[Sport-Like Activities] Skiing Part 1

 

Today I went skiing for the first time.  Yes, my first time at 28.  When I was in high school, I didn't know anyone who skied or else didn't know that they did.  In college, I was always saving my pennies to pay my delinquent tuition in time to register for the next semester, so I always passed when my sorority sisters hit the slopes.  Since I've been out of school, I've not gone because everyone but the mister and I are practically experts...except 2!  That's right.  We finally found out that one of our friends had never skied before and that another (her husband) was relatively inexperienced.  How awesome!  So off to the little ski park we all went!

A few things about skiing:

1. The flying down the hill part is particularly awesome.
2. Falling is nearly as awesome. :)  I always end up sliding almost like in softball, so it doesn't actually hurt at all, but the slide lasts longer on the snow than it ever did in the dirt.
3. I fall a lot! 
4. Skis are bulky and awkward to move in unless heading down the hill. 
5. I am very much left-leg dominant, so much so that I naturally turn right when I try to stop.
6. Lessons taught me one thing- how to unhook a boot to get up.   I really shouldn't have done the training, because I have x amount of total force I can put sideways on my knee for a given time, and I had to keep climbing half-way up the hill sideways.*
7. Going fast is really fun.  I'd rather make french fries and slide to the ground at the end then go slowly making pizza.
8. The number one problem that I had was that there were people everywhere and I was afraid I'd hit them, so I mostly stayed over by the trees where there are fewer people.  The trees and I are friends.  :)

After the adventure and some food with friends, the mister and I hit a ski store, because he thought he might enjoy the short skis and wanted to ask some questions.  The first store was kind of unhelpful.  They showed some short skates and told us there was nothing to know- that they were all the same, and then seemed done with us.  No problem- but no interest in buying there, certainly.  There was another shop that we'd passed a couple of times, Peak Ski and Snowboard Center, where we stopped on the way home and met a man named, "Hammer,"  Yes, "Hammer."  The nickname that I want. (I blame Sports Night for making me realize its greatness)  And so, the mister and I talked to Hammer for the next 30 minutes.  About everything ski-related.  And snow-board related. Long story short, next year I am renting 130's and a snowboard for the season and the mister is going to rent 130s.  I want to be able to grab a pair of skis and head down the mountain if I'm in a Bond-style chase, but I really think I would like snowboarding better.  It's bonus that most of the snowboarding trauma is to the top half of the body.   Plus, I've never face-planted the way the snowboarders seemed to and I think I need that before I die.

In general, it was a great experience to determine our interest level in future trips to proper ski resorts, but resulted in two boring posts. :-P Oh well.


*I made a separate post below explaining my cranky knee, because I've actually explained the whole story 3 times in the past few months and almost did again (mercifully,  my friend asked a very specific question that didn't take the whole epic to answer. :-P).