1.) It’s good exercise, especially in the winter when you’re shut up and more inactive
2.) It gives you an excuse to get outside
3.) The thrill of moving fast but under control.
4.) when I lived in Salt Lake the temperature inversion would frequently trap clouds over the Salt Lake Valley for days or even weeks, during wjhich time you wouldn’t see the sun. Skiing offered you a chance to get above the clouds and see the sun and blue sky.
5.) Not to mention spectaculat views of those craggy mountains (something I miss here in the East, where I look down on what looks like lowlands covered in matchsticks)
– But not “the thrill of death”. I never got the feeling that I was in danger of serious injury, and wouldn’t have enjoyed myself if I did. This recent case is only the latest in a series of skiing fatalities that utterly amaze me – remember Sonny Bono?
If I thought skiing was dangerous, I wouldn’t drag my daughter out in it.
:: Many thanks. I’ve never worked up the nerve to try a snowboard, but one of these days. [hijack] Do you go over to upstate New York, where my BIL says the hills’re bitchin’, or are there some good runs by Columbus?[/hijack]
It is one of my current dreams to ski here when I turn 60… (I need to work up to it again to make it a worthwhile experience. Besides, by then the kids will be 23 and 20, and they can join us.)
Not really. My favorite memory of cross-country skiing? Seeing a Great Snowy Owl sitting in a tree, minding its own business.
I’ve done both–cross-country and downhill, and hated the amount of time I spent struggling to stand up when downhill skiing. OK, so the day I remember most for falling and struggling to stand was when my sixth grade class went skiing for the day as a field trip at a local downhill ski area. I think that says something about the anticipated amount of danger–it was unremarkable for classes of sixth graders to be hauled to a ski area, fitted with rental skis, given a brief lesson and set loose on the slopes for a day of fun.
I’ve not skied recently, mostly through laziness–and because downhill skiing is expensive.
There is also a social aspect of it too. I did a ski house a couple years with a bunch of friends. It’s just fun driving up to the mountain, spend the weekend skiiing during the day and going out to the clubs and bars at night.
Not necessarily. As I said earlier, I don’t ski anymore except for some x-country.
The worst fall I have ever taken was on x-country skis. I was coming out after a winter camping trip. Downhill on a tight hiking trail.
I got going faster, and faster and was trying to hold on but the trail had become icy. Trees on both sides, no way to turn out of it. I got all off balance and did a face plant with a 55 pound pack on my back.
Heh, that’s probably true for me too, enipla, and in your backyard. Telemarking off the top of Mt. Massive took a terrible fall and ripped the bindings right out of one ski. Had to continue down through deep powder on one leg with the destroyed ski strapped to a heavy pack. Good times!
Have also had to get stitches in my face (caught an edge), had a concussion and dislocated a shoulder. And as Eureka mentions, it’s getting expensive. Breck ran us $96/day this year.
Man… I can’t wait to get back up! What’s not to love?
Went with the swimming trunks and Hawaiian shirt. On problem was that it started to snow – but then snow is never a problem. Should be a lot of fun for the the weekend.
If I lived in an area where I could do any real skiing in I would learn. My one and only attempt locally was not pleasant and not repeated. I spent more time going down on my back than on the ski’s. When I noticed that the employees would migrate toward me every time I got off the lift I figured it was time to call it a day.
Skiing is a pain to learn, but fun to master. When luck is had and a powder day is there for the taking, you feel as if you are floating through the snow, all is graceful and easy. When the pow is not there, you test the speed of your feet in the moguls and hope to navigate the slope without falling.
Injuries are minimal as long as skiers restrict themselves to the runs that they should be on for thier skill level. Every area that I have been too has a range of terrain that offers just the right amount of challenge for everyone so that no skier has to be in over their head and feeling out of control.
I just picked a guy up at Edinburgh airport today - there were 2 flights in from Geneva at around the same time. They seemed to be predominately ski flights, most people were dragging skis behind them in boxes. Comical collection of injuries - I counted four people in wheelchairs with busted legs, one guy on crutches and I think 3 with arms in slings. All were middle-aged. I guess a lot of British people don’t ski that frequently* and are more prone to a maladjustment on the slopes.
I’ve never done any winter sports, but think skiing looks awesome. I do a lot of moutain biking and can easily see the appeal, similar in a lot of ways. You can’t do everything, though, so I’m happy to remain un-skied. I have a young baby - maybe when he’s older I’ll get into skiing with him. We have an artificial slope here in Edinburgh, quite a large one, that is meant to run really excellent, fun courses for kids.
Uk skiers used to have the Scottish slopes to go to, but the ski industry here is on its arse. A combination of cheap air travel and warmer winters has decimated what was once a fairly popular destination for winter sports.
I don’t know if the agreement is the same elsewhere, but here in Canada, the Equity agreement specifically forbids Equity members (Actors, Opera Singers, Dancers, Musical Theatre Singers/Actors/Dancers - essentially live stage performers of all types) from participating in dangerous sports. Included in the list is skiing - there was apparently quite a run of opera singers working in both Calgary and Vancouver who hadn’t been skiing in 30 years who would head out to Banff or up to Whistler and injure themselves attempting trails way beyond their capabilities. They’d get back to the company in a wheelchair or on crutches and have to be replaced on short notice - a huge pain in the ass for all concerned.
A fellow from Scotland threatened to throw me off a lift. Actually, he threatened to kill me, explained that he had been trained to do just this several different ways with his bare hands, and then threatened to throw me off the lift. He certainly had a unique and interesting sense of humour.
I’ve been home for a couple of hours from another very enjoyable day on the slopes. No falls, sprains, breaks, or concussions, but I must admit that there was some mud on my shoes from the parking lot, and I cut my finger on my ski’s edge. Fortunately, I survived that. I hear my neighbour’s hot tub calling me, so ta for now.
I’ve tried skiing a few times, and I’m such a klutz that basically I never got beyond the lesson stage. Just being able to stand upright on the skis takes a whole day! I think I have a phobia of falling, as well, which doesn’t help.
We had firm conditions that never really corned up, and the trees were loud and scratchy, but everyone had a good time. Gotta love trying to do synchronized tele turns with 60 people who’d rarely skied together and had 1 run to practice.
: Many thanks. I’ve never worked up the nerve to try a snowboard, but one of these days. [hijack] Do you go over to upstate New York, where my BIL says the hills’re bitchin’, or are there some good runs by Columbus?[/hijack]
I think I have a phobia of falling, as well, which doesn’t help.