Syd the Kid Remembers How to Ski

   So, here it is. The long awaited ski post.  I know you were so anxious to hear about it and waiting on the edge of your seat. Cue the picture of Syd bundled up on the lift. 

I fit right in

   Anyone familiar with Park City knows that Deer Valley is a pretty ritzy resort.  So, I fit in pretty well with my duct-taped snow pants (I burned a hole in them on the exhaust pipe of my old scooter), and my plastic neon sunglasses. Don't be jealous!  No wait...do. Because I still got to ski for free.    
   Let me start out by saying that,with the exception of a failed attempt at backcountry skiing two years ago, I have not skied in nine years.  And that was in Minnesota.  There are no mountains in Minnesota, just some big hills.  So, not only was I relearning the art of skiing, I was doing this on mountains.  Needless to say I was a little nervous when I jumped on that first lift at Deer Valley.  But hell, this was my adventure vacation (an adventure-cation if you will) and I was not going to let my nerves stop me!  Luckily, Cassidy is a ski instructor and a very patient friend.  And we started on the bunny hill.  I will say I was proud of myself for not falling when it came time to unload from the lift.  And hot damn, I had the biggest grin on my face when muscle memory kicked in and I realized that I remembered how to ski!  French fries, pizza slice...and that whole turning and stopping thing.  Apparently I passed the test, and we were on to bigger and better things!
    I was given a total of 20 times that I was allowed to fall throughout the day, and I was pretty certain I would reach that number.  Number one happened on the bunny hill...muscle memory hadn't kicked in yet.  I can't remember when 2-5 happened, but they did and I laughed.  Number five involved sliding down the slope head first, on my back, for about twenty feet.  This was followed by much laughter on my end, because honestly, it was pretty fun.  I wish I had a picture to share with you.  Fall number six was a nice wipe out.  I discovered that when you're relearning how to ski, it can be nerve-wracking to have so many other people on the slope with you.  Not because I felt compelled to compare, but as a soccer player I have been trained to be aware of where others are and adjust my movements to what I see.  So in trying to stay out of the way of other skiers, I found myself flying through the air and landing hard on my ass.  This one took some recovery time, but a lesson was learned.  Cassidy let me know that its up to those behind me to stay out of my way. Phew...pressure gone!
   After gaining some confidence, we reached the top of a slope that was introduced to me by Cassidy saying, "I'm going to test your limits a bit."  Joy!  And holy crap!  What was the picture I posted a few back?  Oh yea, "Life begins outside of your comfort zone."  Well...let's live a little.  I got a few pointers and was sent on my way.  One small spill at the top and I found myself, comfortably, going a little bit faster as I got further down.  I felt like a giddy child yelling to their parents, "Look what I can do!" And then, I was exhausted! Cue horrible horror movies, delicious home brew, and dog cuddles.  All well  deserved after a day of discovering what I am capable of accomplishing.

Best Ski Teacher ever!