Sunday, December 7, 2008

The Hills Did Not Sing "Oh Christmas Tree" That Day....

I saw Miss Megan do a Flashback Friday post of her when she was a child with a group of friends skiing. I totally had my own flashback of my first time skiing in 15 years that happened last year. Want to hear the story? Ok!

When I was in 9th grade, the school offered a night time skiing class during the winter time. My parents signed me up for the adventure and the only thing I remember about the experience was that I had a really good looking instructor that wanted nothing to do with me, which meant that I had to roll down the hill (roll, not ski) to make it back to the bus to get home. I can still here Chad Buck laughing at me from the ski lift above as I front flipped and skidded down the side of the main mountain at Brighton Ski Resort. Ah the memories!


Last year, when Brian said that he wanted to take me skiing, I totally played along, and said I was excited because I had taken lessons and would be extatic to hit the hills again. He use to ski all the time when he was a teenager. Besides in 9th grade, I was young and naive, but as an adult, I could totally tame the mountain. Maybe something like this?




Last year, Brighton Ski Resort had a killer deal that if you brought in a sack of food, you could get a Day Ski Lift Pass for $18! 18 BUCKS!! You can't beat that! Normally it is $45 for the day. So Brian and I decided that we would rent some skis and hit the slopes.


Apparently, we are very naive when it comes to the skiing world. We had rented our gear from Sport Chalet which was boots, skis and poles. Little did we know that we were not even half prepared for the event. Brian kept mumbling about needing goggles, but was refusing to pay $45 for a pair for a 1 time use. All we had was our coats and some gloves and the gear we rented and we headed up the mountain.


I quickly learned as we got out of our car that we stuck out like sore thumbs. First of all, everyone looks like they just stepped our of an Ambercrombie ski apparell magazine. Their pants, boots, hats, gloves, skis etc, all matched and were the latest styles.





I have my brown winter coat that I had brought and had a moment of anxiety when I realized I had completely forgotten about ski pants!!!! Lo and behold Brian had not and brought for me a pair of green ski pants that we his dads or sisters from the 80's. Oh for the love, I had no other choice. I get cold so easily and when I am cold, then I am done.


So, humbly I slipped the green snow pants over my jeans and tried to convince myself that I did not look like an upside down tree. Oh, the humanity!! Poor Brian had no ski pants and had to just wear his jeans which apparently is a fashion faux pas now on the mountain.


Next, I wanted to know what he had planned for goggles. He whips out either our old sunglasses or shop glasses that we got from Jordan when we had to do a bike ride so early in the morning that it was still dark. I still laugh picturing myself walking around Brighton Ski Resort as an upside down tree with shop glasses on. And yes, this was last year and BE QUIET!!


I had broken down and told Brian that I had no memory of ever knowing how to ski and so we spent most of the morning on the bunny slopes with the other 9 year olds who were there with a class. He finally convinced me to head to the easiest slope on the main mountain. We headed up the lift and quickly I was having flash backs of rolling down the mountain. I convinced myself that I was a big girl now and I could handle this. No problem!


As we headed down the side of the moutain, I tried to find my groove of going back and forth down the hill. Suddenly, a large pack of skiiers caught up to us and when I would go to pivet left, a skiier was right there and I could not turn. No problem, I would just turn right and as I turned a wake boarder passes right next to me. Now I am heading straight down the mountain in a staight line and "THE PLOW" was not slowing me down. Brian was behind me and said that at first, he thought that I had finally gotten it down, and then realized I was out of control. The only thing I knew that would stop me was a tree or a large snow bank.


Sonny Bono died with the tree, so that is out, and I spotted the large snow bank. I hit the bank and dissapeared in the snow to have my husband come and dig me out. OK, now I am down, get me to the car. Brian coaxes me to get back in the skis and at least ski down the rest of the mountain instead of walking. So, I collect what little ego I had left, picked my tree butt up and decided I was going to show this mountain who was boss.


