Everyone has a meltdown day on the mountain. You know the one. The snow is garbage, your legs are cooked and every turn feels like a fight. For me, that day almost ended my skiing life entirely.
I was convinced I wasn’t cut out for it. I was ready to pack my gear, stomp back to the car and spend the rest of my life on the beach.
The Perfect Storm of Suck
It all started with the kind of snow that feels like glue. You know that sticky, refrozen slop. Yeah, that.
Add in boots that weren’t quite dialed, rental skis that felt like warped 2x4s and a pair of thighs that hadn’t seen a squat since high school gym class.
Every run was a battle. I was falling on green trails. Green trails. The humiliation was unreal.
The Chairlift Breakdown
Somewhere around my fifth fall, I found myself sitting alone on the chairlift. I watched people half my size cruise past like they were born on skis, while I felt like an adult baby strapped to planks.
That’s when the thought hit me: Maybe skiing just isn’t for me.
I started imagining selling off my gear, saving money and becoming a recluse.
The Weather
I was told “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong gear”.
‘scuse my French… but that’s bullsh*t.
The mountains can get real cold real quick. One minute I was lavishing in the early morning glow. The next I could see more than a few yards ahead.
The Turning Point
When I got to the top, I sat for a while, just staring at the mountain. I was furious. I was embarrassed. But something in me refused to let the day end on a low note. I thought, Okay, one more run. One more and then I quit.
Somewhere on that next run, I stopped caring. I stopped thinking about how bad I was and just… skied. It wasn’t pretty, but for the first time that day, I felt like I was moving with the mountain instead of against it.
And weirdly enough, that run was kind of magic.
Why I’m Glad I Didn’t Quit
If I had quit that day, I never would’ve felt the rush of finally linking smooth turns. I wouldn’t have had those sunrise days where the mountain feels like it belongs to you. I wouldn’t have experienced powder mornings where every turn feels like floating.
Skiing isn’t supposed to be easy. It’s hard. And that’s why the breakthrough moments feel so good.
What’s the Point of This Article?
I guess what I’m really saying is that every skier has that breaking point. That one day where you feel like the mountain is winning. I’m not telling this story because it’s dramatic or inspiring… it’s not. I’m telling it because if you’ve ever sat on a chairlift thinking about calling it quits, you’re not alone.
The bad days are part of the deal. They’re what make the good ones feel so good.
Final Thoughts
That miserable day almost broke me, but I’m glad I stuck it out. Skiing isn’t meant to be easy. It’s supposed to test you. Frustrate you. And make you work for every little breakthrough.
And here I am, many hundreds of days later, still skiing, still falling, but loving every single turn a little more because I didn’t give up.
I’ll leave you on a cliche. A bad day on the mountain is better than a good day in the office. See you out there.
