That Time I Thought I could Ski
Looking back, I never should've attempted the black diamond. As a kid you are limber, all sorts of flexible and you have no fear. It ended up giving me a false sense of confidence for the rest of my life.
I mean, I did it at one of the most gorgeous well-known slopes (Lake Tahoe), wore jeans (we didn't really plan on skiing that day), and because the ski instructor was so good and the bunny slope long and gentle, by the end of the day we graduated to blue trails and finally to end the day with a bang, took the Zephyr Express all the way to the top, Tahoe's highest base elevation.
After looking down at a stretcher rescue and falling getting off the lift 😳 - I pizza wedged it most of the way down. But it was exhilarating and that day etched in my mind forever more.
Fast forward many years and I found myself taking the kids skiing. You should learn, it's fun, it's beautiful. Not sure why I haven't been back, given how much I loved it (maybe too much practicing? haha 😏 ) but I wanted to give the kids the same exhilarating, confidence-building experience I had.
Ahem, my observations.
1) Yes it's absolutely freaking gorgeous. The drive, the ooo's ahh's and hey look up put your phone down and look at these mountains.
2) Everything is wrangling. The layers, the ski pants, the boots. Did I mention the boots?
3) The magic carpet people mover thingy isn't very magical. Terrifying instead. Kids, be careful, don't twist around, stay still.
4) How is it that, seriously, you can be so hot and freezing at the same time?!
5) It's painful. You're leaning into boots that dig into your shins and calves and supposedly come off if somehow you end up fall and the ski + your leg get twisted up.
But I also noticed a couple more things.
⛷️ Speaking of leaning, you have to lean into your turns in a way that doesn't seem intuitive at first. You're essentially doing a set of switchbacks down the mountain and to do so you're turning but on the leg you really don't want to put your full weight into.
So there's a biggggg element of trust there. You don't have to understand physics, but it absolutely works. You're working WITH the skis and snow, not against it.
Lean into the turn and you get a beautiful curve.
⛷️ You must learn to slip and slide and lose control. I hate this part. I want to be in control! But it's a big part of skiing. To love skiing, you have to deal with / be fine with / love this part.
It's a lot like performing.
There are times when you feel out of control. You might slip but then you get traction again. You look down further at the hill below you, see the contours, set your path, feel it out and adjust. You learn how to slip and slide, knowing each performance will be different than the last.
And it's a lot like learning something. There's a lot of stumbling around in the dark. As Seth Godin says
"While we're doing it it's easy to imagine that those around us are completely sure of themselves, moving forward in a well-lit space. In fact, if you visit a growing company, a useful school, or anywhere that growth is happening, you'll quickly see that everyone is stumbling forward in the shadows. That's part of the deal."
So. In your own practice and performing, strap on your boots, lean into your turns, be ok with the slips and enjoy the scenery.
Cheering for you,
Ixi
p.s. for more ski fun, this gal is hilarious
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