Slope and Glory

The last time I tried to ski was 5 years ago in Europe. Instead of skiing though, I simply pushed myself around flat ice surface like one of those ski-inspired fitness machines. In fact, I never even attempted to go down any sloping area with an angle more than 22.5 degrees. So in terms of "skiing experience," that one probably doesn't count.

Urasa is known as a "snow town" with a lot of good ski resorts left and right. Needless to say, one of the items on my travel itinerary is to try and ski again. With 6 intrepid skiers along, I decided to give it a shot once more. Wearing my "Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdog ski suit," (that's how Mark calls it) we went to the Kokusai Joetsu ski resort last Friday. It was a good day to go because there weren't a lot of people around. Less people means less chances of running over hapless skiers and snow boarders, not to mention less people to see me fall flat on my face - both good reasons in my book.

Unlike the ski resorts in Europe, all you need to pay for at Kokusai Joetsu is the lift ride. It feels like the cable car in Ocean Park, although this one is smaller and open - the better to feel the snow and wind on your face as you go higher and higher.



Mark isn't too fond of rides, and of heights, so this is one trip he'd rather not make. Unfortunately though, this is the only way to get to the slopes.



The resort had Swiss-style chalets that were set against the snow covered mountains and trees of Urasa. This made the place postcard-perfect, and it felt like a little slice of Europe in the middle of nowhere. (Which is how I fondly refer to Urasa.) The slopes were of varying levels of difficulty, from "maiko" or beginners, to the scary 45 degree slopes that the experts maneuver so effortlessly.



After almost 3 hours on the slope, I'm happy to announce that I learned to ski this time around. Heck, I was able to ski down the steep slope that the more seasoned skiers used. Half of it, at least. What I learned, though is that it's better if there are flat surfaces in between the slopes. This makes it easier to slow down, brake and get ready for the next challenge to come.



Going back down to the base of the resort, I tried to put my newfound ski skills to the test. Dennis told us that it would just be an easy trip down since the slopes weren't too steep. What he didn't tell us that it was one, loooooong, slide down and there weren't any flat surfaces where we could stop and gather our bearings. But I thought, "what the heck, let's give it a shot."

Needless to say, I failed this test miserably. Hahaha.