Like most things, from the outside, skiing may seem one dimensional. Just some people sliding down some mountains, what else is there to it really? You don’t really see it until you dive deep, head first. You need to live in a ski town to feel the anticipation as the leaves change color, as you watch the first flakes fall.
To spend a winter in the mountains allows you to see the depth of the sport and the community behind it. You begin to understand the diversity, from the terrain park to the backcountry, from the racers to the big mountain skiers. You begin to see the variations in equipment and technology. But, you can show up at the bar and, over a beer all these differences pale in comparison to the overarching common love of the sport.
I don’t know if coming from a warmer climate has allowed me to see this sport through a different lens, but I believe it has. Just as I took growing up in Hawaii for granted at times, I’m sure some of my students don’t yet understand how fortunate they are to be born into not only such a beautiful place, but also such a beautiful culture. More than wedge turns and pole plants, I want to teach a love for the culture of skiing.
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