jesse!

After 12 years we are saying, "Good-bye" to one of our best....or are we? Seems he just can't stay away.

What can I say about Jesse Cassidy? Frankly, there's a lot to say about this young man. When he came to us, he was a 20-year-old UNR student from Alaska. Why UNR? It's about as close as you can get to Squaw Valley and still earn a college degree. Why Granite Chief? To be honest, the shop is almost halfway between the school and skiing.

Jesse, at twenty didn't have much experience with tuning. He was eager to learn, and a passionate skier, so I hired him. That turned out to be one of my best moves. Jesse had some great mentors, Josh Benge, and Sean Carey. He took to ski tuning, repairs, binding mounts, and waxing like a natural. When Josh moved on to the world cup, young Jesse stepped into the leadership role.

As Jesse's skills grew, he earned a tuning spot with the US Ski Team. I remember when he broke the news, I had mixed feelings. First, I was so happy for him. He had worked hard and deserved this job. My next rush was one of, oh, oh, there goes my top guy! I knew Jesse ran a tight ship in the back shop. I was confident he had a well-trained staff. The transition was smooth.

His experience with the ski team gained him even more expertise, and new relationships in the ski world. But after the season, he realized the constant packing up and moving wasn't for him. He knew Truckee was home. Much to our delight, he was back, sharing his further insight into race tuning with his staff.

During the summers, Jesse worked with the Truckee Land Trust, building and maintaining trails. The Land Trust saw the same qualities and work ethic that we saw. Damn, if they didn't offer him a full-time, year-round job. That's the way it works, the great ones are in demand.

Typical Jesse, last winter, he worked full time for Truckee Land Trust, and part-time with Granite Chief. He told me, don't worry, Herb, I got this covered. He spent many evenings training the crew, making sure the machines were in good working order, and following up on the quality of work. That's Jesse in a nutshell.

But there's more, even though his protégé, Garrett Gledhill, will be running the show, Jesse will still be pulling shifts, and filling in when needed. He really ENJOYS TUNING!!!

During Jesse's 12 years at Granite Chief, he has built a strong, and reliable team of ski tuners. Under his guidance, the tuning from our back shop has always been top-tier. He is a pro and never once left us hanging.

Thank you, Mr. Cassidy.

While you are here, check out this video of Jesse sharing some of his expertise: