Five Reasons

I almost gave up skiing a few years ago because of sore knees. Last year I decided to give it one more try and by some miracle I was once again able to ski all day without any knee pain. This year Ian and I bought discount passes to Brighton and The Canyons and I have been loving my time on the slopes. With my renewed love of the sport I have been thinking a lot about why I love skiing so much:

1. I was NEVER good at team sports. I always wanted to be but no matter how hard I tried I was uncoordinated and I never really felt like I could get in a groove with the rest of the team. The only parts of recreational skiing that could be considered team-like are keeping track of the people you are skiing with and not crashing into other people who are skiing/ riding near you. I don't have to coordinate with anyone else to enjoy skiing or to excel at it.

2. Snowboarding. There are still plenty of skiers that complain about "those darn kids" but without the invention of snowboarding, skiing wouldn't be the sport it is today. Snowboards were the first snow-riding tool to be widely available with a parabolic shape which makes turning and carving a piece of cake. I also think that skiing as a sport is a lot more playful and fun because snowboarders showed skiers how use the new ski shape to do something other than ski from the top of the mountain to the bottom.

3. Skiing is a family activity that never seems to outgrow your family. I've seen plenty of surly teens loping behind their families at zoos, museums etc. but I have never seen a teen unhappy to be skiing or snowboarding, even if they are stuck with their family for the entire day.

4. Freedom. I don't think I ever feel as free and light and when I am sliding down the mountain on a sunny, beautiful day. Skiing is euphoria.

5. All the little details of a ski day: the smell of sunscreen on a cold day, face so cold you can't move your lips, the smell of the grill on the ski lodge patio, meeting new people on the lift, finding a sweet spot of untouched powder . . .

"Gravity is love and every turn is a leap of faith." ~Author Unknown