Fine skier vs. fast skier

Part of skiing’s appeal is that it’s the closest thing to flying or be liberated from gravity. Of course, it’s also a form of emptying one’s mind, of contemplation and of complete change of scenery, but the feeling of speed and freedom is an important attraction of the sport.

A few days ago, as we were racing to reach a ski lift before it might be closed for the day, my daughter said that I was skiing dangerously too fast. She was absolutely right and as I thought about it, I’ve tried to see the difference and the limits associated with being a fine skier and fast skier.

I have also concocted that little graph to illustrate the point I’m about to make. When a skier is very good, he or she can afford to ski faster in relative safety.

There are of course many parameters to consider beside ski proficiency. Terrain and snow conditions, crowding, weather, visibility, equipment failure, obstacles, avalanches and personal well being (mental and physical) among many others.

Greater safety is attained when the skier is not skiing and greater danger is reached when proficiency is no longer enough to allow full control by the skier.

So here you have an omnipresent, fine and moving line that always lurks around when you are on your skis, and the bottom line is that one is always better off focusing on acquiring proficiency rather than speed...