My ski career

This is a picture that I took out of a calendar that I got for Xmas. It shows an Ibex in the French Alps. It is also my zodiac sign, Capricorn, so that's maybe why I like the mountains so much...
I like this picture because it shows this animal reining in his mountain and then you see all the snowy caps in the background.









My parents started me early with the skiing. I was probably 7 or 8 years old in this pictures. Styling in an early 70ies ski ensemble. My smile wasn't telling the whole story though. Right behind me is the reason of my misery. At the time there where no chair-lifts. And I still think to this day these kind of lifts are a creation to torture me. When you are the age and weight, I was then, it used to lift you up on a frequent basis and make the whole thing even more unpleasant.
Anyway, I LOVE chair-lifts:) (This picture was taken in Valebella, Sitzerland)
























All that didn't keep me from doing the end of ski-school-week-race. Don't remember how well I did, but I am smiling...couldn't have been too bad.



After that I took a long break in skiing until one day in 1999, I threw down some money for a set of skis, boots and poles. As you can see, I got so excited, I had to try them on at home (oh mey)









For folks with some ski knowledge. The Dude sold me carving skis that were way too long for me and I struggled constantly with them, but once you pointed them downhill, there were (I was) unstoppable...yeah, I even won a race against a Dutch guy over a hat that I wanted (Yes, I do collect hats....)










This picture was taken in 1999, in the meantime chair lifts outnumber the torture machines and I realized that I LOVE skiing. It is hard to find a picture of me in the mountains without a smile on my face that goes from one ear to the other...might be the lack of oxygen!?!?

Besides my love for MOUNTAIN biking, I love skiing especially, because that is the sport that I met Martin through. We met at a Ski Club meeting in Stuttgart, Germany and our first weekend date was a ski trip. So going on a ski trip with Martin brings back all these memories....

And so far, I have been lucky, that I have never gotten injured (knock on wood)...





The reason I am writing (again) about skiing (some folks might say, isn't this supposed to be a bike blog???) is, that I will join Mr. M, who left today to drive to CO, on Thursday to spend the weekend in Winter Park CO. I know it will be tough, but we will suffer through it.