Despite skiing for more than 20 years, I understood what she meant.
As a kid growing up in Maryland, my parents did their best to take me skiing every winter.
I never took a bad spill, but I watched many others tumble and skid, gaining various injuries.
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The result of skiing this terrain for so many years was that I became a very tense skier.
I even stopped skiing for several years because it had stopped being enjoyable.
When Ive skied the Rockies these last few years, I immediately notice the difference in the snow.
Its soft and forgiving, and allows you to swish right through it.
In the process, I discovered a program at Deer Valley geared specifically toward women.
It was an all-day ski clinic, for women only, taught by formerOlympian Jillian Vogtli.
I signed up for her February 2024 one-day clinic, and counted down the days.
In fact, Aspen Snowmass has been offering a womens clinicWomens Edgefor more than 30 years.
AtTelluridein Colorado women can join a three- or five-day camp each winter led by a female instructor.
At Deer Valley, I was nervous Id be the worst skier, holding the whole group back.
Dont worry mom, youll be great, he said as he glided off to join his peers.
Surely I could do what an eight-year-old boy could, right?
It was quickly apparent that we all lacked one thing: confidence.
But just being around other women going through a similar thing immediately put me at ease.
I knew if there were men there I would have felt uncomfortable and intimidated.
Instead, I felt relaxed and even excited to get on the slopes.
Skiing was fun againand I couldnt wait to get back out there.
