Ski FREE: A family 10 year project

You seem to be in a no win situation. You love skiing and you love your family but it seems something has to give. Money is flowing out the window. Skiing will have to be “forgotten” for a couple of years until the family is more secure and the kids grow up.

This ski free presentation is addresses to those young families. May I suggest that it does not have to be a “no win” situation and the benefits of a skiing family go far beyond just physical fitness as you will see in this presentation.

First let me discuss those “impressions”.
1.Money will always flow out anyway, even if you quit skiing.
2.Skiing will not get cheaper.
3.The kids will never grow up.

Once you refuse to even consider abandoning skiing for the family, you will then discover other options. In my case it was skiing every weekend and then some. One week during school break. One week skiing just with wife and of course at least one week with all the “fellow” skier in Spring. That was my minimum. I suspect you know that I am like a mule when it comes to skiing and also that I like to find new unorthodox solutions. With this 10 year project I really found happiness.

To appreciate this project you must remember what we discussed in the early messages about; ski business, bottom line and being a “canoe” in getting your objective. You have to fnid a situation that will make you happy and the other person also happy You both win!

Before I begin to explain this ski free project I should give you some back ground information. By the 1970”s skiing WAS big business. Huge financial companies were buying ski resorts, not because they liked skiing, but because of the land! That land beside the runs were now pure goal! Skiers wanted to ski in- ski out! The condo explosion was on! I could not afford this option, nor did I want to move to skier suburbia!

There are a few,,very few family owned ski resorts. Alta being the best example. There are great advantages to this. You will discover them if ever you take this project seriously! Near my home was such a center. It was owned by one man who bought a mountain, developed it and managed it. It was going to be my ski center! It had a small hotel/cafeteria/bar complex at the base.

There was a job at this center that no one wanted. Essentially you had to supervise the instructors, listen to skier complains about the instructors and solve client problems. I accepted it, with one condition. I would also be the “janitor” on the weekends. That is close bar, check all doors, make all fire rounds. I did not want a salary, rather a condo unit for family, meals at cafeteria and lift pass ! It was accepted,since they were always having problems getting someone for the weekend! For 10 years my family and I skiing every weekend plus some under these conditions

This arrangement was more profitable than I had planned! My children learned a great deal about skiing, life and “strange” social habits that they would have never seen.
They could answer some questions that I am sure you as adults now could not. See how you rate. Answer the following;

Can you flush down a toilet a Teddy Bear?

Is it possible to melt an American Express card behind a base header?

What is the smallest hole space a mouse needs to get into a room?

What happens when a skier places a zipper into an electrical wall plug?

5.How fast can you go down a ski run on a bar service tray?

Who will win this race up a ski run? A nude man with a very light bed sheet or a women with a very long heavy knife?

How do you get a porcupine out of the women’s washroom.

8.How fast do you have to go in a car to go up a ski slope and then veer to ditch?

9.How many drunk male teenagers can get into a police van?

Can a man’s wallet be flushed down a toilet? If yes then how many hammer blows is needed to break toilet bowl?

Can a kitten survive for three days in the “lost and found” bin?

Why do adults moan and groan next door after skiing?

What happens on the first honeymoon night when the female skier has broken her leg?

14.What do you do when there is a major storm, roads are closed and you have 200 girls from a private school in lobby?

List the 10 most comment “lines” men use in bar!

List 5 ways to get into a hotel room ( with the key)!

Make a list of the most frequent “forgotten” articles in a room?

What is the BULL WHEEL?

19.What is the best way to attract a bear into your room?

What should a skier NEVER bring into his/her room.

I discovered many years later that this project had some very positive aspects on my children.

Imagine this. An 16 year old adolescent buy bringing his girlfriend up a chair lift on a beautiful full moon night, with candles on each side of the chair. Then skiing all alone down deserted runs!!!!!

If you have young boys you know how fascinated they are to trucks, pay-loaders and tractors. Imagine this. A 11 year old boy in a Bombardier BR snow groomer. What power he must have felt! Seems owner often would take Sasha, my youngest boy on grooming trips. Later,,much later I found out he was the youngest licensed groomer around and had in fact “helped” around even before he had a car license!

In conclusion, do not give up skiing. Find ways to “finance” your skiing! List your talents and find ski resorts that need your talents. Then go out and sell your talents.

It can be done!


Oh,,,I am sure you are still wondering about that race! The women won!

They always win :evil: haha