Tweaking
Tweaking...
It was an outright blizzard. The windchill was -70 degrees with downdrafts eliminating every fire we tried to start in the fireplace. Perfect weather for snow skiing. The next day we hit the slopes. It was my first time ever.
Who needs lessons when you can slap on some skis and figure it out as you fly down the side of a mountain? Right.
We rode the gondola to the top of the mountain, and I quickly learned a technique called plowing: point the toes of your skis inward to slow your speed. "Don't be afraid of growing old. You'll still do stupid things, only slower."
I carefully made my way to the bottom of the run without incident. What a relief! "I'm not doing that again. I'll stick to the bottom half of the mountain with gentle slopes." Guess again. The gondola raced back to the top without stopping at the beginner slope. Wait, what?
The second run was worse than the first. By this time, skiers crowded the slope, and I had no control of the direction I was heading. I nearly wiped out the fellow in front of me. I had to lay down to stop, and even then, I came within inches of taking him out. That did it. I was done. I found a ski patrol to rescue me--and everyone around me.
I ventured again on the third day. This time, I followed my inclination to take lessons. On the bunny slope, one of the first lessons taught was without poles--just me and my skis. "Slightly turn your head, and look in the direction you want to go." Bada bing! I was moving in the direction that I was looking. How easy is that?
It worked like magic. One small tweak made all the difference; I could control and change direction with the slightest turn of my head. Plowing served it's purpose until there was something directly in my path. After I learned to reposition, I could easily change the direction in which I was heading.
One small tweak can change your direction. Good to know.
~ LowTide explorer, Carolyn Fjeran
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