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In Praise of Family Skiing

January 4, 2017 by braveskimom

An EpicMix photo from Beaver Creek in 2016.

brave ski mom logoWhen my sons were little, and just starting skiing, my husband and I had one goal: we wanted to ski as a family.

We wanted to share our passion for skiing and winter with our boys and we wanted them to love skiing as much as we did,

Now as any parent knows, there are no guarantees. Every child is a unique individual from day one, with their own personalities, preferences and quirks. Just because parents want something for their children does not mean it will happen.

sleepy skier
This is my all-time favorite little guy photo of our son. He loved skiing from the get go. But one day, after skiing all morning, he lay down on the snow and went to sleep. Circa 2002.

Did we know if either of our sons even wanted to ski? No, we did not. But we did know that at age three, we’d introduce them to the sport.

Highlights or Bloopers

If I had a highlight reel (or a blooper reel – they’d look about the same) from those early years, it would start like this: adorable boy, dressed for an Arctic crossing, smiling, laughing, waving his mittens, stomping the snow with his boots, sliding on mostly flat terrain, and flinging himself onto the snow in exhaustion after 30 minutes, tears optional.

Each installment would progress just a little: the clothing might change and get both warmer and less bulky (Aha! The parents invested in a ski coat!), the ratio of time spent stomping on snow versus stomping (with assistance) into bindings would definitively tilt toward the bindings, while the sliding terrain would get infinitesimally steeper and the length of the unassisted glide longer, until one day the parents are the ones waving their mittens as the boy goes off to ski school.

Ski school is fun!
From group lessons to Buddy Werner League racing. Our kids built skills and lasting friendships. Circa 2005.

From there the film speeds up and blurs: weekend lessons, practicing with mom and dad, junior racing, more serious racing, ripping with friends, freestyle skiing, the highlight reel for each boy following a similar trajectory of growth in stature and skills, with additional smiles, laughter and yes, a few tears.

Along the way, the family skiing happened. And when it happened it came earlier than we imagined and it was as sweet as we anticipated.

As the boys grew, they rapidly outpaced us in terms of skill, strength and stamina, which is all I have ever wanted. For what parent doesn’t want their child to exceed them in intelligence, health, happiness and success? My goal for our sons is that they improve upon us in all aspects of life.

jumping ski granby ranch

Treasured Times, Treasured Memories

Through the years, skiing became the focal point for our family adventures and the touchstone for a portfolio of treasured memories.

Winter bound us together, mostly for better, sometimes for worse, on chairlifts, in the car, and occasionally in the ski patrol shack (this is optional – most families I know skip this part).

family skiing crested butte
At Crested Butte. Check out our vintage clothing and helmets, circa 2004.

Skiing bound us together sharing runs, picking lines, lifting one another up after a fall and brushing snow from our backs.

Skiing together has challenged each of us in individual ways, both physically and emotionally (for as Warren Miller infamously said, “the family that skis together bitches at each other”) and not every moment has been sunshine and light.

But looking backward through these years, as the sharp edges dull, a good many of our favorite moments sunshine and snow.

alta family skiing
A sunny day photo from Alta, circa 2012. 

A New Year 

Yesterday, we added an installment to the highlight reel. And in many ways it was one of the sweetest in our 17 years of family skiing.

First, a confession. When my boys were preschoolers, I was certain that life couldn’t get any better than it was at that time. Then it turned out the grade school years weren’t bad at all, in fact, our sons became more and more fun through those years.

Same for the middle school years: life with young teens was not nearly as difficult as billed, because together we found refuge on snow. Still, though each of these phases, as the boys grew older, I anticipated a time when they’d no longer want to ski with their parents.

I’m happy to report this time has never come. My dread was for naught. And I credit our cohesion to skiing: a sport and a passion we pursue as individuals, even when together.

family ski portrait
A family selfie on a cold day in late December 2016.

Which brings me back to yesterday: a cold, stormy day that found us skiing in a party of six – three young men, two moms and one dad. In this blended configuration of two families, the sons rode the lift together, with the parents on their own chair, giving the young men space and saving them from annoying questions and “old-people” observations.

At the top of the lift, whomever was in front always waited and we all skied together. There were many smiles, lots of laughter and no tears.

Today, we’re going to go do it all again. And I’m positive that we’ll ski together as often as we can in 2017 and into the future.

#skimommoment
This photo makes me so happy. Circa 2003.

Wishing you a New Year full of snow, love, laughter and the sweetest of family skiing.

Enjoy!

More Reflections On Family

  • Why I Love Being a Brave Ski Mom, August 5, 2013.
  • Get Connected. No App Required. September 6, 2016.
  • The Biggest Adventure, May 24, 2015.
  • Learning to Fly, August 25, 2011.
  • No Regret Parenting, September 9, 2013.
  • Skippin’ School, October 13, 2010.
  • Hello, Goodbye, December 21, 2010.

© 2017, braveskimom. All rights reserved. Any use or publication of content, including photos, requires express permission.

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Filed Under: Parenting, Reflections, Skiing, Skiing With Kids Tagged With: Family Skiing, friends, parenting, ski, skiing

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Chalane Coit says

    January 4, 2017 at 7:23 am

    Loved reading this and seeing the pictures. Made me smile 🙂

    • braveskimom says

      January 4, 2017 at 8:25 am

      Thanks Chalane! I know there are many, many ways for families to connect and stay connected. This happens to be ours and I’m happy it made you smile!

  2. Lorna Croswell says

    January 4, 2017 at 10:36 am

    Loved reading about your experience! We also have the goal to be active in the winter as a ski/ snowboard family & are just starting our journey with one little 4 year old boarder & one 7 month old who (apparently) hates being cold lol Thank you for sharing your memories!

    • braveskimom says

      January 4, 2017 at 10:54 am

      Thank you and enjoy making your family memories!

  3. Dad says

    January 4, 2017 at 11:42 am

    Kristen: Your story of the progression of your family and the family that skies brought a tear as I reflected on your beginning days on short skis to the great mom you are today and to your great family. I lift my glass to you all!

    • braveskimom says

      January 4, 2017 at 11:43 am

      Thanks Dad! Now I have a tear in my eye! I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. We all love you a lot and thanks for introducing me to skiing!

  4. Megan says

    January 4, 2017 at 3:53 pm

    Loved reading this article. I am looking forward to more family ski days in 2017 as well since I moved a tad bit closer to home! I swear you grasp every reason I choose to work in the ski industry. It’s awesome to read.

    • braveskimom says

      January 4, 2017 at 4:20 pm

      Thank you so much Megan! And I hope you have an amazing winter with your family! Hoping to catch up with you sometime as well in your home state! Hooray!

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I'm Kristen, a western Colorado mom, wife and trail boss in a busy outdoor family. Our family has a passion for skiing and my goal is to provide information to help other families enjoy their skiing adventures. Whether you have tiny toddlers just learning to slide or grown children with whom you're planning a reunion, you're in the right place. Cheers!

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