Mixing Skiing and Relationships: Struggles and Rewards

Relationships and skiing… where do I start? Growing up with a father from Greece and a mother that lived and breathed skiing (it is very well possible that my mom can still beat you down any mogul-littered face on the mountain) my family was a bit of an oddity at our local hill. My mom led the charge, taking me down double black diamonds and teaching me how to shred moguls, all while I was still in elementary school. My dad, who has always worked two jobs and is still the hardest working man I have ever met, didn’t grow up skiing, and therefore had to learn as an adult.

Over the years while skiing with my mom and dad, there have been moments of frustration (2 feet of heavy, mashed potato snow = frustrated pole chucking), moments of terror (if your 8 year old kid is going down that icy, Volkswagen-Sized mogul-littered hill, then you darn well are going too), and of course moments of absolute stoke and happiness (which is what most family ski days consist of now that my dad is a seasoned-pro). But the question remains for many shredders out there – do I really want my significant other to ski with me or would I rather just use this time to hang with my friends and not deal with the stress? This week, we tackle the million-dollar topic of mixing skiing and relationships: are the struggles really worth the rewards?

Relationships 101 – Struggle #1: The Novice – We have all seen it (and quietly laughed as on-lookers); the girl getting mad at the guy for taking her to a zone that is way above her comfort level, the guy getting frustrated because he just realized that his lady is skiing circles around him as he is contorted into a pretzel on the bunny hill, the list goes on and on. Just like teaching your kids how to ski, teaching your significant other takes patience, time and support (and sometimes a flask of whiskey for moral support). Yes, there will probably be tears; yes, broken bones might occur; and yes, there will be bruised egos, but we all have to learn at some point and if you get through this stage of tantrums and yard sale falls still liking each other, I promise that you will not only have a stronger relationship, but you will also have some great memories to laugh at while drinking whiskey together – after you get that cast off of your arm.

Relationships 101 – Struggle #2: Guy (or Girl) Time – Some couples use time in the mountains as their bro (or brosefina) time and they keep their relationships with their significant others out of it. They use it as a time to hang with their friends, slay powder together and then try to keep up with each other at the bar afterward. News flash – if you don’t do whiskey shots on the regular, you definitely won’t be able to keep up with your 6’4” buddy that sleeps with a bottle of Jack next to his bed… just saying.

Since both guys and girls should have a healthy dose of time with their friends, I think the key to this struggle is relationship-dependent. In some cases, a significant other that can shred powder and keep up with your crew may become a welcome breath of fresh air to the adventure. At this point, “time with your friends” on the mountain becomes less gender-specific and more of what the statement truly means — time with the people that you can be yourself with, that make you laugh and that will always be there for you. And although time away from our significant others is completely necessary, if you only share your adventures in the mountains with your bro (or brosefina) posse, you are sorely missing out on some amazing memories with the person that truly is your #1 partner in crime.

As in all relationships and situations, there will be ups and downs, but you must take the good with the bad. Time in the mountains should be shared with the people in your life that matter most. Skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, fat-biking, sledding, whatever your chosen activity for the day may be, enjoy every freedom-filled moment that you have together. Learn from the mistakes, laugh at the epic fail moments, grow together as a team and as partners in your adventure as a couple. Because in the end, the couples that play together, stay together – you just have to get through the pole-chucking stage first.