My friend @hhansman was quite annoyed by this article on the etiquette of skiing with a date: Romancing the Slopes - Heather Burke (for those having problems with Boston.com's paywall, try opening the link in an Incognito/Porn-Mode Window) In an extremely rare aberation, I actually tend to agree with @hhansman -- whether I'm chasing a cute ski bunny or helping a friend from the flatlands survive on the mountain, I would say this advice is minimally applicable. The women I have skied with have always enjoyed much more adventurous days than that article described.
Now, for skiers’ and boarders’ benefit, I offer you my simple guide for experts and beginners to co-exist in perfect harmony. As Singles Awareness Day has come and gone, this advice has all combinations of riders in mind and is not necessarily geared toward turning a roll down a mountain into a roll in the sack.
What is your role?
Are you just getting comfortable pointing both tips straight downhill or are you easily bored by most inbound terrain? More importantly, how does your ability compare to that of the friends with whom you will be riding? Some days I'm herding chickens down blue groomers waiting and other days I'm gasping for breath as I'm pulled through the trees by my most extreme friends. Depending on who I’m with, I’m pulling or being pulled.
Today's discussion assumes the role of the stronger skier. Tomorrow will provide advice to those that are stuck dealing with a friend full of dumb ideas.
While you're approaching the hill, see what you can learn from small talk about previous experiences on the slopes. Is your new ski buddy talking about that one extreme run he took down a blue groomer "without making any stops”? Take this as your first clue to not take that buddy straight into the back country. Do you feel your eyes getting wider and wider as your new friend describes "big cliff jumps”? This is very vivid foreshadowing of what could be your impending doom should you blindly follow this friend around the mountain.
So who are you on this day? Are you going to wear the "Follow Me!" Green Jacket and be the pack leader or will the focus of your day's mission be self-preservation?
Follow me!
So you've told some stories and it sounds like your friend is about on your same level. See if you're right. When you get off the lift, find something reasonable to warm up on and let your friend ski in front of you. Take a look at what they're doing. See what decisions they make. Are you struggling to keep up with them or are you worrying that they won't have enough speed to make it across the catwalk? What slope do they choose?
If you are the better skier, you should consider it your duty to help your friend have the best day possible as they improve their ability. Yes, I'm saying you can convince your friend to attempt a new slope or two. This is not to be misconstrued to mean you have permission to head straight to the Outback and take your favorite runs through the woods.
Keep in mind: one poor decision can quickly erode all faith your skiing companion has in your selection of terrain and may turn an educational experience into a painful memory.
Find runs that offer terrain slightly more challenging than what your friend usually skis and see if they are interested in being a bit adventurous. Ideally, find runs with an easy way out. I grew up skiing Santa Fe and my favorite part about the mountain was that you were never pushed into anything you were uninterested in or unable to ski. The mountain had access points to slide into tough terrain and also bail out to easier runs.
In the terms of skiing with a new friend in Colorado, this means the Pallavicini Bowl at A-Basin is not the best place for a blue cruiser to take their first mogul turns. Find tough runs with easier stuff right next to them that can be quickly accessible should your friend tire of the more difficult terrain. Skip the top-to-bottom commitments like Pali and Keystone's Black Forest until your friend has proven they are really ready for such a beating.
Proper Pacing
The article on Romancing the Slopes suggested slowing down for your female companion. Better advice: keep your ski buddy in sight and stay in sight of them. My first day at Beaver Creek would have been ruined before completing the first run had I guessed incorrectly as to which direction my friends went. Luckily I chose the correct fork in the road and found my friends (impatiently) waiting at the lift.
Even if you're skiing with your normal group, having a plan of where to reconvene helps reduce the stress of losing one's group and attempting to hunt them down for the rest of the day.
In terms of stopping for breaks, lunch and calling it a day, be observant of how much endurance your friend has. Are they starting to fall a lot more often? Are they steering to the easiest parts of the runs and minimizing the work? It might be time to get some lunch or throw in the towel for the day.
Bring a bag of tricks
Nothing warms up a wind-blown ride to the top of the mountain like busting out a tasty snack. Chocolate is all the things Burke described and also an awesome source of instant energy. Oranges are good way to freeze the hell out of your fingers while you peel the fruit. And any snack served on a lift is washed down well with a hoot from a flask of green chile tequila.
