WIWT: Ski Edition!

The last time I skied, parabolic skis were still in their infancy. I was 11 and on a class field trip. I recall demonstrating my perfected abrupt stop complete with a wave of misty snow at a the base of a lift-line. My elegant form was witnessed by the boy, Jon, whose name populated my 8th grade diary with plenty of hearts.  He said, "Wow, you're really good." I think my heart melted.

Then there were what I refer to as the dry and subsequently flat years. Moved to Texas with step-family who did not ski. Moved to Chicago where the nearest "mountain" had 500ft of vertical which was effectively an icy graveyard (I broke my wrist on those icy molehills!).

But finally, sometime in my senior year of college, I returned to the mountains--to Whistler, actually. This time, I was armed with a snowboard of my very own. First run I decide, instead of taking a lesson, to ride the gondola to the mothereffin' summit. I used to ski, I thought. How hard could this snowboarding thing be?

Very hard, apparently--at least at first.

I cursed my life as I hesitantly edged my way down the mountain, falling here and there, over and over.  Oh, I swore. And how! So Whistler, if you are unaware, is huge. It is a monstrous mountain--biggest in North America--with the longest trail being about 7miles top to bottom.  It took me about the entire afternoon to barely make it half way as I was falling--a lot. Finally, the lifts had closed and ski patrol was doing its last run. They spotted me, clearly in distress, and gave me a ride down on one of the injured-skier toboggans. Embarrassing, yes, but a hell of a lot of fun!

Well, despite that tremulous start, I have somehow stuck with snowboarding over the years (broken wrist, mild concussions, injured shoulders, and all). I've also since returned to Whistler and without requiring the assistance of ski patrol. I'm curious to try skiing again. I wonder if I'll still remember how! Well, regardless of which version of the sport, the obsession returns annually. This time of year, I can be found frequently ogling trail maps at work.

All right, long introduction aside: what to wear to the ski hills, bunnies?

As demonstrated by Mrs. Beckham (google it), not this:

Really, Chanel? Really???

Yes this:

Arc'teryx "Sidewinder"

Holla, Canadian roots! I love Arc'teryx. As far as outdoor gear goes, Arc'teryx is really top notch for quality and design.*

A run down of why this is an awesome ski jacket:

• Material: 3 layer Gore-tex pro shell (translation: You will never be wet or feel the wind, and yes, it does get windy on those chairlifts)
• Taped seams (again, you'll never be wet)
• Powder skirt (keeps the snow from gettin' in your pants if you're prone to falling)
• Stowable helmet-compatible hood (good, again, for those wet conditions)
• RECCO avalanche reflector (you know, for all that off-piste, backcountry stuff I do--ha)
• Finally, BRIGHT, BOLD COLOUR! (easier for your mates to spot you in the masses of people crowding at the lift lines)

* Admittedly, the REI store's own brand of sporting apparel is probably 1/2 the price of Arc'teryx and just as good in terms of quality... but you know, we are label/design whores, and I'm a sucker for the better designs of the Arc'teryx gear. Plus, REI's stuff doesn't have RECCO reflectors hehe.

Yep. So basically this is on the wishlist right now. Have no real reason to purchase it because, well, I have two ski jackets (arguably three) already.

Now, what do I actually wear? Well, when it's pretty cold there's this:

The latecomers' BFE parking lot at Breck

Insulated ski/snowboard jacket (Roxy, hehe) / hyvent snowpants that I love (North Face) / fleece "turtleneck" / not shown: helmet & goggles, of course

And this for when it's warmer:

Posing in front of M's amazing "gingerbread" haus

Gore-tex shell (Arc'teryx) / those same North Face snowpants / Gore-tex mittens with snot guard and goggle wipers (Kombi--so warm!) / not shown: again, helmet (!!) & goggles

Uh, in conclusion: I love snowsports... and always wear a helmet! Oh, and I recommend goggles with yellow lenses.

Man, I shurrr do miss the Rockies.