The Slalom Problem!

In a splash of mid-life wisdom, I decided to take up Ski Racing. I had a cancer scare back in November 2022 – Prostate Cancer. I was told I might/probably have it. Scans did not look good. Rather than wait for a grim phone call from a cancer consultant, I bought a brand new pair of Dynastar 150 Slalom Skis. Painful biopsies and a tense wait revealed the all clear.

I joined Rossendale Ski Race Club and just entered my first ski team race at Pendle Hill.

I raced with fellow enthusiasts Allan and Gary from Liverpool’s Oval Ski Race Team. Our name for this event was ‘Oval the Hill’. [Apparently Oval Ski Club’s hill is a waste mound that was dug out of a swimming pool and is very short – I must go!]

We entered 6 races, some in thick fog.

At the start we had a brief chat. ‘What is our aim today?’. ‘To Have Fun’.

I have raced before albeit in cars and on motorbikes. I also enter fell races. So whilst I was nervous, I already knew how to deal with that. There was a young girl, about 4 or 5, racing. She started out the gate on the other teams bleep and was grabbed by the race start lady. I thought ‘if that kid is not nervous, then neither am I!’.

In all our 6 races we did not win a single one.

You are only skiing for less than a minute. It demands your entire focus and concentration. If you fall over on a dry slope, you are going to get hurt. Tom who I have been training with broke his shoulder last year falling on the plastic mats. So the aim was not just to have fun, but stay upright. Injuries are a pain. I know from fell running that the slightest injury, usually from either pushing it too much when you feel super fit, or from over training, is at least 6 weeks out of action and you lose all you have gained.

Fitness and health is a wheel. At the top you are fit and feel amazing. Then you enjoy that. Then you get either ill or injured. Then you recouperate. Then you start getting fit again. You are never in one place and once you understand this, you relax when you get poorly or hurt yourself. [The number of runners I know who run with ‘niggles’ ie run with injuries, making them worse, is a lot!]

I was slow out of the blocks and the Oval trainer gave me some tips. Also I had no wax on my skis as I have not bought an iron yet to wax my own skis. The one in Ellis Brigham’s the other day was £70 which seemed a bit steep. [Am going to Argos to buy a cheap travel one.]

We had a lot of fun. In the last race the fog was so thick, you could not see the end of the piste!

The aim is to train every week and enter a high-level race in the Alps. Hopefully this ski season.

I have been lucky enough to train as a ski teacher in Kaprun, Austria before. [I’ve been skiing since I was 14]. Kaprun is where a lot of ski race teams train. There is snow there until June. Maybe we enter a race there as I know some race trainers there. Maybe Tom and I can make a team together?

Watch this space for more news on the Slalom Adventure!

[Thanks to Stu for entering me in the Pendle Race! Much appreciated sir!]