If It Wasn’t For You I May Never Have Skied

[highpeaksdrifter]

My parents got me on skis at the age of 6. They started in there late 20’s and really liked it. If it weren’t for them falling in love with the sport who knows if I would have taken it up.

Anyone who you owe for your start besides yourself?

 

[severine]

bvibert

My family didn't have the money for me to ski. I didn't hang around with anyone who skied. It wasn't until I met him that I was around anyone who did. And it wasn't until (after seeing him only ski sporadically for years,though wistfully talk about it every year) I got him a gift certificate one Christmas for Ski Sundown that he showed an interest in sharing the sport with me. That was 4 years ago.

Thanks, b! :beer:

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

my mother...she got me out there at 3...her parents got her out at an early age too. we got our daughter out at 18mo...keeping the cycle going for another generation

 

[Warp Daddy]

My SON actually got me involved with downhill when i was 52 yrs old -- Before that i had gotten my entire family involved with cross country skiing for 20 yrs. We took weekend overnites in the Dacks and skied the Olmpic XC trails several weekend /yr as well as other trail systems thruout "The Gatineau" in Quebec's Laurentian Mtns.. My college had a 15 K trail system on campus that we biuld and i skied EVERY noon hour that i could .

I kept several prs of skis in my office and would often take visiting officials out on the ski trails with a packed lunch for a real North Country experience for the Albany and NYC based bureaucrats -- i was a hoot . Made some really good relationships doing that gig. I figured they like me had sat thru too damn many BORING ASS mtgs and that we could solve more business out there on the trails while yukking it up

 

[Sparky]

My wife actually got us both into skiing. There was some deal at West Mountain for midweek night skiing with lessons. I was instantly addicted she enjoyed it, but not the same as I. For many years my skiing was limited to once a year on my birthday. Then a night adult program and then my daughter got me into instructing. Now I run from 40 to 60 trips/year. Somewhere along the line my wife got back into skiing, I think mostly because of the kids. There is another thread that dealing with the whys and wherefores of that. Now she plans our trips. I’m sure there were times when she regretted getting me started, but now it’s all good.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

My parents got me on skis at the age of 6. They started in there late 20’s and really liked it. If it weren’t for them falling in love with the sport who knows if I would have taken it up.

Anyone who you owe for your start besides yourself?

My Dad took me skiing for the first time when I was in 4th grade at Big Boulder. He was never that into skiing and usually just skied 5-10 days per year..always for a halfday. I took a beginner lesson and got to take one run from the Little Boulder chairlift..unfortunately after that..we had lunch and we went home since my Dads morning ticket had expired. In 5th grade I didn't ski at all but I was excited to begin middle school where there was a ski club. In November of 1990..I was in 6th grade and on the PA announcements..there was an announcement of a ski club meeting in the cafeteria. The cost was $14 for a lift ticket, $19 for lift and rentals and $21 for a first time on skis package which also included a lesson. I signed up for the first time on skis package and on January 4th 1991, I began skiing for real..before the lesson..I took the handle tow up and took a run..then after the lesson..I ate dinner and I took three runs on Easy Out to Vista and then it was time go home. My 2nd time out a week later, I took another lesson but got bored of the lesson so I ditched the lesson and skied some runs on Burma road which is a long curvy green circle..things were starting to click. Then I went skiing with my Dad and I skied Lazy Mile..and eventually by the end of the season I had skied Sidewinder which was a harder Blue. That season I skied 7 times in total...after that my skiing days were as follows..

7th grade 1991-92..10 days
8th grade 1992-93..12 days
9th grade 1993-94..17 days
10th grade 1994-95..17 days
11th grade 1995-96..first season pass..my own car..48 days
12th grade..1996-97..66 days
1st year of college 1997-98..70 days
2nd year of college 1998-99..65 days
3rd year of college 1999-2000..63 days
Senior year of college 2001-02..lots of projects..45 days
2001-02..only year with no season pass..20 days..
2002-03..first year in Montana..80 days
2003-04..2nd year in Montana..85 days
2004-05..back in PA..52 days
2005-06..joined PASR..110 days
2006-07..year of my 60+ day streak..119 days
2007-08..98 days.

 

[Moe Ghoul]

My parents intro'd me to skiing although neither was much of a skier. My very first time on skis was in Dover, DE. I was maybe 4 or 5 years old. I still have a faint memory of it. A pair of used skis, and we lived on a road that deadended to an embankment that led down to a swamp. I skied down that hill. Weird, I guess I did earn my turns at one point in my life.

 

[bvibert]

My parents got me into it by signing me up for the after school program in 4th grade. I've been hooked ever since.