I was going at snails pace in a very predictable pattern (trust me, I was taking no risks at this point) when all of the sudden I get nailed in the back by a snow boarder. The girl and I tumble together and when we came to a hault, I just layed there and started to cry. The snow boarder's friend came up and says "Now look what you did, you broke her leg." My mind raced over very quickly that nothing in my body was hurt other than my ego. I screamed "I'm FINE!" and tried once again to place the tree upside down again. I made it down the mountain to sit my rear at a table and sip hot chocolate as my shop glasses fogged up. I was a wreck and ready to go home.


I waited in the car as Brian gracefully went down the mountain on his own so he could get at least one good run in before we headed down the mountain to sweet civilization. As the car drove away from Brighton Ski Resort, I made a promise with the hills of the Wasatch Mountains. I would never grace my tree like butt on the moutains as long as I lived the rest of my life. And the mountains rejoiced!!


Picture of me, Brighton Ski Resort December 2007!



10 comments:

Kristen said...

Ha! Oh gosh that's funny. I'm totally picturing your ski apparel because you're right - you would definitely stick out. :) Hee hee! I SO wish I could go boarding this season - I would take you and try this again! I LOVE snowboarding. You should skip the skiing and try it out. And if you & Brian decide to hit the slopes again let me know. You can borrow my coat, boarding pants, gloves, hat, GOGGLES, whatever. Just don't wear shop glasses. For the love.... :)

Clarke and Kamie said...

um yeah, I remember that horrible ski class that my parents FORCED me to do ("everyone needs to learn how to ski"). I nailed my face in snow so hard I was seeing stars. I tried to spend most of my time in the lodge.
I went snowboarding with Clarke's family 2 years ago in Idaho, and I landed on my booty so hard that SERIOUSLY my tailbone was ringing from the pain for weeks.
Yep--thats the last I've been--probably last ever.

Ann Marie said...

I remember those ski classes too..
Oh man, I'm going to be honest.. It was hard to read Suz. I was re-living my shameful ski attempt all over agin.. No lie. Only, I can't rememeber what stopped me, and I fell of the lift ( at the end ) and they had to stop the whole thing. Embarrassing. I came to the conclusion that Ann and the cold + skiing is never going to be a good combination....

Me said...

We all have stories like that. I have a couple of horrible ski experiences, but I still like to ski. I haven't skied much since I've gotten married, but I'll get back up there one day.

Oh, and nice picture!

Mackenzie said...

Bless you! I am lauging so hard!!!!

Jenice Henrie said...

And you told me you had a good time. Both in Jr. High and when you went with Brian. Or, at least that's what I remember you told me. Alas, senior memory.

Sorry about the bad experiences, but my best advise is to visit the snow, throw it around a little, drink hot chocolate, and then go home to a fire. Cute story.

Did anyone enjoy those classes?

Carrie said...

Ah ha ha ha ha! That is funny. At least you never biffed it so hard that someone behind you rushed to your aide with the question "Are you dead?" Oh, should I add that I have been on the injury tobagen (sp?) 2 TIMES!!!!!!! You can borrow my gear any time. All of it was gently used. Good thing I am always expecting or nursing to have an excuse not to go.

JENNIFRO said...

THat was awesome!! I am like Ann--feeling all too up close and personal to this memory. I am SURE I would totally shame myself of the slopes and have deliberately been avoiding them for years. That picture was sooo hilrious!

{Mo} said...

I'm so cracking up here! I have been skiing a whopping one time and I will die being ok with that! At least you had the guts to go back. I made the mistake of letting Derrick try to teach me when we were dating, bad, bad plan. My bindings were too tight and Derrick though it would be a great idea to ski behind me so my skis could follow his and I could get the feel of it. Somehow our skis crossed and neither of us could stop. We finally crashed HARD and I twisted my knee bad. We went to our friends condo and sat in the hot tub to try and loosen it up. When we left and went from the hot room to cold outside, I passed out, and Derrick didn't even catch me!!! (he was light headed too) When I came to and finally stood up, I passed out again! LONG, CRAPPY day that I never want to repeat!
Derrick really would like to take our boys skiing this year. I'll be content to sit in the warm lodge and read!

Natalie said...

Relief!! I thought I was the ONLY ONE in Utah that didn't enjoy skiing! HOw pathetic, I thought of myself. I do not enjoy skiing either, and I have had many experience of what you have described so beautifully in your story. Bless you, my dear.

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