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Reflections on the 2018/2019 season

QCskier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
There is still time to ski but now that we are almost in April and a good chunk of the season is behind us what are some of your accomplishments and/or highlights? Here are mine:

1. I have been skiing 5 years and finally switched out my first ever pair of skis for a new one which are better suited for my current ability level. Having better equipment has made me more confident on the slopes.

2. There is a double diamond run at Tremblant called Expo which is steep and can be very icy. For the longest time I haven't been able to get down it without side slipping or stopping midway down to calm down because I was so nervous. That finally changed this past weekend where I skied the whole run from top to bottom without any side slipping or stopping. Having struggled with this all season long I was ecstatic about having finally skied the run with confidence.

3. While I haven't mastered glades or moguls yet I definitely jump at any chance to ski them now and I have improved in these two areas over the season.

4. In the same vein as 2 and 3 I notice that I now try more terrain that in past years I would have never done because I lacked the ability or the confidence to do it.

5. This was my first year as a season pass holder which was cool because I got to ski a lot without hurting my bank account. I am definitely getting a pass again next year.

What do other Divas have to say?
 

Serafina

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
If you've got a place you ski with any frequency, season passes are the way to go. Takes some of the pressure off to maximize the value of your lift ticket.

My accomplishments:
1. Hit 50mph (clocked, not an app) and was totally comfortable at that speed. I don't think I could have done very many runs like that, but fresh and first thing in the morning, it was purely exhilarating,

2. Ski safari with Mr. S. where we hit 5 mountains in 3 ranges and 3 states in 6 days, and enjoyed every last one of them. Three of them were places I'd never skied before.

3. Ran into a bunch of spring-skiing bumps and realized that I was enjoying the heck out of them. Usually I regard bumps as a major nuisance, but it's surprising how fun they can be when there is plenty of sun, and they're soft instead of rock hard with glare-ice troughs in between.
 

MsWax

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
It was a great year, and I hope to have another month of skiing before we close it out. Here are some of the highlights:

1. New boots (though still not quite the right fit) allowed me to ski bumps and trees SO much better than my old ones!

2. Skied the backside of Sugarloaf and didn't die :tongue:

3. Got the 5-year-old carving beautiful parallel turns on even the steepest trails:thumbsup:

4. Watched the 8- and 10-year-olds get even more skilled, leaving me just trying to keep up
 

Tvan

Angel Diva
I had a great personal season.

  • Attended the Okemo WAA Program fo the second year and make big strides in skill and more importantly confidence.
  • Skied at 8 different mountains, some new, some old, all different and had fun at each and every one.
  • Organized a ski outing at work and had a blast with people I previously didn’t know well.
  • Skied multiple black runs at different mountains with confidence.
  • Skied my first true powder day and whooped out loud alll the way down the hill.
  • Kept up with the Divas at Diva East!
 

snoWYmonkey

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
1. Took my first ski holiday in 18 years! Turning 50 prompted me to forego income, bonus, great students, and finally get out of the Hole, to go where I have always dreamt of skiing: Japan. I am adding another ski holiday on my way home from visiting my parents and sister in Sweden: Iceland. Retirement savings be damned....life is short! Best decision ever.
2. Next year I need to review how to teach first day beginners. Still the most important lesson out there and still the hardest one to master.
3. Fingers crossed 2019-2020 brings another winter of cold and abundant snow to the northern intermountain zone.
 

HikenSki

Angel Diva
This was my best year by far and I am really bummed it has come to a close just as I've really started to find my groove. We got 13 days on the slopes this year vs 6-8 in previous years if everything worked out. I started off the year as a pretty confident intermediate and now feel a more comfortable advanced intermediate. While I don't love steeps, I will at least try them knowing I have the skills to get down. I prefer cruisin the blues and looking back to see beautiful s-turns. :-D
Some highlights of my 2018-2019 season:
1 - I got longer and stiffer skis. I was on beginner skis that were too short and too soft. My soft snow skis were also too short. I'm 5'10". Started the season on 160cm Rossi Temptation 77s and some Thrilluvit 85s in a 163. Finished up the season on 168cm Blizzard Quattro 80cas and 170cm (174 actual) Alluvit 88s. Many thanks to the forum for so much info about going longer to go faster and have more stability. What a difference just going longer made to how much better and more confidently I skied! My husband even commented on how much faster I was going.
2 - Took my first ever group lesson. We focused on flexing and getting forward. Two months later, I was still working on some of those drills, finding my center, and remembering to not be static while skiing. I'm always saying "Dance with the mountain" to remind myself to stand more upright, get forward, flex into the turns, repeat. What a difference this has made with far fewer days with sore quads! My turns are better, I have more flow. My skis also provide good feedback if I'm too far forward or too far back.
3 - Did my first demo day ever! This was a great eye opener for me about what I do/do not like in a ski.I got to explore some different widths, stiffness, ski shapes. It also showed me that I could ski a 174 ski that had a bit of rocker. And of course I fell in love with a ski that is not yet available for purchase (Kore 93W in a 171). Ugh. But I know to look out for that ski on sale in the next year or so to replace the Alluvits.
4 - While I enjoy those first runs of the day on smooth groomed snow, I have come to discover I really enjoy when it gets bumped up some. Yeah it can be a bit more work, but that's when I'm hooting and hollering and having a good time. Moving away from less skidded turns and having found what centered and forward feels like, I get bounced around way less and skiing is just way more fun!

