Tuesday, February 26, 2013

ChairTalk: Off-Hill Jobs

I am constantly amazed at the talent of my fellow instructors. They are all wonderful skiing and snowboarding ambassadors, but they have many other talents, too. This spectacular picture of my goggles and the front hills of Nub's Nob was taken by photographer/winter sports instructor Josh Angel. When you ask an instructor about their off-hill careers, don't make the mistake of saying "What is your real job?" Instructing is a real job and a tough one at that! We just make it look easy :) Instead, try asking if they have another career or what they do in the off-season. You might find out some interesting things.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Why We Ski: Togetherness

Last weekend the Winter Sports School celebrated Bob "Papa Panda" Mogford's 69th birthday. Bob runs the children's Panda program and came up with the idea for the new run PandaLand. The event reminded me of how visitors and employees become a family out at the ski hill celebrating, working, and playing together. For three or four months we see each other on a regular basis and know each other's ups and downs. When the season ends I don't see many of my skiing friends until the lifts start up again. The great thing is it is like we haven't missed a day!

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Signs of the Season: Sun on Smokey

Due to the tilt of the earth, the sun is low in the sky when Nub's Nob opens each year. The north facing front hills are in the shade all day, everyday, until the end of January. A sure sign that we are coming out of the dark is when Old Smokey starts to have sun from top to bottom. The sun makes it easier to see changes in the terrain, and checking your shadow is a good way to check your form. Enjoy!

Friday, February 1, 2013

Why We Ski: Snow Days

When I was a kid it seemed like we had Snow Days all the time. On snowy days when school wasn't cancelled, we would complain about how hard it was to get to school: too slippery, too deep, low visibility, etc. When school was cancelled, though, none of that could stop us. Suddenly we were all expert winter drivers. We would head out to the ski hill and make the first chair. These days it seems that school cancelations aren't so much about snow but about rain and ice. When I am not teaching skiing on Saturdays, I am the librarian at Charlevoix Elementary. Before today my school district had four school cancellations, but none of them enticed me to ski. Today was different! I got the call a half hour before my alarm was supposed to go off and was so excited I couldn't fall back asleep. I didn't make the first chair, but I did make the most of the morning. It was a little chilly and there was some wind on the front hills, but I found some fun powder and even made a glade run! Unlike in my youth I did not stay out the whole day, but it sure was fun reliving those times.