Preparing for this new season or How to be a happy ski gypsy!

Yes ski season is soon going to be here soon.

Now is the time to get ready and this post is one that is very much different from all the other posts I have done.

Typically I would suggest to skiers to; clean out jackets, wipe ski wax off , heat up ski boots etc,,,

I realized this year why I am so happy as a skier gypsy. It took another fellow skier who is Bob Harwood to help me find this source of happiness. These following suggestion are his to share to all skiers and he has given me permission to share with you the secret to a really happy gypsy skier.

I suspect after these "views" it will make you not only a more happy skier but also a happier overall person. Is that not all our goal!


Enjoy!

The first viewing will touch "home" to some of you who have been close to the edge, close to that void where skiing is no longer possible. I know it made me strive to be a better skier when others were saying I would not ski ever again!

Viewing 1 http://www.youtube.com/v/ji5_MqicxSo

Viewing 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTugjssqOT0

Viewing 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr-GqUATv48

Viewing 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b1GKGWJbE8


So when you ski in that powder heaven this season,,,,think what you saw in August and how it made you a happier skier and perhaps in coming years,,,,a skier gypsy! You have left that job that really just gave you money and no pleasure!

See you in that white heaven!

Pavel,

Would like to join in the thoughts. However, in the wilds of Scotland, I cannot get broadband, and with dial-up, it ain't possible to download anything longer than a 20 second video.

I have the gist of your theme though. A long time back, as a newly qualified engineer, my pal introduced me to two weeks of Austrian skiing. We drove to Niederau, and slept on the floor in a friends room. I didn't take ski school, but some of the local instructors took it in turns to lead me down the Marbachjoch, a process that invoked the full range of responses, from total and abject fear, through sheer frustration, as everyone patiently waited for me to put my skis and googles back on, to the most exhilaring moments.

From that period, I was hooked! The next year, I was in Niederau on December 15th, and did not leave until April 15th. Never missed a days skiing. There were no piste machines, so life was deep snow, moguls, hard pack, ice, then more deep snow, moguls, ........

None of us had any money, we ate the most boring tinned meals and listened to music to pass the time, none of us had any money for drinks.

Yes I know that many of you can hear John Cleese saying, "Noor muney, lad, eeh, pure luxory. When I were a lad, we started skiing at two o'clock in the morning, skied till ten o'clock at night, no food or sleep, and often skied passed ourselves goin' upt cherlift, and bluddy glad to be there, was we"
" Now, you try telling that to the young folk today, they'll never believe thee."

Nevertheless, young folk, that passion for skiing is there, and will remain until I carp it. The same with Pav, Ise, Trencher, et al. Whoever Al is.

Dave Mac wrote:Pavel,


Yes I know that many of you can hear John Cleese saying, "Noor muney, lad, eeh, pure luxory.

was John Cleese Scottish like?

I must admit Pavel, call me ignorant, but when I clicked on the first video link I expected to be watching skiing, not a lecture, or at least a lecture on skiing........perhaps I have missed something? Didnt get what that was all about.

karen72 wrote:

I must admit Pavel, call me ignorant, but when I clicked on the first video link I expected to be watching skiing, not a lecture, or at least a lecture on skiing........perhaps I have missed something? Didnt get what that was all about.

I think what Pav is getting at, is applying this modern version of "The Inner game" to our skiing. The inner game was originally a gound breaking book in the 70s discussing a psychological approach to tennis, which later became a series of books http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Gallwey . At some point some smart people thought this approach would work well if applied to life in general. Getting away from the spiritual aspect, it still makes a lot of sense. Don’t confuse it with the gospel of prosperity, which is abhorrent.

Trencher

Dave Mac wrote:Pavel,


Yes I know that many of you can hear John Cleese saying, "Noor muney, lad, eeh, pure luxory. When I were a lad, we started skiing at two o'clock in the morning, skied till ten o'clock at night, no food or sleep, and often skied passed ourselves goin' upt cherlift, and bluddy glad to be there, was we"
" Now, you try telling that to the young folk today, they'll never believe thee."

Skis, you had skis, you sissies. When I were a lad, Three of us would go to hill. Two would have to lay down in snow and be skis for t'other. You'd be that beat up after a day in moguls that we hardly had strength for a 20 hour night shift down pit t'at night. Aye, but we loved t'skiing. If there were only two of us, we'd have to snowboard instead.

Trencher

Trencher wrote:

Skis, you had skis, you sissies. When I were a lad, Three of us would go to hill. Two would have to lay down in snow and be skis for t'other. You'd be that beat up after a day in moguls that we hardly had strength for a 20 hour night shift down pit t'at night. Aye, but we loved t'skiing. If there were only two of us, we'd have to snowboard instead

That's absolootly nowt. When I were a lad, after a 40 hour shift, down a proper pit, we ad to walk upt thill, with us legs tied togither, pullint t'Austrian ski team upt mountain, on a rope, eat a dead parrot for breakfast, puke up the parrot bits, use t' puke to wax me bare feet, put t'razer blades between me toes, before skiin down barefoot, backwards, wi me eyes shut, pullin the first aid ackier, loaded with two people.

DaveMac,
Sorry that you can not get more video information.

Karen72, sorry if you did not get, "message",,I should have given a more comprehensive introduction. Here it is.

We often forget the most important piece of skiing equipment. The "piece" that finally makes this activity what it is! That piece is YOU the skier.

Your attitude,,how you take the challenge, how you take the "hurdles" in skiing, (and in life), how you take the "set backs" will make a difference in your skiing pleasure.

That lecture ( the very last lecture),,,was given by a man who was going to die soon of cancer,,,yet watch him! Positive ,,inspiring, and living life to the very end to its fullest! That is how you should ski! So many skiers "sell themselves short"!

All those videos say, "you have the choice to greater heights in skiing." My message to you is take the plunge,,, have the courage to believe that you can do it!

There is no other message. I do not want you to join a cult or religios group! I am not recruiting new members to this new skier's cult!

Davemac, since you can not get this "feed" I will try to send you a "care package" via snail mail! I can really relate to your skiing origins! In my time it was the youth hostel route! In a very large ski resort there was a nearby farm that allowed members to sleep and eat for $7!!!! You did have to clean barn and stalls at 6AM!

Pavel. Thank you for your kind offer, but please don't go to that trouble. I plan to download the website addresses, drive to civilisation, and watch them on my son's PC. But thank you for your thought.


Pavel wrote:

In a very large ski resort there was a nearby farm that allowed members to sleep and eat for $7!!!!

Pav,
In my first season, I paid 24 Austrian Schillings for b&b, two guys to a room, with an drip feed oil heater in the corner, that we cooked on.

At the time, the rate of exchange was 72Austschgs/£. So I paid £0.33/night!!!! That would be about 50 cents?