Snowplow or faceplow

With a cold virus, near physical and mental exhaustion our hero braved the elements and took his first trip to a ski slope in his life. Maybe a little melodramatic, but indeed I did go skiing this weekend after having returned from Vegas. But lets start from the very beginning.

I have received endless mocking and merciless ridicule for my choice in car that I purchased almost a year ago from friends and family members. Yes I went the yuppie route and bought a Lexus SUV complete with seat warmers and back massager. It is amazing how quickly people stop laughing when they spend 4-5 hours in the car and realize just how comfortable it is. I strapped 3 pairs of skis and a snowboard to the roof along with enough clothes, toiletries, etc to clothe a small army. Three friends and I set out from work at almost 8:30pm and made our way out to Reno. Over the mountains and through fog so thick we were barely able to see the road we made it to the hotel by 1am. I don’t remember the last time I spent so long in a single place with good friends with just the road and the occasional music to distract. Conversations abound, until of course sleep overtook most passengers.

The next day bright and early it was time for skiing, we dragged ourselves out of our collective beds, loaded back into the car and drove to Northstar in Tahoe. Setting up at the resort I had the infinite pleasure of going to the ticket window and identifying myself not only as a beginner but as someone who has never touched a ski in his life. There was only a little bit of smirking from the 17 year old who has been skiing for 12 years when I had to sign up for the most beginner of beginner classes. But yet I bucked up and took it like a man. The class consisted primarily of Japanese who spoke rarely a word of English and myself. After an hour of learning how to put skis on and take them off my friends took me onto the hill. Not the bunny hill, one larger than that. This is where they taught me to stop (just like throwing someone into the pool and then teaching them to float). There were a few 360s and even 180s which if it was intentional would have looked very good, alas there were usually followed by a face full of snow. But I braved it again and again and took those crazy ski lifts (no seatbelts, what are they thinking?) to the middle of a mountain.

The vistas were stunning, the company phenomenal, the weather outstanding, and the sport well definitely entertaining. I have a long ways to go, but I am excited to go again. I was told however that everyone looks 30% cuter/hoter in ski clothes, which amazed me until I put them on and if I do say so myself, damn I looked good. Actually I think it just covers all of our imperfections making us all look a little better. But much to my surprise I find that the ski slope is an absolute pick-up spot for kids, I don’t think I have seen so much flirting and showing-off since the last time I went to a high school football game. That was almost as entertaining as the skiing itself. Oh and for the family members out there, fear not I broke neither bone nor cartilage.