It's our first anniversary!
Wow, time sure flies when you're having fun! Hard to believe that exactly one year ago today, TheSkiDiva.com was launched.
To be honest, in the beginning I actually wondered if anyone would show up. It's kind of like planning a party, sending out no invitations, and holding your breath that someone will walk through the door. It's always a surprise when somebody does.
Still, here we are, one year later, more than 300 Divas strong. To me, it means that there was a real need for a place where women skiers could connect with one another to share their love for the sport and have great conversations about gear, technique, and just anything ski-related. As someone with no female friends who ski, I often felt this was a part of my life I had to keep under wraps so as not to drive anyone nuts. But now, with more than 300 like-minded individuals on the forum, I can talk about skiing any time of the day, any time of the year. Ain’t life grand?
It also means that skiing is not the (almost) all-male province that many ski magazines and forums would have us believe, where women are tentative, anxious, only occasional skiers who'd much rather shop or go to the spa; who are ignorant when it comes to equipment; and who give men hell whenever they (the men) want to go to the slopes. From what I've seen, we have a group of kick-ass women who'd give any man a run for his money on any slope on any mountain. (And in any ski shop, too.)
For me, the past year has been an incredible journey. I've had the wonderful pleasure of meeting -- either actually or virtually -- a terrific group of individuals who I'm now proud to call my friends. And I've learned a lot, too. I never pretended to be the world's best skier, or an expert about equipment, resorts, and so on. So the information I get here has definitely enriched my life and proved incredibly valuable.
Administering this forum is both an honor and a privilege. I've said this before and I'll say it again: the caliber of the people here, their tremendous spirit, and the friendly, supportive nature of TheSkiDiva community makes it a truly remarkable place to hang out. A forum is only as good as its members, so it's a tribute to you all that this is as much fun as it is.
And while we're patting ourselves on the back, I'd like to give an extra big pat -- actually, a great big cyber-hug
-- to one member in particular: SnowHot. As many of you know, SnowHot is a moderator both here and on EpicSki. Her experience, advice, help, and support have contributed tremendously to the success of this Forum, and I appreciate it more than I can say. SnowHot, you're the best! And so are the rest of you Divas! Here's to you, too! And here's to one year, and many more to come. :cheer:
Thanks for joining, thanks for participating, thanks for sticking with us, and thanks for a year to remember. God bless.
