Hi everyone and welcome to my page about one of my most favorite hobbies...skiing. I have a lot outdoor hobbies but skiing definately is my number 1. It combines high speeds, great views, and plenty of exercise. I know many people that won't try out skiing because they believe that it's dangerous, or that they'll "break their legs", but skiing is a lot of fun when you stay in control. There's really nothing else like it in the world. It makes you feel great, and looking up at that mountain after you've conquered it makes you feel like you've really accomplished something. Here in my site I'm going to discuss how I got into skiing, some tips for people first learning how to ski, and a typical ski day for myself. Enjoy!!!

How I got into skiing...

When I was in 6th grade at Nathan Hale Middle School in New Haven, CT there were yearly trips to Mount Southington, located in Southington, CT. I had always wanted to try skiing however my mom had the you'll break you legs outlook. (My mom broke both her arms as a kid going down a hill on rollerskates.) After pestering her a bunch she finally gave in. Since it was my first time I had to take a lesson to learn the ropes. The first thing that you learn is what your equipment does and how it works. Next you learn how to put it on. Depending on the place you take a lesson at you may learn how to walk or even fall first, but mine got me right on the first lift. I started out on this lift called the j-bar which is basically a arm with a piece of wood attached to it that looks like a letter "J". It comes around you an tucks underneath you and pushes you up the mountain. Being 11 years old, having never done this before, and trying to do this was quite a challenge. I was able to go up and fall my way off several times. I'd just slowly get up and go over to the group lesson. In this lesson they teach you how to turn and stop. Check out my New Learner's Page page for more tips on learning how to ski. That day I was able to go up to the very top of this small hill and slowly make my way down, falling several times along the way. I should note that falling is part of the first time skiing. Usually after the first day people have a good feel for how skis feel and they'll know how to fall properly. I really enjoyed skiing minus the falling parts, but never got back on the slopes for a long time after that. About 3 years later I had my dad take me back to Mount Southington and I tried skiing again. Even though I had only gone the one time I was certainly better.

About 8 years later while finishing up my degree at UCONN one of my coworkers asked me in passing if I had ever been skiing before. I told him about my skiing history and he asked if I'd like to go up to Killington with him. I said I'd definately like to try skiing again so we went. I had known Killington to be the "Beast of the East" but I had never seen any mountains like this. When we rounded the corner and saw the mountain booming in front of us I was officially "freaking" out and Jason my coworker was saying "that's what you're gonna take on today" We pulled in, got our rentals, suited up and went out to the "bunny" hill. Bunny Hill is used very loosely here as the small hill off of the Snowshed base lodge is anything but small. Jay took me up and gave me a few pointers. We practiced several different turns and stops, and once I got the hang of it we were off to the top of the mountain. We traversed over to the K1 Express Gondola that takes you up to the peak of Killington. On the way up you can look up the mountain or turn around to see the great views like the one shown below. When I got to the top and looked out from the peak over all the mountains I was instantly a skiing addict. I had never before seen a view quite like this. Even if you don't ski you can take the lifts during the summertime up to the peak to check out the view and to hike. I definately suggest it.

After becoming a skiing addict that day all I wanted to do was ski. I went on several trips throughout New England to various mountains but nothing beats Killington. A close second might be Sunday River. One note of caution...once you become a ski addict it's hard to stop. You'll try to get anyone to go and sometimes you're going to go with more experience people who will try to push you to do trails that you're not ready for. I'd suggest that if you aren't comfortable with harder trails then you should either take your time getting down the trail, or take an easier trail that joins up with the harder one further down the mountain. Remember you're there to enjoy being outdoors and to enjoy the mountain, not to be getting hurt.

On the next page I'm going to be going over a typical ski day and I'll be giving out some tips that you can use throughout the day. Click on the links below to navigate to the next page or if you're interested click on the New Learners's Page link to see tips for new skiers.

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