Skiing: learning to fall (and be OK with it!)

So, finally, two days before the ski resort is closed for the Spring to come, I went skiing. It's not that I'm that enthusiastic about sports. Or that I'm crazy about snow. It's just that I face the grim fact that I might not be able to touch or smell or experience snow again after August. Since my motto is "experience everything at least once", skiing is definitely one of the activities that I want to experience while I'm in the US (those include, in the past: going to American football game; thanksgiving; watching ballets, theaters, and classical music recitals; going to farm).

I was lucky because the place where I visited to go skiing, the Mount Kato Ski Resort, in Mankato, Minnesota, was still open until Saturday. My initial plan was to go to the Seven Oaks Ski Resort, in Boone, Iowa, which is located only about 10 miles from Ames. Alas, when I decided to go, I found out that they were already closed for the season. Gina Hertz, who had been very kind to be willing to drive me and accompany me skiing, suggested to go to Mankato instead, which is located near the border of Iowa and Minnesota. Off we go, almost three hours drive, to Mankato, Minnesota.

The map: Ames, IA-Mankato, MN

Gina Hertz, my patient skiing teacher and a talented skier!

me and Gina in the car, ready to go skiing!

After we paid the fee for entrance, lift pass (the lift to get us to the top of the hill), and ski equipment rental at the gate, we went to the rental shop to get a pair of skis and boots. No poles? Yup, no poles for beginners. Poles are used for speeding your skis, and since beginners are not supposed to speed until they master the flow of the skis, then no poles for me!

The entrance tag to the ski resort. We had to hang this tag on our jacket so that the workers could see it when we're skiing and they knew that we didn't sneak into the resort without paying ;)

They assigned the right skis for me based on my weight (don't ask!) & my level of skill (probably idiot level ;)

If you think skiing is fun, think twice! First, the boots were very rigid and hard. My feet were like being put in a plaster cast (no kidding!). The boots were especially made with hooks at the bottom to make sure that the skis are securely fastened to the boots. And it's not easy to get on the skis in the slippery ice and to put them on tight. Otherwise, you may fall easily! Of course, due to the rigidness and the shape of the skis, it was very hard for me to walk to the lift station with those equipments. If you could see me, I was walking like an ugly duckling :P My thighs were so much in pain after the we're done skiing. It took me three days to recover from the soreness of my thighs. Secondly, the snow was very slippery! I needed to know how and where I should put my skis in order to avoid being slipped and falling on snow. And, the law of gravitation does exist, fellas! Everything, and that includes me and my skis, will fall to the lower part of the slopes (not to the top part of the hill, got it? *wink*) And of course, the skis were designed to make the skier able to ski on the ice (duh!) so once they hit the slope on the right angle (which is facing toward the foot or the top of the hill), they will carry you fast and furious down the slope! (I hope I made myself clear) Gina taught me that the secret of not slipping the ice and not going downhill unprepared was to position the skis *and of course the body on top of them* across the hill, not facing the top/foot of the hill. If you place your skis along the hill, you will surely fall.

The painful boots Getting on the skis is tricky! You need to know the tricks and Sir Isaac Newton :)

The other lesson was how to control and stop the skis. It was damn hard! To control the skis to turn left, the secret is to move the body weight to the right foot. To stop the skis, the skis need to be in triangular-like position, so the tip of the skis almost meet. Also, it is very important to stand with the back straight, and bend both legs. The standard position of skiing is like squatting but only half way.

Enough? Nooooo....I have to be ready to fall, not for once nor twice, but for at least a dozen times! And of course, falling sucks! In my first attempt, I fell seven times: once when I got off the lift, and six other times along the hill (which means once every two meters). Second time was better, three times only! Still, the lift was my enemy. I fell off everytime I got off. But I learned how to shift my balance from left to right to make a zigzag along the hill. Third time is a charm. No fall at all! The results of the fall? Quite obvious: the back of my ski pants was completely wet and my butt was killing me! Is that all? No! The most important aspect of falling is that I lose my dignity as an adult who was a complete idiot in learning to ski! The kids around me (yes, kids, under 16) were considered a pro and I could see what's in their mind seeing this goofy adult falling heaps of times on ice! Of course, I would fall and stumble. That was my first time. I think the reason of why I fell so many times on my first attempt is because I underestimated the skill required to ski. Once I changed my set of mind and be serious about it, I didn't fall as many as the first time.

This is the ski pants that I borrowed from Gina. Do you notice that my butt is wet from falling too often?

And, once I overcame all the obstacles, I was feeling estatic! Skiing is fun! It's like flying! Spread your wings and feel the wind on your face while you're skiing downhill...

Uh oh, wait a minute...just when I got comfortable zigzagging along the hill, changing from easy terrain to more difficult one, it got scarier... First attempt to the blue terrain (more difficult terrain) was flawless. I did it flying color. Second attempt: bad! I fell hard and stuck in the middle of the terrain. The foot of the hill was half way down, and I felt soooooo scared! Gina assured me to go down in the skis, but I preferred on foot. No question asked, but I knew Gina was thinking that I was a chicken! And I return to the bunny slopes....

Ready to hit the more difficult slope *looking optimistic, but watch your steps man! See the next picture!*

The fall! And the foot of the hill seemed so faarrrrrr faaarrrrrr awaaaayyyyy I want my mommy! :P

Three hours had passed. The weather was terribly wonderful. Not too hot so that the snow would not melt. Not too cold so that I didn't have to put my heavy jacket. After a dozen more skiing downhill, I was ready to go home.


In front of the ski slopes:
the two left ones are the green/bunny slopes (easy ones),
the right one is the blue one (more difficult one)

Wonderful, unforgettable experience. Thanks God for letting me experience this. Thanks Gina for driving me up to Minnesota and teaching me how to ski.

Enough said.