I know what you’re thinking. It’s early in the season — very early. You’re the only person in your circle who is even considering going skiing; the rest of them are still playing golf and hoping the warm weather holds. But not you. You’re raring to go. You hear the hillwinds swirling, you smell … [Read more...]
Skiers need to stop moping and think of summer differently
One of the great life lessons I learned comes from an aphorism involving another winter sport. It goes like this: You learn to ice skate in the summer. That does not mean that all of us skiers should rush to Ham Arena in Conway, N.H., this summer, though the cool air inside may provide some … [Read more...]
Why spring skiing? Because that’s what we do
Finally towards spring there was the great glacier run, smooth and straight, forever straight if our legs could hold it, our ankles locked, we running so low, leaning into the speed, dropping forever and forever in the silent hiss of the crisp powder. It was better than any flying or anything else, … [Read more...]
Playing favorites when it comes to skiing is easy … or, is it?
GRAPE! I'm gonna get grape, or cherry. They're both... favorites, so either one is good, but if they have both, I'll get grape, because grape is a little more favorite. But if they don't have grape, it's like, alright, it’s fine, cause cherry's (my) favorite anyway. It's like another favorite, but … [Read more...]
Confessions from a first tracks enthusiast
The other day, I wheeled into my favorite ski area, unloaded my equipment, showed my vaccination record, and had a happy revelation: I was only the second person in the lodge. There’s no place I’d rather be than at a ski area — and no place I’d rather be than at the front, or maybe within the … [Read more...]
Let’s not dilute the purity of skiing for attracting a new crowd
The Guardian, the liberal British newspaper, is not ordinarily known as a leading chronicler of the ski life. But the paper recently presented a sobering report about the state of our winter sport. “What was once a young person’s sport,’’ the Guardian reported, “is now owned by the baby boomer … [Read more...]