Though we had a fabulous fall, I could hear winter knocking at the door. Reports of early snow storms only make skiers antsy – though we know that the best skiing is still months away. Last year, PK and I took an early season ski trip to Colorado and it was an excellent antidote for the November skiing blues. It was so successful in relieving anticipation, I decided to do it again this year and hit up Woodward at Copper to practice some backflips with actual skis on.
Thursday night was spent in Denver reminiscing with some childhood friends. It was amazing to see them and learn about Astis Mittens, a company started by one of their Denver friends. We also had a few good laughs about the fact that I had a highlight video which I showed to everyone on the big screen in their amazing loft apartment.
I told everyone to get to work on their highlight videos and headed up to the mountains the next day.
My sister and I got to A-Basin in time to make about 6 runs before we had to bust a move for our drop in session at Woodward. We met some friends who are also ripping skiers and went nuts right away throwing 360s and backflips into the foam pits. Everyone had trepidation before their first drop, but it was all erased with the effortless jump and then landing into the foam pits. I tried about 8 backflips and had only 3 good ones.
To take a break from backflipping I headed over to the cliff and threw a front flip into the foam. My skis hit the foam, I compressed, and I kneed myself in the mouth and absolutely shredded my lip. Ten stitches later, I looked like this.
foam to ski --> knee to lip --> Meg to ER
Not to be discouraged, we skied the next morning at ABasin again.
still jumping
When the crowds arrived, we bailed for some lunch and to find a full face helmet to I could return to Woodward. Bam! Got a Giro Full Face! I think this will really help me down the road! My sister and I headed back to Woodward and threw ourselves into foam until we were exhausted.
Sometimes the hardest part was getting out of the foam as evidenced here.
After one more morning of skiing, this time at Keystone, we headed back to Denver to spend more time with awesome non-skiing friends and catch my flight back to Tahoe. I got plenty of looks when I boarded the plane with my fat lip and my full face helmet carry on. This morning when I arrived to work a coworker told me I was like a 10 year old with a different injury every two weeks. Brutally fun weekend!
Meghan Kelly Teles! 