From November 10, 2012 to April 6, 2013, I skied for 54 days — 49 of which were national public holidays and 5 were company holidays. There were 50 days with snow and 4 without. I spent 7 days in the US, 15 in Beidahu, 1 in Nanshan, and 31 in Wanlong.
A few reflections:
1. Safe skiing:
This season was relatively safe overall. Always remind yourself to ski safely — better safe than sorry. There were moments of wild impulsiveness, but reason held them back. I avoided accidents that had happened to friends around me. But unfortunately, I didn’t firmly stop them from taking reckless risks, and some of my friends did have accidents. Next season, I’ll do more to promote safe skiing.
2. Happy skiing:
Although the total number of skiing days decreased this season, the number of great skiing days increased. There were only 2 weeks without snow — from my first day on the slopes during a blizzard to the last day with heavy snowfall. It wasn’t every single day of perfect skiing, but it was every single week.
3. Rational skiing:
Check the weather forecast, study the resort conditions, and ski according to the snow. Abandon unrealistic frameworks and dogmas about skiing, and follow your inner calling rather than vague ideals.
4. Off-piste skills greatly improved:
Although I’ve been skiing off-piste for many years, this year saw the most improvement, especially in the trees. Over two-thirds of my time this season was spent skiing off-piste. My safety, route-finding, and fluidity all improved significantly. I also encouraged more people to try off-piste skiing.
5. On-piste skills improved somewhat:
Even though I kept my on-piste board in the locker all season, I was tempted by off-piste skiing and practiced less on-piste, watching fewer videos too. But I did a lot of mental visualization, got tips from more experienced skiers, and started filming myself. My form improved quite a bit, so even with less practice, the results were still good.
6. Made many new friends:
I met a lot of new skiing buddies this season, and they brought me a lot of joy. I hope I brought them some too.
More videos from this season can be found on Tudou: http://www.soku.com/t/nisearch/Sweat-Drops-Under-the-Umbrella/
More photos and text can be found on Weibo.