There is an old saying:
“Norwegians are born with skis on their feet.”
Norway transforms into a winter wonderland when it starts to snow. Famous Norwegian polar explorers like Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen have inspired the nation to go skiing. Kids as young as three years ski like they have known it for ages.
While in many countries, people prefer staying indoors when the winter bites, in Norway, they are out in nature skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, or watching ski competitions. Kids play on heaps of snow along the roadside if they are too bored.
Inspired by my Norwegian friends, I was thrilled to learn Slalåm or downhill skiing. Watching skiers glide down the snowy slopes in a zig-zag pattern looked so easy. After renting the heavy ski shoes, I headed straight to the slopes. Maintaining your balance is crucial while skiing. I soon realized that it’s not as easy as it looks. After many attempts to keep my balance, I stopped counting the number of times I fell.
A Norwegian friend of mine told me:
“If you are not falling, you are not trying hard enough.”
Well, it’s true! If you are too careful to fall, you can never learn. It’s like learning to walk or ride a bicycle. You probably fell many times before finally being good at it. But as kids falling is not much of a big deal. Kids stand up, dust off their clothes, and continue as if nothing happened. As an adult, falling means a louder and harder thud. Getting up is an achievement in itself.
On a ski trip to Sogndal with some friends, the weather was pretty bad on the day we were supposed to ski. I was very reluctant to step outside the house, let alone go skiing. Just when I had made up my mind to stay indoors and was about to convince the others to do the same, my friends said:
“There is no such thing as bad weather. Only bad clothes.”
A few minutes later, we were out skiing in the storm. The good thing was that it felt as if we had the ski slopes to ourselves since there was hardly anyone except us who showed up. Also, tt was much easier for me to learn on the beginner slopes without crashing into anyone.
There are many places in Norway to ski like Trysil, Hemsedal, Voss, Norefjell, Oslo (Tryvann), Norheimsund (Furedalen) etc.
I have also tried Langrenn or Cross-country skiing. I felt it was more like hiking on skis. Although I enjoyed it, I think that Slalåm skiing is more adventurous. It gives you an adrenaline rush when going downhill with the wind hitting your face. I am nowhere close to Norwegians in Skiing, but I have improved since my first time. Learning a new sport is fun. So, I would encourage you to give it a try.
For motivation, here’s a sneak peek of my skiing experience:
