Hellooo to snow in Cyprus! and now that it has mounted up on our mountains, skiing is going to be my new thing. This desire of mine has eluded me since my wish to go on a winter honeymoon was overruled. Well settled in my comfort zone I allowed the idea of taking up the sport pass me by. Now there is no stopping me. Wakeboarding and water skiing also took me by surprise in the summer. Obviously my ‘let me live it up’ button is fully switched on. I think the whole population in Cyprus has hit our snow- capped mountains this Winter. I don’t know if it’s just me but everyone is skiing, that explains why all our shops have sold out of skiing gear! Typical!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. You always need someone to give you that extra push to do something. For me it was a family friend –who also added the excuse that our sons ought to know how to ski. My sister’s friend, who is into extreme sports, sorted everything out for us, from what to buy, where to buy it, to booking the instructor, to even driving us up there. It’s all about knowing the right people!
What a hassle though! Putting on a swim suit, grabbing a towel and heading for the beach is so much easier. Taking suitable clothing (far too hot to wear when traveling) and extra clothing is unappealing but once there, surrounded by the natural beauty of snow, everything fades into non- existence. Our first lesson on the slope ensured we covered the basics. Putting skis on and removing them, getting up after a fall, (I found this super difficult), slowing down and going faster down the hill. We only used the small slope, a 15m stretch with a slight decline, so there was no chance of us shooting down the hill and ending up in a ditch. My lesson went well considering I fell about five times but managed to escape unscathed. I think the worst thing is the dreadfully uncomfortable boots, but Panadol solves that!
Isn’t it funny how children manage to grasp the concept and skill so much faster than us adults? The fear of getting hurt stops us grown-ups from letting go. Children simply have no fear they just get on with it. After only two short lessons I lost my son on the slopes.
We were so enthusiastic when we got back home that we brainwashed the rest of the family to give it a go. Thank god for the internet! Clothes were found and ordered in no time. Roll on this weekend. I am so excited, here we go again!
