For many of us, this is our first experience with skiing. Although skiing on on'es own is pehaps the purest way to get in touch with the sport and passion of skiing, the group ski trip is an experience not to be missed - and, it is soulful in its own way.
The soul of the group ski trip comes not from the actual performance of the sport, but from the camaraderie and bonding that takes place on, but primarily off the hill. The sharing of a sport accross ability levels lends itself to interaction and the cumlative group vibe in the ski house at the end of the day is cingular in its ability to bring together groups of people who enjoy having fun.
11.24.2006
11.16.2006
Solo Skiing
I have found that one of the most soulful skiing experiences is skiing on your own. Although I enjoy skiing with others (and the benefits of that type of ski experience will be the subject of my next post), skiing on your own is a deeply meaningful experience. No one to impress, no one to fall behind, no one to hold you back. Just you one-on-one with the mountain.
I find that the alternation between single minded focus on skiing your best and the time spent either alone on the chair or meeting like minded chair-mates is a unique dichotomy that allows for getting in touch with yourself in a world where that is increasingly difficult to do without distraction. I do some of my best thinking when on a solo ski trip and have met some great friends that way as well. After all, skiing is at its core a solitary activity.
11.09.2006
As an assignment for a course in e-commerce, I have been asked to publish a blog dealing with something I am passionate about. I recalled an article in Ski Magazine I read last year (turns out it was in the August 2005 issue and it was two articles instead of 1) regarding the "soul of skiing" and, more or less, whether or not it was alive, dead or somwhere in the middle. The article "Soul of Skiing" describes the author's (Jackson Hogen) introduction to skiing and how skiing was more a journey of self discovery and actualization "comprised of desitnations, of special places that ignite and sustain a lifelong love affair with sliding on snow."
I immediately and vividly remembered my introduction to skiing at Waterville Valley in New Hampshire. It's not the biggest mountain, not the steepest, but it has, well, soul. It had a j-bar and a t-bar, at least when I was there. No magic carpets or detachable lifts.
It had friendly lifties, like the one that saved my fingers when I somehow snuck out of the lodge to try and ski in 10 dgree weather without my gloves.
It was chock full of 50+ year olds on Hexcel 210's that could rip.
The lodges and the buildings were quaint but serviceable with real fires. I grew up a lot on the mountain in the three trips we took there over three years. And, I didn't just leanr to ski - I learned to love to ski.
Since then, I have skied in a lot of different places. Some had soul and now don't. Since Intrawest bought my home hill, Vernon Valley Great George in New Jersey, Its better in every meaningful way - snow making, snow quality uphill capacity, etc. But somehow, it doesn't seem like the same place that had the rickety old red and blue painted wood chairlifts. Others never had soul - love the terrain and features of the Canyons, but the constant construction, forced base villiage and relentless timeshare sales pitches do tend to limit the soul quotient.
So, this blog, through a few posts and hopefully some comments form a reader or two, will explore the "soul of skiing." I hope you find it interesting and post a few of your own stories and thoughts.
I immediately and vividly remembered my introduction to skiing at Waterville Valley in New Hampshire. It's not the biggest mountain, not the steepest, but it has, well, soul. It had a j-bar and a t-bar, at least when I was there. No magic carpets or detachable lifts.
It had friendly lifties, like the one that saved my fingers when I somehow snuck out of the lodge to try and ski in 10 dgree weather without my gloves.
It was chock full of 50+ year olds on Hexcel 210's that could rip.
The lodges and the buildings were quaint but serviceable with real fires. I grew up a lot on the mountain in the three trips we took there over three years. And, I didn't just leanr to ski - I learned to love to ski.
Since then, I have skied in a lot of different places. Some had soul and now don't. Since Intrawest bought my home hill, Vernon Valley Great George in New Jersey, Its better in every meaningful way - snow making, snow quality uphill capacity, etc. But somehow, it doesn't seem like the same place that had the rickety old red and blue painted wood chairlifts. Others never had soul - love the terrain and features of the Canyons, but the constant construction, forced base villiage and relentless timeshare sales pitches do tend to limit the soul quotient.
So, this blog, through a few posts and hopefully some comments form a reader or two, will explore the "soul of skiing." I hope you find it interesting and post a few of your own stories and thoughts.
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