I’ve never been skiing (or had any particular desire to in all honesty) but people I know who ski can’t get enough of it. What exactly is the appeal? The reason I ask is the danger element- is that a part of it?
Natasha Richardson is probably going to die due from a skiing accident (one thought relatively minor at first). Sonny Bono and Michael Kennedy were killed within days of each other, Michel Trudeau the same year, and all of them were experienced skiers (not in the professional sense but in the novice at least). Hank Williams Jr. was almost killed in a skiing accident (his brain was exposed), Flip Wilson and Raquel Welch and Lucille Ball and quite a few other celebrities all had less major but still bone breaking accidents while skiing, a former co-worker (not a close friend but someone I knew on a “to speak to” basis) was killed in an avalanche while skiing a few years ago, and as few recreational skiers as I know two have broken bones in accidents.
I don’t at all state that it should be illegalized or anything like that, but I’m just honestly curious: when it seems so dangerous (moreso than horseback riding, parachuting, or even car racing)what’s the appeal that makes it worth the risk? Is it an adrenoline rush, does it feel really great while you’re doing it, or is it the atmosphere, or… what exactly?
(Please notice this isn’t a rant: I’m not calling skiers stupid or anything like, I’m just wondering what makes it worth the risk.)
Well, I came to skiing relatively late, and I’m kicking myself that I didn’t try it sooner. It’s the most fun you can have standing up. I have no athletic talent, and I’m a coward when it comes to physical derring-do… but I love skiing. Part of it is just being up in the mountains, the incredible scenery, the opportunity to mildly exert yourself and then have a few beers and a nice lunch at the top of a mountain, which is the best kind of lunch ever invented.
But there’s also the sheer fun of whizzing around on snow, and mastering these strange new skills. There aren’t many other activities in which you can travel at those speeds in a controlled manner, without (a) any mechanical aids and (b) severe risk of death, current sad developments notwithstanding. It’s just great fun.
Maybe it gives you a feeling of mastery over nature and all that. I do know that I can ski down slopes steeper than any I could comfortably walk down.
It would help tremendously if you would tell us whether you enjoy, or at least understand, sports such as skateboarding, surfing, and motorcycling which also involve moving yourself around in an unusual way which requires a bit of skill.
I love skiing although it has been years since I’ve done it. Like any sport or activity, it has its risks, but I don’t think much greater than anything else. On a bike you could get hit by a car or just take a bad spill and scrape the crap out of your side. Horseback riding, considering you can’t know always what the horse will do or how it will react, I think is more dangerous. Hell I could get killed in a pillow fight if you really let it get out of control.
Avalanches are of no concern to the average skier. Most skiing resorts and lodges are on mountains and slopes that curtail the risk of avalanches by using several techniques. Also, the runs are labeled according to skill, so unless you are skiing outside your our capacity, you shouldn’t be hurt. If you go off trail, off the marked slopes, onto runs you are not qualified for (black diamonds and such), or are skiing in the wilderness (where avalanches do happen), then of course, harm is definitely around the corner - but this is not untrue of any activity.
I’ve being skiing on water and snow most of my life, and of the two (while both are thrilling), snow skiing is the best. You are not tethered to a boat. You can go, stop, slalom, go fast, slow, sight see, race, do a trick, change runs for added difficulty, etc. The speed, the sights, the “me against nature without a vehicle between us” kind of thing.
Plus, everyone looks good in ski clothes. No the same can be said about biker shorts or swim gear.
And nothing beats a cup of cocoa or a nice bowl of chili after a long day of skiing.
I’ve enjoyed skiing (though I haven’t had the opportunity in the last few years), and trust me, the danger is not its appeal. I’m a big wuss and I’d never do any activity that had a big chance of causing me pain. Or to be precise, I’d never do any activity where frequent minor injuries and pain are to be expected, like mountain biking. (A slim chance of a major injury is different - that accompanies almost any activity, including driving.)
I think the main appeal is the technical challenge of negotiating a difficult terrain without losing control. There is some adrenaline rush factor, but it’s not a major part. Ski slopes are designed to be interesting and challenging, and not designed for maximum speed.
You should check your facts concerning the severe injury and death rates for in-bounds lift area skiing when skiers wear helmets. You’ll be very hard pressed to conclude that it is a dangerous sport.
I went [del]cartwheeling down the side of mountains[/del] skiing a few times when I was younger and loved it. Then I had to take on slopes that were beyond my skill level. You’ve heard of “Footprints in the sand”? Try, “Faceprints in the snow.”
Yeah, you get outta control and hit a tree and I can well believe it would kill you. But even mild slopes are fun.
When I was a kid growing up in Illinois, we used to do something we called “bobbing.” When the road is covered with slippery snow/ice, you grab onto the back bumper of a friend’s car. The driver pulls you along at 15-20 mph and because you’re so close to the ground, it seems like you’re going a million. Wipeouts? Not so much fun.
First of all, it’s not dangerous. Well, it can be as dangerous as you make it. Skiing in control on slopes that you are comfortable with is not any more risky than riding a bicycle really.
Secondly, the bonding with nature is incredible. Whether you’re standing on top of a mountain or meandering through groomed trails and taking in the scenery: it can be spectacular.
Thirdly, gravity does most of the work and all you need to do is stay in control and enjoy the experience. Not that you don’t exert a lot of energy skiing or anything, but it’s more a “muscles you haven’t used in a while” thing versus a cardiovascular workout.
And another thing, if you live in a cold climate and there’s bugger all else to do in the winter, skiing is one of a few ways to get out of the house and do someting before cabin fever sets in.
ETA: And a cold beer (or 6) with a warm bowl of chili afterwards is superb.)
It depends on where you ski (for example, at my hill, only a very few people do not wear helmets). Overall, they are not the norm yet, but a very significant portion of skiers wear them, and the numbers are growing. Unfortunately, new and occasional skiers have the lowest rates of use, but helmets are being heavily promoted by the PSIA/CSIA. Note, however, that in the worst of falls, a helmet is not much use.
Not dull when you slap on your cross country slippers and ultra-lightweight cross country skis, and ski down a lift area black daimond. (I cross-country up the abandoned ski hill that I live at, then ski across the top of a mesa to the ski hill that I ski at, so I get to ski down the lift area slopes in my cross country skiis for my first and last runs. It’s better than sex.)
It’s the fast-paced rush, and the exhileration of extending your normal body capabilities - going faster, jumping higher, turning quicker. Being in control but on the edge of out of control.
(I cross-country up the abandoned ski hill that I live at, then ski across the top of a mesa to the ski hill that I ski at, so I get to ski down the lift area slopes in my cross country skiis for my first and last runs. It’s better than sex.)