DaveJays Blog

First Time Skiing at Whistler

FEB 16th 2007 • 1 Comments

Well, on Friday after Web Directions I had the opportunity to hit the slopes at Whistler. Whistler is where the 2010 olympics are going to be, so I was very happy to be able to go skiing for the very first time on such an incredible mountain.

The trip up

It was about a two hour bus ride up to the mountain so we got to Whistler village around 9AM. Then I went to pick up the skis that I had booked online and I got to stand in line with Dave Shea (The founder of CSS Zen Garden)! It was cool to be around so many web luminaries that I regard very highly and have been an inspiration to me. Well after I got fitted into my ski boots it took about 5 minutes before my feet started to ache horribly. I figured it was unused muscles being worked out, but I don't think that was it. I think my boots were too tight. I wear an 11 but the guy fitting me said my toes should have been further up in the boot so he got me a 10. I figured he knew what he was doing.

Well I just flowed with my aching feet and hit the gondola with a fellow conference attender. We went all the way to the top of the mountain, or as high as the gondola will take you, which is pretty close to the very top. He gave me a few tips on what to do and showed me how to put the skis on, and then I was off to get a good view of the amazing landscape. It's as close to the top of the world as I've ever been.

The process of getting down

Pretty much everyone I talked to told me I was crazy for not taking any lessons. But I still don't think I needed them. I was told to just not hold back and throw myself into it. Well I did and it was great! I felt completely natural. I honestly thought to myself, "This is so easy, I'm gonna show everyone back home how easy this is. Who needs lessons?!" Well that worked out for a little bit, but then I came to a slightly steeper hill and I came to the sudden realization that stopping was proving to be more difficult than I had originally anticipated. I had been swaying back and forth across the hill and I had been told that if I just pointed me skis together that I would slow down. Well, I wasn't slowing down nearly quick enough and I just had to drop myself down before I wiped out the innocent byskier. My skiis ripped off my feet and I crashed into the snow. When I got up that innocent byskier was laying on the ground. I'm not sure what happened, but I think my ski either hit her and knocked her over or she tripped over it somehow. Either way, she wasn't happy with me. I apologized but she just went on about how it was my responsibility to not knock people over in front of me. I guess I can knock over as many people as I want behind me =/

The Pony Trail

Well I ended up taking my skiis off and sliding down on my caboose for most of the steeper hills until I came to a part of the slopes called "The Pony Trail". This was definitely the most enjoyable part of the trail I had been on. It was relaxing and not too fast, and I had a chance to take in the view.

The rest of the day

Well after the pony trail my feet felt like they were about to fall off, they literally lost the ability to hold up the weight of my body. I could barely stand. There was no way I could keep going down the remaining half of the mountain. It took me about 2-3 hours to get as far as I had. So I figured I had made a good first attempt at skiing and decided to head back down to The Village. I returned my skis and boots and then had my wallet returned to me. Apparently it fell out of my pocket while I was ripping my ski boots off. Thank goodness for the honesty of whoever found it. Well I did a quick walk around the Village and didn't see anything interesting apart from a Red Tea latte at Starbucks. It was amazing, they should really get those down here.

Microsoft reserved the Garibaldi Lift Co. restaurant from noon to 6 so I just hung out there for the remainder of the day, eating as much food as I could since it was all on Microsoft's bill, he he he. I think they were just trying to suck up to the web community because they realize how lousily they've treated us for so many years. It was a good time, and I got to socialize with my fellow conference attenders. I started bad mouthing Microsoft's acquisition of iView Media to a guy at a table with me, and then I realized he worked for Microsoft! But he was cool about it, he brought over the product manager I think it was for iView Media (now called Expression Media) and she told me I could have a free license of it if I emailed her. Not bad at all!

Back to the City

Our bus left the Village at 6 and we made our way back to Vancouver. When we got there I walked the mile back to my hotel and wouldn't you know it, the fire alarm went off and the elevators were out of commission. Apparently some guy was stuck in there and they had to get him out. So I had to walk up the 14 flights of stairs to my room. Oh wait, it was 13 flights, I guess the number 13 scares too many people so they called my floor the 14th, even though it was the 13th. Go figure. I got to my room, took a hot shower, and stretched out on my wonderful couch and drifted off to sleep. I didn't want the hotel maid to work herself too hard making my bed everyday.

posted in: Life |