Spreading the Gospel

One of the major downsides of working professionally as a skier, teaching and supervising teaching for ski schools year-round, is that there is a real danger of losing proper perspective. When acting as a supervisor and coordinator of programs, I find myself in the position of needing to keep instructors focused on what our goals and purposes really are and why we do it. I occasionally tell them that somewhere in the world there is a cubicle or an office for each of us, with a telephone, a computer, fluorescent lights overhead and our name on the door. We can choose to find it, to lead a more conventional existence with its particular rewards, pleasures and comforts, or we can choose to teach skiing and snowboarding for a living. Sometimes it works, sometimes the staff turns a deaf ear. Sometimes, I am the one who needs reminding and, luckily enough, I find those reminders frequently in many places, both expected and unexpected. I found one such reminder this morning, and a small chance encounter drove to the heart of why I love what I do and am so devoted to it.

Treble Cone closed today due to severe weather. It’s an infrequent occurrence here, but the resort does sit precariously on a shelf on the side of a big, high alpine mountain, so it is particularly vulnerable when big spring storms roar in off of the Southern Ocean. So, on days like today, all gray and stormy, the resort staff and guests wander aimlessly from shop to shop, drinking familiar espresso drinks with odd Kiwi names in the many cafes in Wanaka, grateful for an extra day of rest but anxious with the hope of a powder day tomorrow. It’s a nice vibe, in the way the occasional storm can enforce a mellow quietude on any small town. Even I succumbed to the impulse to buy something for myself, stopping into a sport shop in town

In the shop, I was surprised to be recognized by a guest right away, asking me “Are you Russ?” At first, I had no recollection of him – not unusual given the number of people I meet while working. Then he sprung it on me: I had taught him to ski from scratch two years ago during my first season at Treble Cone. Searching the mental rolodex, I remembered. He’s an Australian in his ‘30’s named Michael, and I remembered him in part because he is probably the tallest person I’ve ever taught skiing. His lessons presented an interesting challenge at the time because of his height – he is a good athlete, but lets just say that he exerts different forces on his skis and moves in a way slightly different from people who are under six feet ten inches tall. We had a lot of fun two years ago and, like many people hesitant to learn skiing at Treble Cone because of its reputation as an expert’s mountain, he stayed and enjoyed our resort because it is a very different and immensely more personal experience than beginners can have at our vastly busier neighboring resorts.

Michael is hooked on skiing. He loves it, and he told me that he’ll always remember having had his first ski experiences with me at TC. He now lives in the UK and has been skiing in Europe when he can during the Northern Winter. He is excited to be back in Wanaka and skiing at Treble Cone this week – returning to his roots in skiing, so to speak. I say it all the time: in my view one of the central tenets of our profession is sharing our passion for our sports with our students. It’s infectious, and when we welcome new people to our sports, get them hooked, and later have the opportunity – on the hill, in passing and in chance encounters in town – to see that they love it as much as we do, it reinforces what a wonderfully gratifying experience our jobs can be.

The storm will clear this evening and tomorrow we and our guests will ski and ride at Treble Cone in deep powder on some of the best and most beautiful terrain for it anywhere in the world. Plus, if I’m lucky, I’ll get to spread the gospel to more people and maybe even make some turns for myself.