11-01-2016

Finally the day I was really waiting for came. This day was first skiing day for our Outdoor education group. For many other members from this group I think it was just another normal day, but for me… I was so excited and „pumped“ because I have never ski before in my life, it is even one of the reasons why I came to study in Norway .

This time I prepared my clothing and food one day before, because in this case I can sleep little bit longer . So just wake up in the morning, got some breakfast and leave my dorm. Later at 9.15  we all met at the University building I to pick up our gear from storage for upcoming skiing practice. This time for us was leading again professor Len Henry Atkinson, He will lead the most of our trips. Len at the storage gave to all group members (including and me) pair of cross country skis, ski poles, gaiters and pair of skiing shoes. Than for us was explained what are the differences between cross- country skis and alpine skis:

• Most alpine skis will have a allover wider design, wider tip and tail and metal edges to aid in turning;
• Cross country skis are generally lighter and stiffer than alpine skis and have a straighter tip;
• Cross country skis are cambered to arc away from the snow in the middle and alpine is not.

Also Len told us how to look after our skis, to wax them before every trip with certain type of wax (blue, green, purple, red and glister) because of different weather, temperature and snow conditions. Of course, Len told us to look after our skiing shoes too, to impregnate and wax it after every trip, because then it will last longer and will be waterproof. After short “lecture” of skis and their preparation, we prepared our skis for skiing- scraped and covered it with purple wax, because temperature was 0C or -1C and the snow was new and wet. So now I was ready to stand up on the skis and try to ski .

Our outdoor education group gathered at the backside of University building I near the small hill. There I first time in my life felt the weight of skis on my feet. I was feeling great and strange at the same time, because “yeah” finally I am on the skis, but I could not handle it properly. At first, group leader show us some warm up exercises, like turn with skis 180 degrees, turn around in both sides by step by step , jump with them and etc. and we got to do them all. Than Len Showed us some skiing basics and we had to make ski tracks and try to ski on them. For me it was hard, because my balance on the skis was really bad 😀 and it was hard to  slide or step with them to the front.

After these warm up and adaptation basic exercises, our professor prepare for us some racing games, in which I was struggling again, because my every movement was improper, unfit I couldn’t stop and balance properly and I fell down a lot of times. Later Len told us to go practice some “down hill” skills. There I looked bad too 😀 , because I couldn’t manage to climb up on to the hill with my skis, I was always sliding back down. Then after Half hour of many tries and recommendations how to climb up I get the point how to do that and step by step get on the top of that hill. Now I felt little bit happier, because not anymore I looked so pathetic. Of course, first 5-6 tries to go down the small hill for me wasn’t successful, all the time I was falling down. But I don’t give up and right before lunch break I managed to land without falling down, it’s sounds stupid but I really was proud of myself  :D. After lunch break Len told us that stronger skiers can go ski to Jegersberg and weak like me can stay here near the small hill longer and practice or we all can go home. Most of our group members left to Jegersberg, and few, including me, stay her for about one more hour or maybe hour and a half of practice. Before leaving this hill I was feeling much better than at first when we started, because now I knew how to climb into the downhill and get the point how to land down from this small hill without falling down .

After the skiing day I was happy, because I experienced something new, I got new knowledge about skiing and it’s “stuf”. I was very happy about organizing and training methods, because for beginners like me it was the perfect place- I got plenty of room to ski and practice, the hill was not so steep, for the better skiers professor let go to ski in Jegersberg. Also Len always was cheering for us, It’s kind a strange, because I know I’m not doing so well, but it is much more nicer to hear supporting words with advices what we can do better than negative criticism. More than this group leader learned me skiing basics with previously mentioned tasks and exercises, so now I was ready to try some not difficult Jegersberg skiing routes. And the best thing is that, I know that if I had not come her in Norway, I would not put skis on my feet for many years.