Thank you ladies for your advice and the wonderful discussions on this forum. Hope to meet some of you some day. I do see Diva East is in the US next March so will mark my calendar to see if we can fit that into my work travel schedule. :ski2:
 

SnowSeeker

Angel Diva
Great year of skiing (...it’s not over yet!) and reaching goals. I skied 50+ days, which was on my “50 before 50” bucket list. After returning to New England after living overseas for the prior three years, I re-connected with old ski buddies and found new ones to add to the mix. Finding your tribe is hard in middle age, especially after a big move. I’m so grateful for my ski/adventure ladies. My biggest joy was watching my kids progress so much this year. At 8 and 12, we can now conquer everything on the mountain together. Bliss. Now, if someone could only brainwash my husband to love skiing as much as I do...
 

QCskier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Great year of skiing (...it’s not over yet!) and reaching goals. I skied 50+ days, which was on my “50 before 50” bucket list. After returning to New England after living overseas for the prior three years, I re-connected with old ski buddies and found new ones to add to the mix. Finding your tribe is hard in middle age, especially after a big move. I’m so grateful for my ski/adventure ladies. My biggest joy was watching my kids progress so much this year. At 8 and 12, we can now conquer everything on the mountain together. Bliss. Now, if someone could only brainwash my husband to love skiing as much as I do...

50 ski days in a single season is amazing. I would love to be able to log that many ski days.
 

racetiger

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Got 53 days in... (Still a chance at a couple more this weekend. ) this season was dealing with many challenges. New boots new skis new clothing and trying new style/terrain. Its been Frustrating at times but rewarding and Fun. I learned how to slide on things that arent snow ( haha) go on bigger jumps spin and ski backwards.
 

Susan L

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
My season was great until it ended unexpectedly on 3/10, not from injury but my dog got very ill and was a breathe away from dying. We had to take him from NM to AZ for emergency surgery. We are home now but he requires 24/7 care so this is it for me...
 

EeveeCanSki

Certified Ski Diva
I didn't have many days on the snow this season (only 5) due to some personal challenges this year, but going into the season knowing that my time would be very limited, I was determined to make the time count. So while I didn't get to ski all of what I wanted, I still felt some serious progression in my turning, and control. I count this as my second fully-committed season.

I'm really getting the feel for keeping my weight forward, more over the balls of my feet and how that improves steering parallel turns. I'm much more conscious of when I'm in the backseat now and can correct this when I feel it happening.

I'm appreciating how just even a little more speed can help me get into those turns better. I never felt rushed and there were times when I was floating over the snow. It truly felt effortless and was simply magic. I'm gonna be looking for this feeling again next season!

Anxiety and the fear that accompanies it has diminished greatly. I looked forward to new slopes and drills with an eye toward improvement and expanding my experiences, and I came out a better skier for having attempted them.

Even tried a few junior terrain park features (with an instructor, of course!).

I concluded my season two weeks ago feeling that I am in a great place with my skiing and enjoyment of the sport. My instructor told me that I'm ready to start skiing blues on a more regular basis next year--and I am super excited about that!
 

santacruz skier

Angel Diva
Wow season in Tahoe definitely not over. BF and I boot packed up to an area at Northstar that ski patrol rarely opens and skied untracked powder! Yikes that was a climb that took probably 30-40 minutes straight uphill but had awesome ski down! Think skins would have been a lot easier!
 
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jmfd84

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Reading everyone's reflections and accomplishments is inspiring! I rediscovered skiing this winter and after a slow start, got in 8 days. I took 3 lessons at the beginning of the season, which were a good way to ease back into things. Thanks to some of the posters here, I got great advice on how to demo skis and tried a bunch. Bought boots, a ski bag, a helmet, ski pants, more socks. This is the first spring in years that I've been sad to see winter go!

My goal for next season is to progress to a more confident intermediate skier, try the couple black runs at Wachusett (I could get down most of them now but it wouldn't be pretty), and take a ski trip to another mountain where I can get in 4-5 days of skiing in a row.
 

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Left my career and moved to Vermont for the burden and the privilege of caring for a parent.

Took a new job at a ski resort (promising but ultimately toxic/unsustainable), found a new community, turned 50, learned to skin, and skied a lot of fresh powder as a result.

Became an EMT, accepted a job offer back in my career field. Didn’t ski as much as I’d wanted, but had some breakthroughs. Shoved my Downstairs Lady Parts forward and worked on turn initiation and really saw improvement for the first time in years.

It’s been a year of upheaval and disappointment, struggle, and joy. I plan to ski as far into spring as I can, so the season ain’t over!
 

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