25/2/25 4 min read
Aomori city is in the northern most prefecture of Japan and is the snowiest city in the world. This January, I wanted to be there to do my basic skiing.
To commit myself, I had signed up several months before with a local ski and snowboarding tour company that would conduct their activities there.
Due to my oversight, I had signed a hosted programme which meant they would bring us to special snow sites and there the action would start. It turned out to be an advanced programme.
The morning after our arrival, I found out that I was the only skier and the rest were experienced snowboarders, mostly young adults.
I was thrusted my skis and poles and boots and we proceeded to the gondola lift.
A gondola lift! It meant that it would bring us to a high vantage point to start. In the lift, I began to feel uncomfortable and unnerved.
I smiled awkwardly at my fellow mates, looking out at the endless ski routes and bawked, aghast at its steep slopes. I. tried to make small talk trying to destress.
There was no turning back.
I fumbled as I got out of the gondola and my fellow mates helped me with what I suspected were skis that were too long and broad for me. Later I found out that they were for faster speed.
Then we trudged out to the snow to the starting point and when I saw the far, far distance, my heart died.
The scenery was breathtaking no doubt with its cotton like clouds against a bright blue sky, the wide and undulating snow slopes lined by snow dusted beech trees.
It’s at least 1 km with no gondola base in sight. The problem was I am only a basic skier and had never gone down this gradient of 45degrees.
All the snowboarders were ready and their eyes were on me out of respect for my seniority. I was too shocked to pray. Oh, go ahead, go ahead, I motioned to all of them as I did not want to create a scene in front of them. Swiftly they sped down the snow like penquins on ice.
I inched forward to the edge. “Oh God help me!” I had to do something before the next batch of gondola riders arrive.
Fortunately, my wits did not leave me. Instinctively, I started to side step carefully with my skis placed perpendicular against the slope and created steps on the snow to bring myself to a lower level.
Then I started to ski. Side stepping was not taught by any coaches but I guessed it arose out of survival instinct. Then I recalled one of my past coaches said that I must cut across a steep slope to slow myself.
They had also said, “Lean forward, stand up, don’t worry and that became my mantra.
So I cut across and remembered to make a large turn to cut across the slope again then make a stop by making the A sign with the skis and dug into the snow. One coach had told me, “ Relax, breathe deeply and enjoy the scenery”. I did that.
After steadying myself and catching my breath, I turned again in this fashion many times until I stopped short of the next steep slope. I started side stepping down again. And repeated for the odyssey.
In my survival mode, all the tips from my past basic coaches had come back to me. I was grateful for that.
It seemed like an eternity to me. I must not die here I told myself or I destroy everyone’s fun. A laughing stock and a disgrace to my senior friends.
I finally made it down to the Gondola base and my host who waited for me gave me a high 5. “Well done!”, she quipped.
Meanwhile my snowboarding mates had already gone up the gondola few rounds and whisked past me few times. They must have witnessed me, the struggling, solitary skier.
I told the host that it was my fault for not looking at the brochure properly and signed an advanced programme. No more gondola course runs for me please.
I requested for gentler slopes but so we went to another course which was slightly less steep for a basic skier but somehow it seemed easier after coming from the gondola course.
I also found that they had given me big and long skis for pros. I changed to shorter and slimmer skis which were easier to manage.
Despite the fiasco, many good things came out of this incident
1 I found that I had kept relatively calm and this enabled me to think better. This is an important skill to keep.
2 I must be more cautious when signing forms and not skim on details.
3 Though I did not integrate much with the younger snowboarders, I made some friends who took wefi with me to encourage their mothers to get active.
On hindsight, I am glad to be given this shocking challenge by my mistake. I would not have signed for it by choice.
All that agony was not in vain.
In conclusion, occasionally things do not turn out the way we expect. By keeping a cool head, solutions may surface to rescue ourselves.
From another perspective, all experiences can enrich and enlighten and bring out the best in you, and not necessarily ruin you.
