eclaire
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
My local hill has a race league. It seems like a pretty large and diverse group of people and they race in teams of four, 4 nights a week. I've been watching them and have started to think about trying it next year.
The problem is, I'm a solid intermediate skier but I'm nearly 50 years old and haven't skied gates since I was a teenager. Often when I look at the course it seems to be sheer ice, which is totally intimidating because I'm not sure that I'm that good! I believe they do offer gate training/ lessons so I suppose I could start there, but I guess I just feel insecure about trying. I'd need to find three other people, preferably women of my age to start a team, I'd imagine. How do I do that? Do I need to buy racing skis or other gear? I'm skiing on Black Pearls now and I wonder if they'd be too soft? On the other hand, I don't want to invest in race skis only to find that I can't cut it. How serious are these leagues or is it just an excuse to get together for a beer after the race? Am I crazy to think this could be a good thing?
Sorry for all the questions, but I'd love to hear from any Divas who race, and especially novices or older skiers just starting to race. What has your experience been like and what advice could you share?
The problem is, I'm a solid intermediate skier but I'm nearly 50 years old and haven't skied gates since I was a teenager. Often when I look at the course it seems to be sheer ice, which is totally intimidating because I'm not sure that I'm that good! I believe they do offer gate training/ lessons so I suppose I could start there, but I guess I just feel insecure about trying. I'd need to find three other people, preferably women of my age to start a team, I'd imagine. How do I do that? Do I need to buy racing skis or other gear? I'm skiing on Black Pearls now and I wonder if they'd be too soft? On the other hand, I don't want to invest in race skis only to find that I can't cut it. How serious are these leagues or is it just an excuse to get together for a beer after the race? Am I crazy to think this could be a good thing?
Sorry for all the questions, but I'd love to hear from any Divas who race, and especially novices or older skiers just starting to race. What has your experience been like and what advice could you share?