There is no doubt that skiing is the ultimate form of satisfaction.
This “send’er” way of living is 110 percent addictive.
The post shred summer trips to the lake to cool off after a hot day on the glacier.
Skiing, at this point becomes completely who you are.
It is all you know, all you care and think about and after a while, your identity.
You become ski culture.
It shows in how you talk, what music you listen too, the beat up car you drive.
The sacrifices you make to keep this whole thing going are never ending.
They are all worth it, but that goes without being said.
The most fucked up thing about it though?
It can all get taken from you in the drop of a hat.
Injuries always lurk in the back of your head.
An overwhelming and mind numbing moment.
It is nothing short of crushing, you realize you are completely and unequivocally FUCKED.
For some it is worse than others.
A few of us can lead a relatively normal lifestyle for the time being.
Even our dead-end jobs want nothing to do with us.
It is a gut wrenching and painful thing to experience.
It is an odd feeling, having everything you know pulled out from under your feet in an instant.
The first few days aren’t too bad.
A week or two in though, things start to change.
Insecurities you never knew you had bubble up inside.
Peers accomplishing things that you passed up just to take part in a relatively pointless hobby.
But you are so far removed from that life, it doesn’t even seem attainable.
You’re far from ready to give up on this game.
The more you think about it, how could you ever go back to a “normal” life?
We are a confident bunch as skiers.
People express their jealousy of your carefree expeditions.
“Someones got to do it though!”
you reply with a hearty laugh.
Nobody shows envy when you are laid up.
Your confidence diminishes and your personality changes.
Frustrated by your situation you treat the people closest to you with no respect.
You take things way to seriously.
Remember when that bitch broke up with you in the winter?
Collection agencies blowing up your phone about those medical bills you skipped out on.
Overwhelmed and stuck, trapped by a bunk ankle, knee or collarbone.
Skiing isn’t life to everyone and it’s possible for you to’t really expect many to understand.
For us who are hooked though, it is a necessity to overcome.
Getting knocked down over and over again.
Having everything you have worked towards snatched from you in an instant at a young age.
These are incredibly difficult events to overcome.
People encounter them only a handful of times in their life but we experience these hard times quite often.
But those are met with the highest of highs, with the best of people.
