I've had front-row seats to two Olympics — 1980 in Lake Placid and 2002 in Salt Lake City, which included watching the Americans win a gold in hockey in 1980. And I was fortunate enough to work on the 2002 Olympic book, said by many to be the best to come out of the Games, with Lee Benson and Tom Smart, two of the finest in journalism today.

I've covered World Cup and junior races in skiing, made turns on the slopes at all 14 ski areas, which would include Elk Meadows, and watched from a distance as small ski areas turned into world-class resorts.

Looking back, interviews I've enjoyed most include those with Jean-Claude Killy, Phil and Steve Mahre, Chris Everet and Picabo Street. The worst were interviews with John McEnroe and Tanner Hall, a participant in the wanna-be-sport of skier superpipe.

On a local level, the late Alf Engen and Dave Freed were great interviews not only because of what they had to say, but what each did for their respective sport — Engen in skiing and Freed in tennis.

I've flown on a parasail over Snowbird, ridden in a race car at Larry Miller's track, tried to match casts with fishing's best, starved for three days on a survival hike, looked for elk from the seat of a helicopter, watched bighorn rams butt heads, spent the night in a snowcave, flown in a kit over Willard Bay and followed Lake Powell through its highs and lows.

I could go on, but all things must end. I have, indeed, been lucky to have had the best job in the world, and luckier still to be able to continue in the role of a contributor, and have Utah as my source.

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E-mail: grass@desnews.com