How did you get started?

[highpeaksdrifter]

I was born into a skiing family. My Dad and uncle where weekend instructors at Hunter. Both families shared a house there. When my Dad got home from work on Friday it was off to Hunta. It was great for us kids, it was skiing and party time.

 

[2knees]

i was 7 or 8. apparently, my brother and i were driving our mother nuts one weekend so she packed us up and took us to Mt. Southington. My brother pissed and moaned about the cold. i loved it. I still love it and my brother, when he actually skis, still pisses and moans about the cold.

 

[Zand]

My grandma took me to Pine Ridge one day when I was about 7 or 8. The next few years I did my town's February Vacation trip to Wachusett. After 3 or 4 years I got a Century Pass to Wachusett for Christmas and also started doing to places like Sunapee and Okemo that year. I still get a Century Pass every year (way before Christmas of course) and take quite a few trips up to VT and NH. Maybe next year or so I'll also invest in a ASC pass (if they're still around) or an SOS Pass or something of that sort.

 

[JimG.]

My Mom is Swiss and both Mom and Dad are avid skiers.

I was born destined to ski.

 

[Marc]

It was something I always wanted to do. I skied once as a senior in high school (2000) and that got me hooked. My freshmen roommate at WPI was an avid skier so he gave me a lot of help. The rest is history. No one else in my family skis.

 

[andyzee]

It was something I never wanted to do. Then one day my friend moved into a house by Mountain Creek and talked us into trying it. So me and my wife decided to give it a try. We went twice, didn't have the sense to take a lesson and never got off the bunny hill. Actually all we managed to do was fall alot, that was in 2001.

In January of 2002 some other friends tried talking us into going. I told them of our experience and said no way, they talked us into taking a lesson. We went to Shawnee in PA took a lesson and the first day I skied off the summit and have been hooked ever since! Fortunetely for me, my wife's got it just as bad

 

[lloyd braun]

my uncle took me to Ski Liberty (http://www.skiliberty.com/) when I was 7, 31 years later and I have more passion than ever before

 

[Sky]

We did this last year....but I suppose lots of folks have joined since then...and HEY...everyone loves to hear my story again. *smirk*

Never skied in my life. Got stationed in Vicenza Italy in 78. Started skiing in 79...had some excellent trips (St Moritz for two Thanksgivings).

Gave it up when we moved to Kentucky up until #2 son joined the local school ski club here after we moved to MA (about a 15 year break). I chaperoned for that club (and skied on that antique gear) for about five seasons...all @ Wa. Never got too hooked on it until I upgraded the gear in 01.

I can't imagine NOT skiing now. When we considered moving (job relocation that almost happened...I was freaking out that the alternate locations were...non-skiing locations. *shudder*

 

[koreshot]

In the 80s the commies were bent on winning some downhill medals in the Olympics. When I was 7 years old, some big bad man with a blue eyes and blonde hair and big fluffy hat came into the classroom in my home town, pulled me out by the ear and took me to into the mountains to see if i had any natural talent. I did not. But I still fell in love with the sport.

And I am not even making this up... except the pulled me by the ear part.

 

[2knees]

no one, no way, is topping that one.

 

[Greg]

Started at age 20 in college. My roommate (who's still a skiing buddy) was always trying to get me to try it. One snowy morning, I woke up and said, "let's go skiing today". He jumped at the chance and we headed off to Mount Southington.

He sent me down one of the black diamonds there. I recall falling immediately at the top, but then made it down the rest of the way. At the bottom I looked back up and could hardly believe I skied that. One more visit to Southington that spring, and bought brand new skis that summer. I started AZ at the start of my fifth ski season and the rest is history.

Original post.

 

[Angus]

Son of Angus writes...

I started at nashoba valley. I took ski group lessons at night with a bad instuctor, I hated it but I liked skiing with my dad.

How Angus' remembers...

Son of Angus was taking lessons at night. we were planning on a February vacation ski trip to VT, I went to watch son of Angus who after four lessons had not yet mastered ...anything...instead of going to the fifth lesson, the week before vacation, I rented a pair of skis and spent the night teaching him - how to turn and stop - the most important skill! The next weekend we were at Bromley skiing top to bottom on the first day.

Angus' experience...

In 6th grade, you could take ski lessons thru town recreation at Blue Hills. My mom was from Maine and had skiied through college and her younger brother, my Uncle, who I looked up too, was a big skiier - early patron of Sugarloaf - stills talks about the winter of '69 there...anyway, my most vivid memory of those ski lessons was trying to avoid getting run over by some out of control skier coming down the hill.

The next year, I took my first school sponsored ski trip to Attitash, I'd never been on a chair before. I got on fine but realized I had no idea how to get off. I was scared to death. Luckily, I was able to watch the person riding the lift next to mine dismount mid-mountain. That weekend was the only time I was subjected to leather boots and old style cable bindings - by the end of the weekend, the inside and outside of my knees were black and blue!

Of course, I stopped skiing for nearly 15 years until my son started skiing 5 years ago this season.

 

[thebigo]

I cant remember not skiing. In my very early life the family went to old sunday river every weekend, because it was the cheapest place to ski. This was pre-whitecap, i believe it was only barker and locke, but im sure somebodyy can prove me wrong. My folks used to put i me in a class where they made the kids play a game called london bridge, we had to skate over a bidge. No idea how that helped my skiing.

Back then the only place to eat anywhere near sunday river was called 'the only place'. No idea if its still there, but i know the molyockett is still there.

 

[marcski]

One of the best things he ever did...My Dad got me on skis when I was about 3. He was European and was skiing his entire life. My brother was 4 years older than me had gone for a couple of years before me. I don't really remember the first day. (skiing has always been there...a part of my life). My brother says I loved it the moment I was on the snow.

