Weekday on the Slopes

Weekday on the Slopes Sabrina Di Marco

From my office window I had watched the snow fall early in the week. Big, fat, white flakes floated down onto the ground, retuning the panorama from early spring grass and cement to a winter wonderland. Acting as a mix of meteorologist and math wizard, I calculated that I would indeed be able to squeeze in an extra day on the slopes. Work and so many other commitments demanded attention, but so too did those big white snowflakes coming back for a final hoorah and unexpected season finale. A tribute to them was necessary.

Later that week I was thrilled to indulge in my ski day. Yet I was concerned that the beautiful flakes of snow from earlier in the week would not be enough to provide good conditions on the slopes. On the ski lift I spoke with a woman who had been there all day. She came up with her two teenage kids. She was telling me about how they exhausted her because they were not as passionate about being out on the snow. Sometimes they wanted to ski and sometimes they didn’t. Now they were in the chalet playing video games while she indulged in a few solo runs. She was a radiant, real woman.

I asked her about the snow. On this April day, knowing that the resort wasn’t making snow this late in the season, I feared barren or icy patches, or terrible slushy snow. As she paused I could see that she reached deep inside of her emotion from the day in order to answer me honestly. She said, “well, it is really . . . amazing!” and released a big, happy smile. Not believing her at all, I thought that it was great how positive she was. She was the epitome of all those inspirational memes on social media. She was taking a spring condition ski and making lemonade.

I sat on the snow at the top of the hill to put on my binding and savor the panorama. The white snowy run was filled with coniferous trees; the Tyrolean ski village below; the beautiful blue waters of Georgian Bay and the bright blue sky: they were absolutely stunning and so very peaceful. For those who love the calm and thrill of alpine, this moment confirmed what a good idea it was to have made the escape from my over busy life and be here right now, indulging in the blessings of nature, sport, and adventure.

As I headed down the run, I quickly picked up my ski legs, and before I knew it I was grooving and carving in the snow; playing with speed. I became conscious of the snow underfoot. It was fabulous! That lady that I spoke with was not just super positive. The snow was lush and smooth and made you glide and groove. It felt like feathers, pillows, and kittens under your feet. It was indeed Amazing!

Two words: Snowboard Salsa. That’s right. I was grooving so much that my upper body got involved and indulged in the play with gravity and friction. I often have Salt ‘n Pepa’s song Push It looped in my mind when I come down a run. But today, with this fluffy, beautiful snow that allowed for so many nuances, I was singing salsa songs in my head. As I came down the slope carving and playing with gravity, my upper body accented my movements with flow and style.

This playground unleashed courage and ambition. I enjoyed returning to snowboard fundamentals: engaging my core and maintaining bent knees to control my board over snow bumps. My focus on the basics resulted in the taunting lure and promised thrill of pointing the board downward.