Where's Air Force One when you need it?

Where’s Air Force One when you need it?One moment you’re hobnobbing with the leader of the free world and the next you’re sleeping on the airport floor (insert Tom DeLay joke here.) Six CU skiers who had attended the Lutsen Spring Series races in Minnesota before heading to Washington for the team’s April 6 visit with President Bush at the White House endured quite a change of fortune when they missed their flight out of Washington Dulles Airport later that night, only a few hours after rubbing shoulders with the president.

Lesley Lemasurier, Lucie Zikova, Miles Cooke, Sabrina Mocellin, Jonas Kryzl and Jean Francois Ferreira found that not only would they be spending a little extra time in Washington, but also that flights to Denver were booked for the next few WEEKS. Following three hours with customer service, and a nourishing dinner consisting of two bags of beef jerky, Gatorade, M&Ms and trail mix, the group settled in for a long night at the airport. Too tired and ‘financially challenged’ to find a hotel, the Buffaloes set up camp between baggage carousels 2 and 3.

(Lest you think the crew wasn’t thinking on their toes, they did think of calling in a favor from Buffs fan No.1, but G.W. must have been in a bad reception area. ‘He didn’t pick up his cell’ joked Lemasurier.)

After narrowly avoiding disaster when the floor-polishing machine made its early morning rounds and surviving a cramp-inducing night spent using bags as pillows, the crew awoke about 6 a.m. to curious onlookers puzzled by the new live-animal display at the airport. Camera shutters occasionally clicked as amused early morning travelers documented the bleary-eyed Buffaloes. (Apparently national champion ski team members are something of an endangered species in the Washington area.)

Two days after their day in the sun at the White House, the weary travelers finally returned home safely. ‘It was no fun at the time’ said Lemasurier upon finally making it back to Boulder, ‘but now … two days after the fact, it is somewhat amusing.’