A real Apres Ski icon, Wayne Wong.

Posted on January 28, 2008 by ApresSki

Wayne Wong is the first of many famous or otherwise interesting skiers who’s story we will share with you at http://www.aapreski.com. Nominations are welcome.

wayne-wong.jpg

Signature Move “The Wong Banger” (circa 1972): Glen Plake describes it as wriggling through the bumps “in full wheelie mode”.

“For me, it was never about trying to prove that I was the best. It was about sharing the joy and excitement. It was about entertaining people while showing the possibilities of what can be done on skis. Most importantly, skiing is about camaraderie and family,” Wayne says. http://www.liquidmoonsports.com/stories53.htm

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27 Responses

  1. Brian amento, on February 5, 2009 at 12:05 pm said:

    would like to get in touch with Wayne. He taught me how to do a Wong Banger at Toni Sailer Summer Ski Camp. Would love to get in touch with him. If you have an e-mail address of his, could you forward mine?

    Reply
  2. David Levaton, on March 26, 2009 at 11:59 pm said:

    I would love to reach him also, went to Toni’s camp too, he was a great guy and instructor.

    Reply
    • Julie Tortolani, on September 9, 2009 at 2:32 pm said:

      Hey I went to Toni Sailer’s Summer Ski Camp too, from 1980-1984.
      We we over lap?
      I’d love to get in touch with Wayne too. If you guy’s ever got his email address let me know. I loved being coached by him and Floyd Wilkie. They were great guys. I wish them well.

      Julie
      jtortolani@yahoo.com

      Reply
  3. godro, on March 27, 2009 at 12:30 pm said:

    Spent this week with Wayne in Reno….here’s his goods….wongway@charter.net

    Reply
  4. Greg 'SUMO' Lee, on April 1, 2009 at 8:28 pm said:

    Hi everybody…

    Wonger is being inducted into the hall of fame in two weeks!

    Good times at the Summer Camp!

    Reply
    • Stephanie (Bell) Stanford, on November 16, 2009 at 3:32 pm said:

      GREG LEE??? It’s your old pal from Seattle! Also a Toni Sailor alum! Do you remember us trouble makers, Kayley, Khaki, Shannon, Kristina, And me?!!
      How are you? What is new. Great to read about Wayne. Do you keep in touch with anyone else? Skippy?
      Hope you’re well.
      Stephanie

      Reply
      • Brian Gilmore, on November 18, 2009 at 6:40 pm said:

        Hi Stephanie,

        If you haven’t already, please consider joining the Toni Sailer/Dave Murray Camp Facebook group. Greg is quite active on this site and it’s been a great place to share memories. Skippy is on the site too though I new him as Mark when we were both kids at camp late 70’s, early 90’s. Be sure to pass the group site info to any other alums.

        Brian
        http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=58631807585

      • Greg 'SUMO' Lee, on December 9, 2009 at 1:21 pm said:

        I’m glad you found the Summer Camp site my penguin!

  5. Greg 'SUMO' Lee, on April 14, 2009 at 5:02 pm said:

    Hi Brian…

    Greg “SUMO” Lee here…

    Wayne’s being inducted into the Hall of Fame Thursday – Floyd Wilkie and I are going!!!

    Hope you’re well…

    Reply
    • Brian Gilmore, on May 27, 2009 at 12:37 am said:

      Nice to see Toni Sailor alums and instructors on this thread! Those summers (’78-’82) hold great memories. I always hoped there could have been some type of reunion and I’ve lost touch with everyone but a friend from Vancouver. I’ve started a group on face book. Hope more will join. I have a handfull of pics (not posted) including Greg, Floyd, and Wayne.

      Wayne Wong and the dream of doing a front flip was the reason I ventured from MI as a Jr. High kid to attend camp. Hot Doggin’ was all I thought about since I first saw it at Cannonsburg Ski area around 1972. Wayne was such a nice guy and I appreciate the time he took to advance my skiing. I remember the thrill of him skiing/coaching me down the moguls thinking this is the guy on the poster in bedroom and we’re bashing moguls together. Very generous, down to earth guy considering his celebrity status.

      Floyd quickly became a mentor and I remember his encouragement and guidance coaching me for my first front flip and all the time I spent hanging out and doing aeriels at his station at the jumps. Greg, I remember trying a session of racing and you playfully giving me a hard time being a hot dogger. Often had to throw a tip roll at the bottom of a run to show my alliance to the “doggers.”

      I sure do miss those days and would love to reconnect. Greg (if you are still following this thread) I don’t know if you would remember me but I’d like you to know and thank you guys for making it an amazing experience for a bunch of kids those early summer days on the glacier. Please pass on a hi and thank you to Floyd and Wayne if you get the chance. I’d sure like to take another run down the glacier with you guys.

