I usually get what I consider my first turns of the year in Saas Fee when they open in July, this year with an extra month's wait between the end of March and July. I’m not a native and I wasn’t born with skis on my feet so I need to ski regularly in order to keep my skiing feeling good.
I got up early and sneaked out of the house, all my ski gear laid out nicely in the living room so as not to wake up my wife and daughter. It was sunrise when I left and I was treated to some gorgeous colours as the sun came up over the Rhone Valley going past Sion.
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Up winding roads and arriving at Saas Fee I parked in underground level 9, lots of people skiing today, the car park was packed, no sign of them on the lifts though. No queues and a bubble lift to myself to look at the view.
Arriving at the top, I sipped a camomile tea and eased myself into my boots for the first time since spring, surprisingly comfortable. Then a walk down the stairs and out onto the snow. I click into my skis and it feels good, I brought my favourite skis but I’m determined to go slowly, take it easy, build myself up to performance turns.
I’m not a natural skier, I think every turn, it’s maddening. What could have been better, why am I scrunching the toes on my left foot but not the right, I should be better at this, it’s what I do for a living, stop being so critical, it’ll come.
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And it does come eventually, after 2 hours of slow, slow, slow basic parallel turns, one fall to the inside right (every year!) and a chat with Dave Ryding on the t-bar, it comes and I’m able to release myself down the mountain and feel that special mix of dancing and flying which for me is what skiing feels like.
I make some turns I’m happy with and gradually increase the speed, the timing and start to feel that I’m flowing down the hill. All too soon, it’s over, the lifties are closing the slopes, the slopes are slushy and it’s time to go home. My mission accomplished, I made some good turns and I’ve managed to shortcut the process of feeling good and I know that I’ve still got it, at least for this year.
Dave Burrows
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