I’m always totally amazed
when I hear someone in my clinic at Buck Hill say she doesn’t waste her
time skiing in Minnesota. She will be under the impression there’s no
point in skiing if you’re not out West. I always follow a comment like
this with one of my favorite exercises: 100 Short Swing Turns straight
down the fall line. It’s one of the toughest tests of skill I know of.
Not many of my students can accomplish this task, but the instructors
usually can. You may ask why I’m so mean to my students. My reason
is that everyone has the opportunity to become a better skier right here
in Minnesota, as long as they’re willing to take advantage of it. There
is absolutely no substitute for putting on your boots and going skiing as
much as you can - regardless of the terrain. Every day spent skiing gives
you more miles, better muscle memory, higher skill level, cleaner health
and much more stamina. The turns down Wild Mountain are the same you’ll
encounter at Riva Ridge in Vail. The same technique applies.
I’m a gear head who
believes Equipment can make or break
your ski day. Having skilled technicians at world class ski shops so close
to home (like Brad at Hi-Tempo) is a real bonus. You have the opportunity
to shop, demo, make your equipment decisions, and then zip over to Hyland
Hills to check everything out. I will not tolerate a sloppy heel or
wandering skis. This is an equipment
problem and just requires a quick trip back to your local ski shop to fix.
During the 25 years! lived out west, I witnessed many women waste their
ski vacations because of sore feet. It could have been avoided if they
would have checked out their gear before they left town.
Then there’s always the
excuse about the weather. Is it too cold? Did the weatherman scare you
off? I believe in the old saying, "There's only bad clothing, not
bad weather". Dressing
properly is just as important as your boot fit. And in case you didn’t
know, they do make boot heaters!
Maybe you don’t have
anybody to ski with? Not to worry. You can hook up with the Tuesday
Wipe-Outs or Ski Away or one of a number of Ski Clubs in the state. These
are great groups of people to ski with and they know how to have fun. You
can find me throughout the season at Spirit, Lutsen, Wild Mountain, and
with my young girlfriends at the "Take Your Daughter to
the Slopes" weeklong event at Welch Village in February.
It’s important for
everybody to remember: You become a
better skier by doing, not dreaming. Every turn, every run, any slope
you can get on as often as possible is what makes a better skier. As long
as there’s snow, it doesn’t matter what kind of terrain it is. No excuses. Now, it’s
time to get started working on those 100 turns. Hope to see you this
winter!