      Here’s the link to the Toni Sailor Summer Ski Camp Group. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=58631807585

      Reply
    • Brian Amento, on June 2, 2009 at 11:12 pm said:

      hey you have any info on Floyd or George Askevold?

      Reply
      • apresski, on June 3, 2009 at 4:01 pm said:

        I don’t but if you want to send me something to post I would be happy to. I’d just keep the answers private and pass them along. Thanks for checking us out. Any suggestions?

        A

      • larry younger, on October 20, 2009 at 10:09 am said:

        george lives in waterville valley and works at rogers ski shop. floyd owns hes a tree removel shop in thorton new hampshire

  6. Pirsey, on April 22, 2009 at 1:56 am said:

    My friend on Facebook shared this link and I’m not dissapointed at all that I came here.

    Reply
  7. Greg 'SUMO' Lee, on June 18, 2009 at 7:25 pm said:

    Brian has done a GREAT job reuniting the Summer Ski Camp campers and coaches form the 70s through the 90s!!!! Thanks Brian! Those were GLORY years my young buck – GLORY YEARS INDEED!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  8. Greg 'SUMO' Lee, on June 20, 2009 at 7:24 pm said:

    Floyd and George both still live in Waterville Valley…

    Floyd has a big tree company and George (who has gotten a little larger!), operates a tour boat on the big lake south of the Valley. Floyd and I were in Ottawa for Wonger’s Hall of Fame induction in April…

    Floyd doesn’t ski anymore…. Neither does George!!!

    Reply
    • larry younger, on October 20, 2009 at 10:21 am said:

      george is a boarder i know i have skied with him many times

      Reply
    • larry younger, on October 20, 2009 at 10:24 am said:

      is this greg smith?

      Reply
    • Ray, on January 30, 2010 at 9:45 am said:

      I attended the camp in the early 70’s. I remember that we stayed in a condo complex at a lake. The setting was beautiful and every day Wayne would sail his little boat that his was given to him by his sponsor, K2. Dose anyone remember the name or location of that lake? I’ve always wanted to go back.It’s very sad that Toni has passed. I remember the slalom race on the last day of camp he went down the run with a cigarette in one hand, and was still unbelievably fast. He was a great guy.

      Reply
      • Brian, on January 30, 2010 at 9:15 pm said:

        Hi Ray, We stayed at Adventures West. I believe on Alta Lake (though there was a Green Lake too). I remember when I was there in the late 70’s that we ate at the Keg right on the condo site. Great memories from those days. If you do the facebook thing we have a group page. The whole area has been so developed that it’s hard to recognize much. Amazing we had the place to ourselves before Blackcomb.

  9. Greg 'SUMO' Lee, on August 27, 2009 at 7:24 pm said:

    Very sad news from Monday night (August 24th) – our old friend, the BLITZ FROM KITZ, Toni Sailer passed away in Austria.

    He was my great friend, my mentor and, when I was in Europe, life was always easy because Toni let everybody know that I was his guest and I was to be treated as such.

    I will miss Toni so much.

    And, so will all those who had the great fortune to attend the Toni Sailer Summer Ski Camp in Whistler in the 70’s and early 80’s.

    Goodbye old friend.

    The world (and, The Sumo) will miss you!

    Reply
  10. roger moxley, on February 15, 2011 at 1:04 am said:

    with great regreats i must tell you all that greg passed away feb 14 2011 after a day of skiing . may sumo’ s spirit live forever moxz

    Reply
  11. curtis christian, on February 15, 2011 at 3:34 pm said:

    sad to hear the passing of greg lee.will always remember the tequila sunrise parties and his dh suit what a dog! ski deep big guy spanky

    Reply
  12. Alex Douglas, on September 1, 2011 at 6:29 pm said:

    Hi: Axel here, Camper in 1972, Couseller in 1973, missed 2 years and then was with the camp 1976 to 1993 I think. Brian Gilmore has done a great job in getting the face foob site up, but this is also good. Whistler is coming up to it’s 50th year in about 3 to 4 years and I hope by then that maybe we’ll have enough OLD FARTS, on these sites that we can have a reunion up at Whistler, Sort of a fun Ski Week in April with a special day set aside for TSSSC & DMSSC memories. Also it unfortunate but Greg Lee’s passing kind of reminded me that we’re all a little bit older and it’s nice to remeber your friends. So let keep in touch. I still have a lot of photo’s. I start my 36th season working at Mt. Seymour here in North Vancouver. By the way it was Camp Director Allen White who showed me this site.

    Reply
  13. Steve Smedley, on June 12, 2012 at 2:58 pm said:

    I was at the camp in 78 and remember it all vividly. Great people. Sumo, WW, NG and TS. After raising a famliy I have been back teaching and coaching in Huronia for the last 6 years. Very sad to hear about Sumo…RIP

    Reply

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