Eat shit!
Take that sugar high from the chocolate and the fearlessness from the tequila and go do something stupid and eat shit (and don't die)! If you're spending a day teaching a friend to ride, nothing helps their frustration pass like watching "the expert" go rolling down the hill. To begin a weekend with nine friends at Wolf Creek, I executed a flawless swan dive leaving both skis behind as I planted my face into the snow. The crowd went wild.
Extra points if you detach a ski along the way. No points if your fall is broken by another patron.
Don't teach them too much
Don't try to teach them everything. Better yet, don't try to teach them anything. Respond to questions and wait for them to be asked. No sports are better at turning friends against each other than golf and skiing as friends become the coach and coached. Despite the coach's best intentions, advice is often poorly received. Comments like "Maybe don't cross your tips on the icy traverse next time" can easily be interpreted as "You committed a basic error on the easiest part of the run, you idiot!"
In my one day of skiing Missouri, I went with two friends for their first days on the mountain of their career. One took off and was good to go. He didn't grasp the turning concept so firmly and found that rolling was the best way to reduce speed. The other struggled. I've never seen more brutal tumbles from a stand-still before in my life. He never ventured past the bunny hill while the other friend rode everything on the mountain.
What do these two guys have in common? Neither of them were interested in receiving any pointers from the veteran skiers. They both enjoyed their day and collected the lumps to prove it.
Finish strong
Packing in a few extra runs to catch last chair and leave yourself with a four-hour fight down I-70 is a great way to turn an awesome day into never-ending misery. If you're journeying back to the front range, beat the traffic and find a hot tub to sneak into while you wait for the roads to clear. Consider a swimming suit mandatory for every ski day, unless your friends (not you) are comfortable with you sneaking into their hot tub naked. You never know who you’ll run into and what friend will invite you for aprés ski.
Another reason to pass on the extra victory lap is so you're not a worthless blob after a good day on the hill. It's easy to ride hard all day, pour a drink, slip into the hot tub and say nothing intelligible for the rest of the evening. Don't be that bum! You know how you work. If you aren't going to have the energy at the end of the day to cook dinner, you better bring something up that is pre-made or be ready to drain the wallet. And don't forget to tip - it's expensive living in ski towns and the wait staff has to survive too!
See you tomorrow for an approach from the other perspective -- skiing with your expert friends.
Now, for skiers’ and boarders’ benefit, I offer you my simple guide for experts and beginners to co-exist in perfect harmony. As Singles Awareness Day has come and gone, this advice has all combinations of riders in mind and is not necessarily geared toward turning a roll down a mountain into a roll in the sack.
What is your role?
Are you just getting comfortable pointing both tips straight downhill or are you easily bored by most inbound terrain? More importantly, how does your ability compare to that of the friends with whom you will be riding? Some days I'm herding chickens down blue groomers waiting and other days I'm gasping for breath as I'm pulled through the trees by my most extreme friends. Depending on who I’m with, I’m pulling or being pulled.
Today's discussion assumes the role of the stronger skier. Tomorrow will provide advice to those that are stuck dealing with a friend full of dumb ideas.
While you're approaching the hill, see what you can learn from small talk about previous experiences on the slopes. Is your new ski buddy talking about that one extreme run he took down a blue groomer "without making any stops”? Take this as your first clue to not take that buddy straight into the back country. Do you feel your eyes getting wider and wider as your new friend describes "big cliff jumps”? This is very vivid foreshadowing of what could be your impending doom should you blindly follow this friend around the mountain.
So who are you on this day? Are you going to wear the "Follow Me!" Green Jacket and be the pack leader or will the focus of your day's mission be self-preservation?
Follow me!
So you've told some stories and it sounds like your friend is about on your same level. See if you're right. When you get off the lift, find something reasonable to warm up on and let your friend ski in front of you. Take a look at what they're doing. See what decisions they make. Are you struggling to keep up with them or are you worrying that they won't have enough speed to make it across the catwalk? What slope do they choose?
If you are the better skier, you should consider it your duty to help your friend have the best day possible as they improve their ability. Yes, I'm saying you can convince your friend to attempt a new slope or two. This is not to be misconstrued to mean you have permission to head straight to the Outback and take your favorite runs through the woods.
