The purpose of the phrase "carpe diem" is to remind us to make the most of the present moment. It is a philosophy...a way of thinking...a lifestyle. I gained perspective on the importance of "carpe diem" after my son's rare lung disease left our family no choice but to move from the soaring peaks of Colorado to sea level because he couldn't live at the altitude. Even though the peaks in New England were smaller & the number of ski-able days was more than halved, it made me no less of the skier or the person that I Am. I realized that you can take the man from the slope but not the slope from the man. And so...a new phrase was coined & the CARPE SKIEM philosophy was born. I created Carpe Skiem to remind me that skiing wasn't just something I did. It is something I am. It is what I make it.