Sailing and skiing

[Triton106]

Over the Christmas holiday I took my family up to the Sierra mountains (Lake Tahoe) for a ski vacation which has become our holiday tradition. Coming down a particular challenging run I could not help noticing the parallel between sailing and skiing.



1. Skiing is a beautiful sport. It's just you and the mountains, that is until the next brainless snowboarder flies right in front of you with the total disregard for your life and safety; sailing is a beautiful sport. It's just you and the ocean, that is until the next power boater flies right across your course with total disregard for your life and safety.

2. Coming down a steep run with big moguls sends chiles through my spin and my legs begin to comspire mutiny against my brain; coming down a steep wave running with way too much canvases sends chiles through my spin and my arms completely stop coordinating with my brain.

3. Spending hundreds dollars for the right ski equipments from ski shops is not only expected but considered normal as these are "ski" dollars (like monopoly money); spending hundreds dollars for the right equipments at the chandleries is spending, well just boat money.

4. Teaching my wife to ski is the most certain and fastest way to get me in trouble; teaching my wife to sail is, well you know how that is like.

5. Skiing with my kids is to hear "dad, when can we take a break? I need to check my emails. My friends are going to ..." every five minutes; sailing with my kids is to hear "dad, can we turn around now? I need to check my emails. My friends are going to ...".

I am sure you can come up with more parallels. Happy holidays whatever you are doing!

[Zach]

Haven't ever been snow skiing (Allergic to the white stuff...)

But I make a similar comparison to motorcycles and sailing. But I get the feeling pretty much anything that gives an adrenaline rush on the edge of control right before a crash gybe... works out well for the genetic combination that drives someone to the water.

[s/v Groovy]

One of the greatest things about Seattle is I have done both sailing and skiing in the same weekend. First sail of the year was last Sunday, ~12kts of wind and in the 50s! (last year we sailed in January too, but it was just under 40 degrees) We did go hiking instead of skiing because it's so warm here this week.

[Tom Young]

Where sailing and skiing meet for us is at the top of our local Camden Snowbowl. You can look out over Penobscot Bay and islands beyond to the North Atlantic. I often linger on this part of the mountain taking in the view. And of course, I think of sailing my way through the islands below.

Mary Ann (in the photo) and I both grew up skiing in Vermont but are now hopeless sailors and brainless snowboarders. :) Both seasons are too short.

[Quetzalsailor]

I've visited Vancouver BC CA several times. Each time I have been struck by how dulcet the climate is there, except, perhaps, when it's raining. I was sitting near the beach at Kitsilano, a suburb just to the south of center city and chatted with a woman who said that she'd sailed, golfed, tennis-ed, and skied on the same day. Whistler peak, where the Olympics are now, is within sight of that beach.

Two of us Listers are vacationing in Rockport next week. I understand that there has not been much snow there, 'pathetic', but I surely look forward to the respite! We expect to see some of the locals and hope to see others. We'll have computers along, and internet access; get in touch!

We've been to the top of Mt Battie, just a couple miles to the west of the Snow Bowl, on more or less the same ridge of rock. The view's just as lovely.

[pjesus]

1. Skiing is a beautiful sport. It's just you and the mountains, that is until the next brainless snowboarder flies right in front of you with the total disregard for your life and safety;

I kinda understand what you're saying but the snowboard on your feet doesn't necessarily make you a hooligan. At least, I'm both a sailor and a snowboarder and I don't consider myself as one.
I also ride bikes at the racetrack, people often wonder how I like things so different...

One of the greatest things about Seattle is I have done both sailing and skiing in the same weekend.

So very true... done the same when I lived in Seattle. Snoqualmie one day and a Blanchard Junior Knockabout on Lake Union the next.
Sometimes I really miss Seattle :(

[Triton106]

pjesus wrote:

I kinda understand what you're saying but the snowboard on your feet doesn't necessarily make you a hooligan.

Of course it does. National statistics show snowboarders are 6.5 times more likely to commit the following crimes:

1. Flattening the mogul fields because they don't know how to go around the little bumps.
2. Scrape precious little snow cover off icy slopes. The steeper the slope the more they scrape off.
3. They are attracted to beginner skiiers and enjoy running over them.
4. They have hopelessly bad taste for sky/outdoor fashions.
5. They have limited vocabularies and tend to use words not in the English language, like Crunk, as in "let's get crunk after skiing."

[Tom Young]

pjesus wrote:

I kinda understand what you're saying but the snowboard on your feet doesn't necessarily make you a hooligan.

Of course it does. National statistics show snowboarders are 6.5 times more likely to commit the following crimes:

1. Flattening the mogul fields because they don't know how to go around the little bumps.
2. Scrape precious little snow cover off icy slopes. The steeper the slope the more they scrape off.
3. They are attracted to beginner skiiers and enjoy running over them.
4. They have hopelessly bad taste for sky/outdoor fashions.
5. They have limited vocabularies and tend to use words not in the English language, like Crunk, as in "let's get crunk after skiing."

I take exception to these stats, except perhaps, #4.

[Tom Young]

Two of us Listers are vacationing in Rockport next week. I understand that there has not been much snow there, 'pathetic', but I surely look forward to the respite! We expect to see some of the locals and hope to see others. We'll have computers along, and internet access; get in touch!
.

What will you be doing in Rockport? Snow is scarce around the harbor. I'm working on a house in my neighborhood owned by folks that live in DC. They had planned to visit last week and had a flight booked. The irony is they had planned to rent a 4WD in Boston, so they could get around,... Rockport,...

[Quetzalsailor]

Chris Campbell and I arrived, with our admirable admirals, on Valentines Day and will spend a week. The house we've rented overlooks Rockport harbor at Beauchamp Pt. I'm sure that they can't see anything when the trees have leaves, but it's lovely now! We are cadging for boat lookin' and gams, where ever and whenever we can.

[Quetzalsailor]

Tom,check your email. Contact info is there.

[Tom Young]

Tom,check your email. Contact info is there.

You may have an old email. tomyoungdesign@REMOVEgmail.com

[Quetzalsailor]

Similarly: dheckrotte@REMOVEgmail

[Quetzalsailor]

well, maybe dheckrotte@REMOVEgmail.com