Learning to Love the Slopes

WORDS MYIESHA JAIN ILLUSTRATION TANIA VICEDO

If someone had asked me what my favorite sports were four months ago, skiing would have been miles away from that list. Now, given the chance, I would be on the slopes every weekend.

Last Christmas, we spent a week in Hakuba. The Nagano resort was piled high with white powder, every roof topped with a delicate covering.

On our second day there, I took ski lessons. Despite my excitement, I got shivers—and not because of the freezing cold. What if there was an avalanche? What if I fell off the mountain? On top of that, we had to wear uncomfortable ski boots. I could hardly walk, and I almost mistook myself for a snowman.

We started with the basics of how to put on skis. I fell over so many times, quitting seemed like the best option. However, I got used to it after hours of practice. After learning how to do wedges, I was ready to try the chairlift. Even though we were a few meters above the ground and I felt like puking, I surprisingly handled the ride.

Then I saw the slope. I was about to go down a rollercoaster without my seatbelt on. My instructor opened up her skis to look like a pizza. She told me to keep my skis within hers, so I also made a pizza. On the first run, we went down together. I felt like I was gliding on the snow. When I got to the bottom, I took a deep breath. My heart leapt and soared.

Soon enough, I was able to ski by myself. First, I was just skiing, and then I learned how to make turns. I knew I wasn’t speeding like a lightning bolt, but I felt like I was racing. My hair blew in the breeze as I zoomed down the course. Although I fell a few times (actually, too many to count), if I could go back, I wouldn’t change a thing. Thanks to the trip, I managed to get a good start in the sport.

Next, we went to Lotte Arai, a ski resort in Niigata. The day after we arrived, I enrolled in the ski school. Everyone was friendly, and we skied for several hours. The sun was burning, and I felt like a melting scoop of ice cream. But we stopped for breaks to enjoy the mountain view.

The first time we skied down Sunrise, an intermediate run, I fell over a lump of snow. My skis and poles went flying and I landed on the cold blanket. I was so shocked that I couldn’t move for five minutes. But the next time I tried Sunrise, I was more aware of the small bumps in the snow. Niigata was wonderful, and I’m now a levelthree skier.

Stepping out of my comfort zone this winter helped me realize that I want to spend every winter break up on the slopes.

Myiesha Jain is a fifth grader at the American School in Japan.