A Skier’s Journey: Pushing The Envelope
A Senior Skier Reflects On The Thinking Part of The Sport.
Since I was five I’ve been on a voyage of self discovery through skiing that started at the ski areas of the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec, Canada and grew to be an integral part of my life the older I became. Initially learning to ski on riverbank in Winnipeg wasn’t the most auspicious start to any skier’s career but the passion for the sport of those around me left an indelible impression. Certainly I picked this up from my father, a local and eventually nationally recognised builder of the sport in Canada. It probably meant that skiing and not hockey would become the central sport of my life but I was under no pressure to do this. Instead I was attracted for its own merits to this activity that rewarded individual effort yet was always way more fun in the company of others. And then there was the connection with nature and the fact that skill wasn’t just about the size or sex of the participant. It appealed to me on an intellectual level too. The best skiers always seemed to me to be aware and afterwards reflective of what they were trying to accomplish yet in the moment of performance instinctively connected to the snow. They were and are my inspiration.
As I gained more experience it became obvious to me that I would want to pass this joy on to others so at the age of 14 I became an instructor. I also realised that one of the best ways to understand the sport that was rewarding in so many ways was to never stop trying to learn yourself. In 1986 a close friend invited me to enter the sport from a different angle and coach. Along the way I made a career in the retail sporting goods field and still strive to learn everything I can about the impact of equipment on performance as a professional boot fitter, technician and ski shop manager since 1974. All of which led to jumping off points in my life which I was completely oblivious to at the time. It was never just the destination but the journey that with hind sight mattered most. Like having a great run where sometimes a moment of reflection at the end when you realise what you just accomplished. Now I’m not saying that skiing is somehow always a metaphor for life but it was for me.
So here I am 55 years later from that little boy in Montreal and still learning and pushing the envelope. It’s a fascinating period of time in the evolution of the sport for any of us that have experienced the full range of changes in the last 60 years. Thanks to this website for allowing me to share some of the ride.
Contributor Glenn Allen is an “employee athlete” at Sport Chek, Canada’s largest retail chain of sports equipment. Thanks for letting us use the video clip.
Happy 90th Junior Bounous!
Still Doing Pow And Inspiring The Rest of Us
As Junior Bounous celebrates his ninth decade, we salute his love of the sport and his motivation. His message to the rest of us is simple: “Keep moving!” Check. Thanks, Junior and have a great birthday.
Here’s a short documentary produced by Snowbird that chronicles Junior’s trip down the Pipeline at age 80.
Credit: Snowbird Resort
Winter 2015-16 Forecast Update: El Nino Rises
This Just In: The Sea Surface Temperature Off Ecuador Exceeds Records.
In its August update, NOAA’s National Weather Service reports this year’s El Nino is roaring along to record highs. NWS predicts that sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific will peak in the late fall/early winter near or exceeding 2 degrees C/ 3.2 degrees F above normal. “If this forecast comes true, it will place the 2015 event among the strongest El Niños in the (admittedly short) 1950-2015 historical record.”
What this means is that forecasters can be assured the odds are growing that El Nino will play a role in various parts of the US as far as winter climate is concerned. As we reported earlier, a strong El Nino event brings wet and cool winter from the West Coast across the lower half of the US, drier and warmer in the Northern Rockies, Ohio Valley, Great Lakes and Northeast.
Winter forecast 2015-16 shows how the jet stream funnels warm air across the southern US.
Credit: NOAA/NWS
So, we will most likely have a very different winter than we had last year, especially in the northeast where the snow depth and temperature will not come close to the near-Armageddon experience of last season.
To brush up on El Nino meteorology basics, click here.
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