 

[SUGARBOWL]

My family was up visiting my Grandparents in North Conway, and my Dad took my older brother & I to Black Mountain for the day - he never skied - just rented us skis and sent us off. I was probably about 8 or 9, it was the early seventies. Gotta give him credit, waiting at the bottom all day.

After that it was school bus trips to Pats Peak, Crotched, etc. Family moved to Southern California, the foothills of Mt. Baldy around '78, but never got to Big Bear (the one time we tried we got halfway and had to turn back due to rock slide). Moved back East, met my future wife, and skiing became our thing. We even honeymooned at Lake Tahoe, January 1990. Locals said it was a bad snow year, still some of the best skiing I've experienced!

Three kids & several years later with no skiing, we started the family ski thing when the youngest was 5, three years ago. Tremblant 2 years ago, Wildcat last year, Killington this year. I get jealous when I see the number of ski days some of you rak up though, I'd be happy to break into double digits!

 

[tirolerpeter]

How Started?

I first skied at age three when I lived in the Austrian province of Tirol (near Innsbruck). Since I have a cousin about the same age who was born in Salzburg, they nicknamed us "Salzburger Peter" and "Tiroler Peter" to tell us apart. That is where the name comes from. I moved to the USA as a child, and didn't really get to ski much in my teens (poverty does that) and my early twenties involved the military, marriage (to a non-skier...most of you know what that means) and then my early thirties involved kids. When my oldest was about eight I decided it was time to get back on the slopes, and to avoid any issues I took the kid. I also started the second kid at age six, and my daughter at age three. They were (and still are) a fantastic crew to travel and ski with. We "day tripped," "multi-day tripped,'' and took week long trips all over New England, and the Rockies; all without mom. Oh yeah, she did come along on one trip to Vail. The kids begged her never to come along again. So, I have been a regular on the slopes for the last 22 or 23 years, and especially for the last 5 years since I retired at age 55. I ski any type of terrain, on any type of snow. I don't ski icey moguls because recovery time for a 60 year old is way too long to suit me in case of a bad fall. I love steeps, I love deep (I have been skiing powder out in UT a couple of times per season since 2000) and I love deep powder, especially in the trees out west. I love skiing in UT so much, that my house here in the east is currently for sale, and we are moving to the Salt Lake City area as soon as it sells. I didn't bother with an ASC season pass this year thinking I would be out west by now. Since I am still here I am going to have to round up any and all "discount cards" and other "cheap deals" and make the best of it. I ONLY SKI MID-WEEK, and am always looking for someone to share a ride/expenses for either a day trip, or a one or two nighter. I have a good 4dr hatchback with plenty of room for skis, and I even have a Thule Box for the roof if there are more then three in the car. Oh yes, it also gets 30+ mpg even fully loaded. So, if you live between Smithtown, NY and any of the resorts in NY, MA, or VT, and have mid-week opportunities, give me a shout.
_________________
Think Snow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tyrolean_skier]

For me it all started on a long weekend at Mt. Snow with friends I had made while vacationing in Eleuthera during the summer. It was our winter get together and since some of them skied, they decided it should be a skiing vacation. I had never skied, so I took lessons and failed my first lesson. My friends didn't care that I failed and they took me to the top of the mountain that fateful first day on skis. I did a lot of falling on the way down but laughed a lot too. I fell in love with the sport and have been hooked ever since. It was a great skiing weekend and I still remember it fondly. Lucky for me, I married a guy who likes skiing quite a lot too (I got him back into it) and we have two wonderful children who both will be in the Killington Ski Club programs starting in early December. My son is a better skier than I am and my daughter is not too far behind. They are both products of First Tracks and Ministars and now Killington Ski Club. I started both of them when they were 2. I wanted to start them early so they would learn to ski properly from the beginning instead of acquiring bad habits that are hard to break later in life.

 

[FRITOLAYGUY]

Well it was 2005, was thinking about giving it a shot, dragged someone with me to Mohawk, got a lesson in the middle of ice pellets bouncing off our heads, basically said screw this im freezing even though i didnt fall.. A week later i went back my myself this time, kept going up and down the bunny hill, fell in love with that feeling skiing gives of being truly free, after the 3rd time i was hooked.. Ahhh to go back in time in 98 when i dated a ski instructor for Okemo who tried and tried to get me to go, and my reponse, what are u Freaking nuts im not freezing my butt off going down that thing.. Damn im an idiot!!!!!!

 

[tirolerpeter]

Getting started

Well it was 2005, was thinking about giving it a shot, dragged someone with me to Mohawk, got a lesson in the middle of ice pellets bouncing off our heads, basically said screw this im freezing even though i didnt fall.. A week later i went back my myself this time, kept going up and down the bunny hill, fell in love with that feeling skiing gives of being truly free, after the 3rd time i was hooked.. Ahhh to go back in time in 98 when i dated a ski instructor for Okemo who tried and tried to get me to go, and my reponse, what are u Freaking nuts im not freezing my butt off going down that thing.. Damn im an idiot!!!!!!

I guess you "failed" your first lesson. Women love to "help" a needy vulnerable guy. Think how often she could have helped you up, and later "nursed" your wounds!

 

[Grassi21]

Early in my life I convinced myself that attempting skiing would result in some type of serious injury. Three years ago my wife talked me into giving it a try. We went up to Okemo with a group of friends for a long weekend. It was a late February and we had 2 blue bird days. We took a lesson the first day. Being an athlete I become frustrated easily and fell 4 or 5 times. The second day was different story. I didn't fall once. The next season passed without a day on the hill because we were house hunting and saving for a down payment. This past season I put in 10 or 11 days and was able to link some turns and really enjoy the whole experience. I will be shooting for 20+ days this season.