Keep in mind: one poor decision can quickly erode all faith your skiing companion has in your selection of terrain and may turn an educational experience into a painful memory.
Find runs that offer terrain slightly more challenging than what your friend usually skis and see if they are interested in being a bit adventurous. Ideally, find runs with an easy way out. I grew up skiing Santa Fe and my favorite part about the mountain was that you were never pushed into anything you were uninterested in or unable to ski. The mountain had access points to slide into tough terrain and also bail out to easier runs.
In the terms of skiing with a new friend in Colorado, this means the Pallavicini Bowl at A-Basin is not the best place for a blue cruiser to take their first mogul turns. Find tough runs with easier stuff right next to them that can be quickly accessible should your friend tire of the more difficult terrain. Skip the top-to-bottom commitments like Pali and Keystone's Black Forest until your friend has proven they are really ready for such a beating.
Proper Pacing
The article on Romancing the Slopes suggested slowing down for your female companion. Better advice: keep your ski buddy in sight and stay in sight of them. My first day at Beaver Creek would have been ruined before completing the first run had I guessed incorrectly as to which direction my friends went. Luckily I chose the correct fork in the road and found my friends (impatiently) waiting at the lift.
Even if you're skiing with your normal group, having a plan of where to reconvene helps reduce the stress of losing one's group and attempting to hunt them down for the rest of the day.
In terms of stopping for breaks, lunch and calling it a day, be observant of how much endurance your friend has. Are they starting to fall a lot more often? Are they steering to the easiest parts of the runs and minimizing the work? It might be time to get some lunch or throw in the towel for the day.
Bring a bag of tricks
Nothing warms up a wind-blown ride to the top of the mountain like busting out a tasty snack. Chocolate is all the things Burke described and also an awesome source of instant energy. Oranges are good way to freeze the hell out of your fingers while you peel the fruit. And any snack served on a lift is washed down well with a hoot from a flask of green chile tequila.
Eat shit!
Take that sugar high from the chocolate and the fearlessness from the tequila and go do something stupid and eat shit (and don't die)! If you're spending a day teaching a friend to ride, nothing helps their frustration pass like watching "the expert" go rolling down the hill. To begin a weekend with nine friends at Wolf Creek, I executed a flawless swan dive leaving both skis behind as I planted my face into the snow. The crowd went wild.
Extra points if you detach a ski along the way. No points if your fall is broken by another patron.
Don't teach them too much
Don't try to teach them everything. Better yet, don't try to teach them anything. Respond to questions and wait for them to be asked. No sports are better at turning friends against each other than golf and skiing as friends become the coach and coached. Despite the coach's best intentions, advice is often poorly received. Comments like "Maybe don't cross your tips on the icy traverse next time" can easily be interpreted as "You committed a basic error on the easiest part of the run, you idiot!"
In my one day of skiing Missouri, I went with two friends for their first days on the mountain of their career. One took off and was good to go. He didn't grasp the turning concept so firmly and found that rolling was the best way to reduce speed. The other struggled. I've never seen more brutal tumbles from a stand-still before in my life. He never ventured past the bunny hill while the other friend rode everything on the mountain.
What do these two guys have in common? Neither of them were interested in receiving any pointers from the veteran skiers. They both enjoyed their day and collected the lumps to prove it.
Finish strong
Packing in a few extra runs to catch last chair and leave yourself with a four-hour fight down I-70 is a great way to turn an awesome day into never-ending misery. If you're journeying back to the front range, beat the traffic and find a hot tub to sneak into while you wait for the roads to clear. Consider a swimming suit mandatory for every ski day, unless your friends (not you) are comfortable with you sneaking into their hot tub naked. You never know who you’ll run into and what friend will invite you for aprés ski.
Another reason to pass on the extra victory lap is so you're not a worthless blob after a good day on the hill. It's easy to ride hard all day, pour a drink, slip into the hot tub and say nothing intelligible for the rest of the evening. Don't be that bum! You know how you work. If you aren't going to have the energy at the end of the day to cook dinner, you better bring something up that is pre-made or be ready to drain the wallet. And don't forget to tip - it's expensive living in ski towns and the wait staff has to survive too!
See you tomorrow for an approach from the other perspective -- skiing with your expert friends.
Love it. I'll be in my bikini and snow pants at 6am tomorrow!
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