On the Slopes: Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks

I am one of those people born and raised in Colorado yet had never been skiing. It wasn’t until age 28-some 22 years ago - and living in South Dakota that I had my first and only taste of skiing – until this past weekend. It was the last day of the season at Powderhorn and my ski instructor friend Rick Rodd insisted we hit the slopes. My golf game has gone to crap, and so I figured I didn’t have anything to lose. I have to admit, my desire wasn’t great, and I was skeptical at my chances for success. People my age should be learning this sort of thing much earlier in life. I feared it was too late for me.

So, Saturday, on a warm day in the high country, at 12:45pm I’m standing in the snow, decked out with skis, gloves, helmet, and goggles. I looked liked a skier. Well, that is until I tried to move with the skis on for just the second time in my life. That was pretty awkward. But, Rick gave me good advice on how to move efficiently, and  it helped to practice without the skis.

Next  thing was to hop aboard the Magic Carpet, a conveyor belt that carries you to the top of a small slope, that gives you a chance to get comfortable on the skis and learn to steer and stop by making a wedge. Rick was there every step of the way to guide me and instruct me. He’s a patient man. After five or 6 rides up the Magic Carpet and down the gradual slope, I was ready to move on to the next challenge – the ski lift.

Getting on the lift, it turns out, is pretty easy – and what a ride. It’s a spectacular view of the mountain, and the weather was ideal. But, before you know it, it’s time to get off. “Superman,” Rick says. That means lean forward with arms extended over your skis as you push off from the lift chair. I’m sure disaster looms. But, no. I exit the chair without falling to the ground, although it certainly wasn’t the most graceful thing you’d ever witness.

Now, for the real thing. Going down hill. The slope is fairly gentle, although if one were to go straight down you could pick up some pretty good speed. For me at this point, speed is not my friend. Under Rick’s watchful eye and encouraging voice, I make my way down the hill. My confidence level is low. I progress slowly down the mountain, learning to control my speed, to stop, and to turn. I reach the bottom. Safe and sound. I didn’t fall. Cool! Back to the lift.

This continued on for at least the next hour. Up the lift, down the hill. Up the lift, down the hill. Each time I gained a bit more confidence and a little more proficiency with the most basic of skiing skills. My speed increased, my turns became smoother, and I began to learn more techniques for navigating on skis. Again, Rick was there every minute, coaching me and encouraging me. Like I mentioned before, Rick is a patient man. Before long, I was actually enjoying what I was doing.

There was a moment of panic late in the session, when I began picking up speed. I realized that I was going too fast for my limited ability. As my mind race, it seemed the safe course of action was to hit the deck and slide to a halt before I ended up with my face planted in the side of a tree. But, somehow, someway - perhaps an Easter weekend miracle, I stayed on my feet, and was able to maneuver my way to a safe stop.

Finally, it was time to quit, with Rick sensing that fatigue was beginning to set in on this soon-to- be 50 year old body. Although I was reluctant to call it quits, I knew he was right. I had a great time. I was satisfied with my progress, and happy and surprised that I made it through the day without falling down. Rick seemed  pleased with my progress in two hours. Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Whether or not I pick up skiing on a regular basis remains to be seen, although I do intend to go again when the next season begins. I can see the benefits of skiing over golf. With skiing you don’t keep score and you don’t lose balls. I haven’t given up on golf- yet. But, I am close. My next goal is to try to fix my golf game. That happens later this week, and I’ll let you know how it goes. We'll see if this "old dog" can learn something new with a golf club. Otherwise, the ski slopes might just be my new best friend.