Like most everyone else, I've got plenty of tales but then one I'll share here would have to have been even better as seen through the eyes of my friend since childhood John, his sister and their parents.
you see, it was they who introduced me to skiing by asking, "We're going skiing this weekend do you want to come?" and of-course, "YES!" was my response.
Cut to saturday morning in the lift line heading up to the top of the "black-diamond" run at pittifully small Alpine Valley. Having decided to meet back at the same lift, we loaded up. John's foks and sister first a few other folks, and finally John and I. Unloaded went, well, I stood up, slid down the lil unloading hump, turned downhill.
I don't remember yelling, but appearantly I was hootin up a storm as I sailed past everyone on that hill, propably at a speed that none of them had ever before seen.
Needless to say, I was easily the first one back to the lift line.
Where I hit all the assembled folks like a perfectly rolled bowling ball. Had to have been 30 people laid out on the snow and the only person left standing.
as one angry patron struggled to his feet he yelled, "wtf did you learn how to ski?" my innocent & honest 14 yr old shoulder shrugging reply, "tv" caused even the old grump to burst into laughter.
I had no idea that I did know how and never had the first doubt in my mind about it... right up until the point of impact :o