Members of the Transformer Tailgaters came together Saturday at Blue Mountain Ski Resort to honor longtime tele skier Ernie Miller. Miller, who passed away in October, loved tele skiing at the resort. His friends saw it fitting to remember him on his 68th birthday with free tele skiing lessons for anyone willing to give it a try.

The Tailgaters set up camp for the Ernie Miller/Telemark Day under a canopy at the edge of a ski slope next to Valley First Aid. Banners and flags designated the spot, and some of Miller's favorite tunes filled the air. The Tailgaters wore knit hats with Ernie's motto "Free the Heel" stitched onto it, and the resort's mascot stopped in to greet visitors. Patrons were offered hot chocolate or lip balm provided by the resort and an opportunity to snap on a pair of tele skis. There was also a drawing for four lift tickets and four snowtubing tickets, also provided by the resort."We've had a lot of interest," said Denise Strohl, a Tailgater member.This was the first time the Tailgaters ever organized an event like this. "We're just kind of winging it, but the resort hopes it becomes a tradition," she said.Miller was a regular at Blue Mountain, and his girlfriend Kathy Seufert said he enjoyed skiing there more than anywhere else, even out west."This was very friendly for him," she said. "He didn't need to go out west to find adventure."Miller was a very fluid skier, Seufert said. So many people just sail down the slope, but not Miller. He glided smoothly, doing turns down the slope. His knees would graze the snow, wearing holes in his pants. He'd cover the holes with duct tape, she said. He took a more leisurely glide.It wasn't always the case though, Seufert said. When Miller was introduced to tele skiing, he hated it.Miller used to repair X-ray machines and CT scanners, Seufert said. When he was in his 30s, three X-ray technicians invited him to try tele skiing. He did and wanted to quit."He was taking lessons with a group of girls and didn't want to quit with them there," she said.By the third day, he was catching on to it and never looked back.Tele skiing has been around a long time, long before Alpine skiing. With tele skiing, only the toe of the ski boot is attached to the ski, Strohl said. The heel is left loose. In Alpine skiing, both the toe and heel are locked into the ski.Although cold, the event had plenty of sunshine and blue skies. The free tele skiing lessons were provided from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and by noon, the Tailgaters had already provided lessons to numerous people. The day was filled with lots of laughs and smiles, just the way Miller would have loved it.Tailgater member Cindy Miklos said her favorite memory of Miller was of him just being him."It's just that he's always here," she said as tears began to form in her eyes. "He's always smiling, one ear to the other ear."The Transformer Tailgaters continue on with someone skiing at Blue Mountain every day. They are now an official group with about 100 members, Miklos said. If anyone wishes to tailgate with them, then bring something to cook and follow the smell of the grills, she said.