Adventures in Ski Instructing… Lights, Camera, Falling Kids, Pizza Turns, and ACTION!

Life as a ski instructor is AMAZING to say the least. Basically my job is to take young impressionable youth, put them on two evenly spaced blocks of wood, and fiberglass, strap them in as tight as I can, point them down a hill covered in frozen water and push. How could I not be having fun?!

So the first few weeks out here in Utah have been filled with meeting amazing friends, skiing on the greatest snow on earth, and teaching youngsters the delicate art of flailing around and falling gracefully down a hill. Plus learning how to ski myself. I thought I knew how to ski, oh how wrong I was!

I met this one instructor Cameron, who basically has to be the greatest skier I've ever met. He was a heli-ski guide in Alaska, and has skied all around the world. The guy's about 40 years old and can absolutely shred the mountain. I was introduced to him during one of my training clinics and he basically saw something in me and was like, "you could be a great skier... I'm going to make you my personal project for the winter." My only response was: absolutely!!! I've found my Yoda!!!

Training was amazing I really got a great understanding of the mechanics of skiing not to mention meeting some of the greatest skiers and instructors in the world. Of course there are the pitfalls as well. You’ve got to be outside in the cold, refreshing mountain air all day, doing something you love… oh wait ☺

Also whilst skiing I’ve run into Elaine from Seinfeld, Gwen Stefani, a few Olympic gold medalists, and a guy who offered me an engineering job. Other than that it’s just your average life of waking up every morning energized and excited about the day, loving life and doing something you’re passionate about with others who are doing the same. I’m not going to lie, I honestly feel as though I should have done this years ago, not to get it out of my system but to feel the way I feel right now.

On to the living situation: the best way to describe it is freshman year without the classes. I have a roommate who’s great, with a wide selection of music, which is played as we get ready to go to the slopes. But by far the best part is the girl down the hall who works in the bakery at Deer Valley. She sneaks back all sorts of goodies and treats to share with the hall. Having fresh baked breads and cookies is a great way to start your morning! Not to mention the occasional cinnamon roll. Oh and did I mention she’s trying out for Jeopardy. These are the types of people on the hall, how cool is that?

Mix in a few crazy Chileans, one eccentric Romanian, and a guy from Alabama who doesn’t have a southern accent, and you’ve basically got my floor.

Life has certainly taken a turn for the good and only is getting better with each passing day.

-Chris