To Ski, Or Not to Ski… That is My Dilemma

I grew up in the relatively flat state of South Dakota.  Land of long winters and below-freezing wind chills which whipped across the prairie.  My parents were both raised on ranches.  In short, they were not skiers, nor was teaching kids to ski anywhere on their radar.

South Dakota is not totally devoid of a ski area, though.  So it was at age 16 that I made my first pilgrimage with fellow teens, to go learn to ski at Terry Peak in the Black Hills.  What did I think of skiing?

Skiing First Impressions

Cold.

Icy.

Terrifying.

Cute boys.

Short runs.

Long chairlift rides.

That’s about it, in a nutshell.  I tolerated it for the social aspect. But it was nothing I had a burning desire to pursue.

I’ve since had the chance to ski bigger mountains than South Dakota offers, and enjoyed some good times on the slopes.  There have admittedly been brief, optimal moments when I felt a rush of excitement and glee over a great run.  Overall, I have comfortably settled in at:  Fair-weather, Blue-Run skier.  I go once or twice per year, so never fully get over the anxiety factor.

So it’s still nothing I have a burning desire to pursue.

Skiing as a Grownup, With a Family

Hey, I love playing outside.  But I believe I’m still mildly traumatized by the 6 months long, frostbitten cheeks from the walk home from school, winters of my youth.   I really hate being COLD.

Then there’s the cost factor.  Taking a family skiing is expensive as all get out. My husband and I both own skis and boots.  But they are so outdated, they aren’t just embarrassing.  They’re dangerous.  And nearly impossible to ski on.  (Ski makers have radically changed the design, shape, and length of skis in the past 20 years).

So we all rent skis.  And purchase 4 lift tickets.  Ouch.

Why am I spending several hundreds of dollars to be cold and scared, again?

We actually had a nice long run (see what I did there?) of several years during which we didn’t ski at all.  But now that my kids are ages 6 & 11… it’s time to start skiing as a family.

Isn’t it?

Herein lies my dilemma.  We adore living in Colorado, land of endless beautiful nature trails and outdoor recreation galore.

I feel this sense of OBLIGATION to take my kids skiing.

Why Teach Your Kids to Ski?

I want them to learn at a young age, so they hopefully aren’t “scared skiers” like me.

I want them to be able to go skiing with their friends when they are older, and be able to keep up.

I want to give them the gift of skiing, if for some crazy reason they decide they love it.

*Heavy sigh*.  So unless I come up with some reason that reverses this strategy in my mind, I guess I may as well embrace it.

Silly me, I’ve been a mom for almost 12 years… I should know by now it’s not about me.  🙂  If you have any tips on how I can enjoy skiing more – I’d love to hear from you!

*o*     *o*     *o*

Do you do some activity with your kids, that you’d just really rather not?