"This is how you fasten your ski boots for a good fit.  This buckle should be tight across your mid-foot and ankle so that your foot doesn't slide around inside of your rental boot"

"Then why are yours unbuckled?"

"Okay, good question.  You see, I wear these boots every day for work, and they have been custom fit at a huge expense.  Because of this, my feet hurt too much if they are buckled".  I

 

I am, once again, twitterpated.  No, I'm not talking about twitter, facebook or any other social media, I'm referring to that "butterflies in the stomach", almost can't sleep, stammer your sentences kind of twitterpated.  True first love, puppy love, yearning love with all the angst and rollercoaster highs and lows.  And it's with my job.

Yes, the saying, "Do what you love and you'll never work

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do" is a funny cliché, but one steeped in truth.  Bulky ski clothes, heavy awkward equipment and clunky, slippery ski boots don't always make a vacationer feel suave, but there are ways to fit in and feel more "in the know".  Here are some tips for your best Ski Etiquette:

1. The number one offense:  When you carry your skis on your shoulder, DO NOT turn around

 

My ski school clients frequently ask me what they should do to get ready for their ski trip.  Additionally, I've been contracted to write an article on that exact subject:  "What Should Skiers Specifically Do to Prepare for the Season?".  I know the right answers.  I know what we're supposed to do, and how to make it positive, enthusiastic and, who knows....maybe even motivational.  But despite

 

We all know what happens when you "assume", don't we?

Apparently not.  I'm learning that more often than not, familiarity with ski vocabulary outside of my ski resort home is not a given.  One of my recent professional writing projects (read: paid, but not enough to buy me new ski boots) involved some advice I was to offer regarding functional mountain wear.  At some point I discussed neck

 

It sounded like a great adventure.  It was.  It became another great lesson, too. 

When I first heard about my son's field trip to Hanging Lake, I jumped at the chance to go along.  An autumn hike,  3 miles almost straight up/down to a gorgeous lake along a spring fed creek?  Of course.  With forty 1^st and 2^nd graders?  Not gonna miss that.

I've done the hike countless times, and I wouldn't

 

Young kids are basically petri dishes.  My little grommet shows his caring/sharing side by gathering germs at school faster than I can say "Purel" and bringing them home, insuring that for his two days of sniffles, I will adopt the bug the way it was meant to be: as a full-blown 5 day sneeze fest, complete with swollen, watery eyes and a toasty little fever to keep me warm at night.  At least

I haven't washed my car.  I didn't plan a trip to the front range.  If fact I really haven't done much to ensure that we are going to get snow anytime in the near future.  Except one tiny thing.  Maybe. 

Okay, I might as well apologize now because if we start to see the weather get colder and wetter (otherwise known as Autumn), it's probably my fault. 

I went ski boot shopping.

Yep, I dug out last

 

At the end of March, our family moved what we could into a 26 foot camper, and embarked on a 3 month experience as campground hosts in a remote part of Utah/Wyoming.  My son, husband, dog, 18 year old cat, 2 goldfish and a shamrock plant plunged head first into an adventure that would provide writing material (at least) and mosquito bites with a side of survival skills.  The result?  I'm still

 

I'm insecure enough that I've kept one big fear a secret until now...my insecurity.

As I write this, I think of the shock, disappointment and loss of work that will come from my admission, or maybe it won't.  See, I'm not sure.  In fact I'm very unsure.

Most of the time, I find humor in the fact that despite years of experience, awards, certifications, request clients, requests for articles, and

 

"So, what do you do in the summer?"

I have heard this question more often than "how can I improve my skiing?" or "Where is the best place to ski?" or " Does this Bogner stretch ski suit make me look fat?".  Students ask their instructor, instructors ask peers, and concerned family members that wonder how long this ski thing is going to continue, ask their loved one(s): 

"So, what are you going

 

One of the neat things about living in a ski resort is that you don't have to leave to go on vacation.  Really, look at how many people save their pennies just to come visit our ski town for a few days, and most resorts are in pretty stunningly beautiful areas, anyway.  Sure, we might have to drive 100 miles for a decent pair of shoes or that gotta-have-it hybid vehicle (if we didn't order it

 

I have been a professional athlete for more than half of my life.  If I add in the amateur portion of my sports life, 3/4 of my time on earth so far have been spent actively pursuing skating and skiing as a serious athlete.  Since neither sport commands the monetary applause that professional football, basketball, et cetera receive, I've had the opportunity to supplement my taxable income with

 

It was another case of "fixing" someone's skiing by switching ski boots.  Not to another size, but to the correct feet.  It happens frequently, and was fairly understandable when rear entry boots were popular.  In fact, the fit that alot of rear entry boots provided probably negated the need to wear the left boot on the left foot, the right boot on the right foot anyway, but even with the

 

What makes a person pay $600, $700 (sometimes more) for a private lesson?  Why do they spend so much for a lift ticket at their resort of choice? 

When everything is added up, equipment rental, travel, lodging, tickets, lessons (group/private/workshop/whatever), lunch, clothing, souvenirs, and the odd trip to the hospital add up to an awful lot of money.  Of course, each experience is done

 

How on earth did humans ever ski without the right tools?  The cell phones, cameras, walkie-talkies, ipods, dvd players (yes, I skied with a family that packed 2 dvd players for their children's comfort during breaks) and all of that other good stuff...

Technology can really help during a ski session, especially in urgent situations.  The ability to call ski patrol without looking for an

 

Mistakes cause accidents.

I am so glad someone finally explained that to me!  I had to take a driver's license test recently, and the book they gave me to study let me in on that scoop.  It also included helpful information such as "Don't drive on sidewalks" and "Do not drive a vehicle so loaded that you can not control it".  I swear, all examples are verbatim!

Now it has been a long, long time

 

What?

Where?

Why?

When?

How?

The basics that most newspaper articles try to answer in the first paragraph are also the most frequently used words in most ski school students' vernacular.  This is often true of ski instructors, too, as we try to figure out the mechanics of this sport and how to break it down into teachable chunks.  Every season, there are new catch words and phrases that are deemed

 

"This is how you fasten your ski boots for a good fit.  This buckle should be tight across your mid-foot and ankle so that your foot doesn't slide around inside of your rental boot"

"Then why are yours unbuckled?"

"Okay, good question.  You see, I wear these boots every day for work, and they have been custom fit at a huge expense.  Because of this, my feet hurt too much if they are buckled".  I

 

I love getting a peek inside of other people's lives.  Judging by the number of reality shows, I'm not the only one, and teaching private ski lessons to families is about as real as ski instruction gets.  Even if their income tax bracket is vastly different than my family's, some things about mom, dad and the kids on a ski trip are universal.  A family vacationing together can pretty much count