 

[Swamp Dog]

my parents took me and my younger brother skiing on my 12th and 13th birthday. I'm not really sure why as neither of them are/were skiers. We only went 2 or 3 times if I remember correctly and then I skied once when I was 19 out in CA.

So I really owe it to my 18 year old son, who begged me to take him when he was about 13. We've had 5 great seasons together and I now own three pairs of skis and two pairs of boots. He has two pairs of skis and a snowboard.

Four more weeks and my little (6'2") ski buddy heads off to college.....

 

[ski_resort_observer]

My parents, who I think had never even been to a ski hill until they forced me to go and try it out. I think I was about 10 yo and I was liking the Saturday school bus trips every week to the Lake George Bowl. I really didn't want to try skiing.

I went up the ropetow, came down, didn't know how to turn, and my father was there to catch me before I crashed into the wall of the lodge. Then it was trips to Killington, Mt Snow, my parents just hung out in the lodge, reading the paper, relaxing, watching me and my brother...... Mt Snow was a real eye-opener for me that first season.

 

[2knees]

My mom got me started when i was 8. Took my brother and I to Mt. Southington one winter and put us in lessons. She used to ski and wanted us to have another winter activity. She quit skiing a few seasons after we started and then my uncle got bit by the bug and kinda took over where my mother had left off. He used to take us and my cousins up to vermont for the weekend. It was great cause he didnt really care where we went or what we did so long we showed up for lunch and again at the end of the day.

 

[WJenness]

My girlfriend.

She's been skiing since she was 2. I had always wanted to go, but for various reasons it had never happened. In the spring of '07 she finally got my ass to Wachusett after we had talked about it a bunch.

I had a blast, and am addicted now. I can't wait for the winter.

-w

 

[cbcbd]

Unfortunately... my sister's HS BF... now he is an a**hole, but then he was cool and took us all skiing. It was a first time for all of us then... around 9th grade.

He was like a quasi big brother to me then and we did a lot of stuff together, skiing, music, taught me how to drive a stick shift...
...a shame he had to cheat on my sister and then later help my then GF cheat on me.

 

[Marc]

No... if anything, my parents are to blame for not starting me early. They insisted from an early age I play conventional team sports that I just wasn't any good at... if I had started cycling, skiing and sailing much earlier, I'd probably be really good at all of them right now. I started skiing when I was 18. 8 years ago....

I can't blame them too much though, they were great parents other than that.

 

[mishka]

in my case more like combination of events which spreads over 5--7years

our friends, who was in US on doctors exchange program from Israel, invite my family over to Yawhoo valley about 8 years ago for the 1-st time try downhill skiing. Before first lesson my wife got concussion and it was over for her. My older daughter and I enjoy day on the slopes.

Three years ago finally my older daughter got us on the slopes again with VERYold straight skis and boots from another friend neighbor when they moved..I didn't know this stuff is obsolete. Quickly I realized if to continue skiing I need my own equipment. By starts of following season I purchased one pair skis and boots for my older daughter and me even got one pair for my younger daughter. By middle of the season I got 3 more pairs for myself 3 for my younger daughter.....you can say it all downhill from their.

Friends from Israel went back home. Friend I got 1-st set of skis from don't want to go skiing. My older daughter went to school out-of-town ...now maybe couple days a year. me.....eat sleep go skiing

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Looks like alot of us have our parents to thank. Back when they where packing us up every weekend to head to Hunter part of me resented it a little when I reached a certain age. I always had fun, but around 7th grade my friends who I played basketball everyday in the park during the summer started playing organized B-ball for school. I kinda felt left out a little back then, but looking back it certainly worked out the best for me.

I may have tried and become addicted to skiing as a young adult, but I have a feeling if not for my parents I'd never have been a skier.

 

[campgottagopee]

Parents here too---grew up skiing at the North Creek Ski Bowl

 

[Grassi21]

my wife got me started. foe years i told her i would go with her. i finally broke down when some college buds went up to okemo. i was hooked after the 1st day. now i ski more than the wife and she knows she created a monster.

 

[wa-loaf]

My Dad, he was an instructor at Sugarloaf so I started around 2ish. But I don't remember skiing until I was 4 when my Dad took a sabbatical and we lived in Garmisch for a year (I've got some bad memories of a very fast rope tow :-o). The kid in my avatar is me around 2-3 on one of my first times out in the backyard.

 

[marcski]

My Dad.

He was European...and had been skiing since he was a kid. He tried to get my mom to like it..but she never did. My brother (4 years my senior) liked it...and was going with for a couple of years before they brought me when I was about 3. I don't really remember the first time...it was in Vt. at Magic but my brother says I loved it from day 1!