Best jump, run, day ever on skis.
JOANNE ELVES
I was skiing with a friend who is amazing and has the confidence to jump off any precipice. Me? My skis were like snow magnets and rarely left the surface until that day. Ian was determined to jump into this bowl and the rest of us would just have to follow because as he said, So what if you fall?
He popped off the lip and gracefully landed the six-foot drop and carved to a spot away from the fall line. The next person went, and was instantly too far back and landed thick into the powder. She waved, jumped up and drifted down to Ian. It was my turn. I was scared. The voices in my head were shouting at each other.
You can do it.
You are going to crash and burn and they will laugh.
Go now! You'll be fine.
Stay here, back up and be the coward you are!
Just as the positive voice started, "You can", I pushed off.
Time slowed down and sped up just as fast. Poof! My skis touched the snow and my nose went towards my knees but I pulled out of it and kept going.
I kept going!
My best jump ever! Of course, it pales in comparison to everyone else and if it was captured on a smartphone it was probably more like a slip with a sliver of air under my skis. But its mine and I owned it. It gave me the confidence to do it again and again. But the excitement of that day made it the best jump ever.
I know I'm not the only one who banks their best days, runs, jumps and glades. And I bet everyone who boards or skis has their favourite runs at any resort where they ski.
Must-do runs at each resort
I grew up with the Banff resorts as my playground. I love the bowls on the backside of Lake Louise and when I'm there, no matter what, I need to go down Paradise Bowl. And on Larch I wiggle though the trees to Tower Twelve. Something always grabs my skis on Lookout Chute; I've yet to make it down in one piece.
At Norquay, its not a good day unless I take a run down North American and The Chute. And, I always include a drift along Elves Alley because it reminds me of my dad (who it was named after, but that's anouther story.)
The first time I skied at Sunshine, I did Dell Valley over and over again. Now, I avoid it. With the new heated seats under the orange domes on Teepee Town, I'm loving any runs over that way.
Ah, and on a sunny day at Kicking Horse, the Stairway to Heaven chair on My Blue Heaven and Think Twice are my faves. I'm ugly going down the skinny gully, Prairie Oyster, but its always on my must-do list. And a few runs on Euphoria are also on my must-ski list. That's where my kids learned to ski bumps and it brings back memories of when I could ski faster and better than they could. I've only dropped into the Feuz bowl once. Maybe its time to listen to the right voice in my head and take that leap again.
As for my best day ever? I don't have just one. If the sun is shining and there is fresh snow and I'm surrounded by friends and there is a beer at the bottom with my name on it, that's another best day ever.
What are your must-do runs?
Tell us your favourites! Is there a reason why they are on your list? Got a best day ever you want to share? Drop us a line in the comments on our Facebook page.
Joanne Elves is a regular contributor to Seekers Media and helps with the editing when Lisa is off skiing. Joanne's first pair of skis were hand-me-downs from her brothers, as in a Rossignol from one brother and a K2 from the other. They were within 5 cm of each other so my parents thought I'd be fine, says Joanne. Her skis match now and take her to the Western Canadian resorts and down into Colorado and Utah as much as possible. Her favourite resort? "The one I'm standing at the top of."
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