Skiing is Around the Corner!

September is a perfect month for conditioning the body and the mind in preparation to a brand-new ski season. I won’t discuss today a physical training program but will instead focus on the many goals I have begin to set, back in April, when I reluctantly said goodbye to a record-breaking snow year and some incredible skiing.
Hard to believe it, but five month ago, I was already planning, plotting and anticipating what my next ski season would be like.

I must say that 2010/2011 provided me with more creative ways to ski from point A to point B. True, that past winter became one of the most interesting one for me, since I moved to Utah, 26 years ago. To break-up with routine in my skiing, I decided to launch an all-out exploration of Deer Valley Resort, including its most obscure nooks and crannies, deliberately venturing out of the beaten path, whether it would be smooth corduroy-groomed runs, bumps or even wide-open deep-powder slopes. I began looking for the gnarly side of the terrain, regularly sampling Daly Chutes, Triangle Trees and Centennial Trees.

What motivated that urge for exploration was my new toy, a helmet-mounted video cam that documented almost each one of my turns and each tree that stood in my way. Most of that experimentation was done solo and just seeing two gloved hands holding poles plus a pair of ski tip upfront made for a rather boring movie to watch. So next year, I plan to add real people to my films. From friends to family, to visitors to Deer Valley, dedicated Ski Patrol members all the way to Ski School staff.

All of them will help give texture and depth to my action movies and make sharing that experience in motion much more interesting. You’ll be able to get a front row seat to what happens on skis, with great people, fantastic snow, exciting speed and wonderful scenery! I’m already plotting my scenes, planning the shots and anticipating a triple dose of fun; first when I shoot the movie, while I edit it and finally the day the finished video is shared with all of you!

So this coming season expect to get close and personal with all Daly Chutes, discover more of “Triangle Trees”, get to know Ontario Bowl inside-out, inventory the trees of Sunset Glade, explore new paths into Centennial Trees and expand your knowledge of Lady Morgan Bowl with its secret trails and surprising exits; I’ll do my very best to documenting and memorializing each special clump of trees that hides the key to a smooth and uninterrupted meandering through the forest…