When I was a little kid I dreamed of being able to spend my winters skiing. I pictured myself escaping the city and being outside, enjoying beautiful views and exhilarating runs. I probably skied a dozen or so times during school trips and a few times with a family friend. It was always enjoyable but I often felt a bit nervous too. At best I skied blue runs. Black Diamond runs looked way too scary.

Last year I started skiing at COP, the local bunny hill. This year I’ve stepped it up with trips to four different mountains and I’m really happy to see my skills improve each time. I’ve gone from cautiously skiing green runs at the start of last year to now jumping off cornices into boulder-strewn double blacks. Best of all, it feels like I’m living that childhood dream I had many years ago.