What constitutes a 'keen' skiier?

I think of myself as a keen skiier. I have friends who I sometimes ski with who also consider themselves keen skiiers.

However, although they own their own boots and suitable clothing - that's it. They don't own their own skis, they don't participate in excellent forums such as this one and they sure as hell couldn't name 5 FIS World Cup Skiers.

So, what are the prerequists of a 'keen' skiier. Here are a few things that I think put me into the keen skiier category;

I have an alpine themed bar at the top of my Garden
I own two pairs of skis (one pair for dryslope, one for snow)
I own a pair of original 1990 Salomon S9000 monocoque skis - for said bar.
I wax my own skis
I participate in online forums
I have purchased several books on ski technique
I own at least one Warren Smith DVD
I have membership to the local dry slope and manage to get in about 6 hours of skiing per week.
I regularly travel for 3hours to visit the Tamworth indoor 'real snow' slope.
I sometimes lay in bed 'visualising' my turns - perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned that!
I have four days work leave left to the last for the entire summer.

What else make a skiier keen and indeed a keen skiier into a 'super keen' skier?

I will send you pictures of me raking leaves in October after my ACL operation and wearing ski boots. ( to break them in for coming skiing season)!

Have you ever had a Summer "after ski" party with snow, skis, and Corona's ?

Have you ever skied sand banks in July?

Have you ever driven, in June 6 hours, to climb for another 3 hours to ski down in 3 minutes a ravine where there was 10 feet of snow?

Have you joined the Gondola Club?
Ellistine , you do not know what the Gondola Club is? Ask around ? While you ask, watch the persons eyes as he or she answers. If they have misty eyes and a "slight blush on their cheeks" They are members!!!!

Have you joined the Gondola Club?

I should imagine the "T-Bar club" is more exclusive :wink: :wink:

Then there's the "button lift club" for the solo skiers but we won't go there!

Ellistine;
From your self description I would say you're a " blessed and fortunate " skier. I think a keen skier is one who is waiting at the chair lift before they open it at every chance he can get. (Admittedly there are other committments in life - sad but true.) And also, he stays on the days he can ski until the hill closes!! He gets both the frist and last chair to the top on his "ski days", and lunch is whatever he brought with him. No stopping for lunch. And only stopping for the wash-room if absolutely necessary - not for just an excuse to head inside and get warm.

Does lovingly pat your skis every time you pass therm during the summer months and tell then " don't worry - it will soon be winter and we can be "together" again! " count as a keen skier or just a crazy one?!

Mike :D

I'm keen on a lot of sports, but a few have been obsessions. These sports, I research and find out everything I can. When I start to become proficient at whatever sport it is, I spend a lot of time using visualisation. Many concepts and techniques are finally grasped, not during the activity, but visualising later. The great thing about becoming good at visualisation is that it can be your "happy place" as well. I often paddle specific rivers or carve some trenches down a run I like, when I'm I'm stuck somewhere I don't want to be.

So to answer the question, It's not just how much time you spend doing the sport, but how much time you devote to it at other times.

Trencher

I consider myself a keen skier.
I only go on overseas holidays if skiing will be a major part of the trip.
If I can't find anyone to ski with me, I go skiing alone.
I've own several ski books and videos.
I have early nights when I go skiing so I can ski all day.
I own all my own gear.
I have ski clothing to suit all weather conditions and use it.
When I was a poor uni student, I slept in the back of my car at the snow so I could afford to ski.

greenskier wrote:When I was a poor uni student, I slept in the back of my car at the snow so I could afford to ski.

Hardcore :thumbup: