Kicking it up a notch from last week’s first snowshoeing adventure, I had my first (of seven total) ski lesson this afternoon!
Skiing is one of the many activities I had always wanted to learn and this year, I figured that since I wasn’t getting any younger, I might as well give it a go now.
Since I knew that ski lessons tend to sell out quickly, I registered back in November during Thanksgiving weekend. I wanted to make sure that I would have a really good grasp on skiing, so I decided to purchase a seven-lesson package structured with two-hour classes every Sunday beginning January 10. This gave me plenty of time to accumulate the gear I would need to be ready on the first day of class.
Not wanting to be the only adult hitting the bunny slopes amidst a sea of toddlers, I asked another skiing newbie friend to join me. Luckily, she said yes. Next up was securing the season ski pass. Being registered with a ski school allowed me to use their student discount which took a little of the sting out of the rapidly accumulating costs. And this was just to have access to the mountain!
It was then that I remembered why I had delayed learning to ski in the past; the upfront cost of skiing was not a thrifty venture. Undeterred, however, I approached it the same way I do with any unfamiliar undertaking – heading over to my good friend Google. After a couple of hours of research, I had a basic idea of what gear I needed to get out on the slopes. As with everything, I kept the commitment I always have towards maintaining my aesthetic no matter what I’m doing or where I’m doing it. A small fortune later, I was rewarded with having found a few relatively attractive ski outfits and accompanying coordinated safety gear.
No matter what it is, my philosophy is this: If I don’t look good doing it, I’m not going to feel good doing it. Some call it vanity, but I view it as personal expression. My love for being put together runs too deep to be abandoned, no matter what the occasion or activity.
Now that the day had arrived, I was practically vibrating with excitement and nervousness. It’s a wonderful mixture of emotions that usually only occurs once something that I’ve been dreaming about doing for a while finally happens. At that moment, everything seems a bit surreal because it’s hard to believe it’s finally happening.
I quickly gathered all my gear and met my friend outside, who had graciously agreed to shuffle us to and from ski lessons for the next few weeks. The drive there was much more smooth than last week’s snowshoeing trip – there was no rain or snow and the skies were mostly clear. A perfect day for learning how to ski for the first time.
Once we arrived at the parking lot, it was apparent that a lot of other people also thought the weather was perfect for some alpine activity. We were finally able to find a spot, but it was quite a distance from the main lodge and the ski schools. This wouldn’t have been an issue if I had been walking in snow boots, but trekking across a snow-covered parking lot in heavy ski boots while carrying poles, skis, and helmet turned what should have been a five-minute walk into a 12-minute hike.
Fortunately, we had scoped out where our ski school was located a few weeks beforehand when we picked up our seasonal ski, boot, and pole rentals which made navigating to the starting area a breeze. Finding our names on the board, we walked over to the sign with our class number to wait for our instructor. Turns out, we were a solid 30 minutes early. Even better, it would just be the two of us in our class for the next seven weeks.
With just a couple of other student groups still waiting for their instructor twenty-five minutes later, we barely noticed when ours walked over to us. We exchanged introductions and made our way to the bunny slope. Having over 35 years of experience as an instructor at the same ski school, Charlie had a calm, grandfatherly demeanor. The exact personality and calm teaching style that two thirty-something first-time skiers needed to feel more relaxed.
Trying to ignore the expert level four-year-olds whizzing around me, I listened over the next two hours as Charlie taught us the foundations of skiing. He walked us through putting on the skis, methods to climb a hill (sideways was by far the easiest), how to turn, measuring speed, and using pressure to flow down the slope.
It was a rough start at first. I could barely figure out how to turn around on flat ground, let alone change direction while in motion. But before I knew it, I got into the rhythm of climbing halfway up the hill and then gliding down while practicing staying in control and turning my skis to essentially carve downhill before coming to a stop.
The first hour or so, I was so concerned with not falling that I didn’t allow my body to lead me in the direction the skis were taking me. Once it clicked that leaning into the momentum was the best way to control speed and direction, I started enjoying it a lot more.
I was by no means a graceful skier, but my initial jerky and hesitant movements eventually transformed into less stilted and more pliable motions. I could sense that this feeling was just a little taste of what drew people to love skiing and I was hooked.
Although I didn’t quite make it to the magic carpet for my first day on the bunny slopes, I would say that getting into a mindful headspace that allowed me to intuitively move with the skis made a huge difference in my ability over the course of the two hours. Being forced to stay in the moment (due to how foreign of a motion skiing is) was such a welcome reminder that going from moment to moment on autopilot causes me to miss out on the beauty of my surroundings.
The color of the snow reflecting from the intermittent sunlight, the way the mist hung just above the tree line on the snow-covered mountain, and the fresh, brisk alpine air all helped to make the experience a more sensory and fulfilling one.
Exhausted, slightly achy, out of breath, and sweating heavily, I felt renewed and such satisfaction from having tackled something that, only two hours ago, had seemed nigh impossible. Aligning my mind and body to learn a new skill was just the reset I needed to feel ready to tackle the week ahead.
I can’t wait to attend next week’s lesson to see what else I learn and find out what I’m capable of doing with this newfound love of skiing.
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