HELLO EVERYBODY,

A Happy New Year and even happier holidays for everyone and hope all that read this are cursed with only good luck for the upcoming year.  

In looking back to the middle of December, we as a ski club had the best Christmas party imaginable. We need to be able to feel the wonderful air and feelings of the holidays all through the month of December, and if you could not get in the spirit of winter at this year’s ski club Christmas party, well, you just cannot get there.

STEAMBOAT TRIP

I and 17 brave souls were able to spend the first week of December in Steamboat, Colorado with Crescent Ski Council’s ski camp and it was amazing. Little snow fell, but if anyone remembers the conditions years ago when we went to Grey Rocks, snow is not as important if you are skiing down a hill continuously and not stopping. If you ever wanted to know what it was like being in a Star Wars space ship fight, go down the top of the mountain at Steamboat with every other skier in the world behind you, in front of you and beside you first thing in the morning during the ski camp.  Now I know why Darth Vader stayed in the big ship during all the big fights in the movie. It was controlled chaos but it was just fun.

We saw Chattanooga Ski Club members almost every night at events held in town, and got to meet some really nice people from other ski clubs.

On Wednesday night, everyone met and had dinner downtown and celebrated Tom Edwards’ and Rebecca Hicks’ birthdays.  At the restaurant, we also met a man that had seven (7) girlfriends and claimed to be the Gianni Angnelli of the Southeast United States. The people you meet.

We raced, we skied, and we had fun.

THOUGHTS FOR THE NEW YEAR

I have been saying it for most of the year, but Christmas really came up so fast this time. So fast, it took my breath away and now all I know is Noel has come and gone in just a heartbeat. But we still have the New Year.

And, as in the past, we will make resolutions, swear off bad habits, and modify or change our vices to where we will have a healthier, happier, and more energetic upcoming year.

Here is my suggestion on what to look for in the New Year.

While at Steamboat, I started having trouble the second day with my left ski chattering during the turn.  It started out kind of small and then got real bad.

No problem, I got with my instructor and she gave some excellent advice ---- “Just get more over your skis.” “Just push your foot back in the boot.” “Point yourself more downhill.”

I heard it all for two days. I took my boots for adjustment and it still it got worse. I was licking the snow in front of my skis trying to get proper torque, but nothing improved. I even followed the beginners holding their poles straight out from their body, trying to solve my problem and only just looked really out of place with the other skiers. I was perturbed to say the least and could not fathom in my existence what the problem was with the chatter.

And then, just out of nowhere, my instructor said the magic words that only Aladdin calling the Genie out of the bottle could replicate, being,” Hey, bend your knee a little bit more.”

The seventh law of thermodynamics was made simple once again.

Oh, to ski the ski and carve the snow like it should be done is as close as touching the face of God as I will ever see on this earth, and I was able to do that again on demand. Or at least, it sure did feel better doing turns.

Here is the point, the little things matter. Just a slight bend of the knee, something so simple can make all the difference in the world.

In the upcoming year, look for the little things to do, like saying thank you a little more; telling a waiter that he or she served you well; give a dog an extra pat; go out of your way to tell someone they did a good job; or just look someone in the eye walking down the street and nod your head, recognizing them. The little things really do matter and can make our skiing down the days in our life so much smoother.

Wow, what a resolution! Make somebody you do not know’s New Year a little better.

See you at the next meeting,

Ashley Ownby