Ski Notes

My first ski was in Lake Tahoe in May 2005, when I first started working in Palo Alto. It was really late season and only the double diamond was open, so I rent a set of gear and take the lift up to the top, wearing my jeans and a wind breaker.

As the lift was gradually rising, I knew I was in trouble, but there is no going back. I had to get off at the top and ski (or shall we say fall) all the way down the slope.

That was pretty bad, although my DSLR bag (yes I also so naive to have brought my camera with me) took more hi from the crash than my head. My only instruction was given by another skier sitting beside me on the lift, who said "you need to turn."

Well, I guess that saved my life.

 

My 2nd ski was around Jan 2006 in Japan, where I ski with Guangyu at Nikko. Neither of us knew anything about ski. Except guangyu didn't have the bad experience I had. At the end of the day, we were able to stop without hitting someone or crash. That was good.

My 3rd ski was in Kirkwood, CA, March 2006. I went with a group of friends, I learned a bit more about scoping the fallline from skiing with Jason. He was a snowboarder, and architect. The next weekend I went up with the same group, because we got too many lift tickets and the season was about to close. From there I did learn a lot of skiing and was able to try blue runs for once. But I am still more comfortable with the green runs.

 

My 4th ski was 2006 winter in Steven's pass, with another Jason, my colleague. This time I did even better, but in the end of the day, when we were almost finished, I crashed into him and knocked him out. That left a psychological trauma to me and a physical one to Jason. Both of us recovered well.

 

This weekend was my 5th ski. I am really getting the hang of it with sharp consecutive turns. I can negotiate 40 plus deg slopes without crashing. That was pretty amazing. My ski instructor, Reggie, taught me the following tips:

1) always lean forward (dynamic balance is different from static balance)

2) relax your legs and don't panic (that's especially helpful when the surface gets bumpy)

3) tilt both of your skis to one side will give you smoother ride. (I practice a bit, and that was really fun)

4) keep your knees bent and lean against your ski boots. Your leg muscle will go sour, that's part of the game.

 

The Crystal lodge was absolutely awesome, rooms are spacious and well-equipped. Next time, definitely get a room close to the outdoor hotwater pool.