Let's Go Skiing!

Okay, you have moved to Provo, Utah, to study at Nomen Global Language Centers.  You’ve got your passport and visa all squared away.  You’ve got your books and rented a room and found some good places to eat.  You’re making friends and learning a new language.

Now What?

Now it’s time you learned how to ski!  Skiing is one of the prime sports activities in Utah.  One of the main reasons they held the 1998 Winter Olympics in Utah was because of the outstanding skiing opportunities available.  You have an abundance of ski resorts that are close to Provo to provide you with instruction and opportunity to glide down ski trails all weekend long.  Utah ski resorts are normally open from late October until Mid-May, or sometimes later, depending on snow depth and weather.  You may never get the opportunity again in your young life to enjoy such convenience and pleasure, when it comes to skiing!

A History Lesson.

Most historians think that skiing first developed in the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Finland and Norway.  The record of people using skis to hunt moose, deliver royal messages, and to invade neighboring countries, goes back well over a thousand years.  Some historians now believe that it was the Chinese who first invented the art of skiing, in northern China, around 600 BC. 

Skiing was not considered a sport until about 1890, after Norwegian immigrants had brought their skiing skills to places like Minnesota, Oregon, and Utah.  In 1912 the Wasatch Mountain Club was organized in Salt Lake City to recruit members to learn how to ski and enjoy the breathtaking grandeur of the nearby mountains.  Ski jumping was introduced into Utah in the 1930’s, around the Ogden area.  A major innovation, and convenience, was introduced to Utah ski resorts in the early 1940’s, when mechanized tow ropes were installed to allow skiers to be pulled back up the mountainside, instead of having to walk all the way back up under their own power.  There are currently 14 officially designated ski areas in the state of Utah, most of them clustered around the Salt Lake/Provo corridor.  These designated ski areas have plowed trails, ski patrols on duty to enforce rules and help stranded and injured skiers, and an abundance of fine restaurants and other cultural features that mean you not only get to ski the mountains of Utah, you get to enjoy a good meal and perhaps catch a world class first run movie at a resort like Sundance.

What’s the Cost?

There is normally no entry fee into a ski resort.  It’s free; what you pay for is a pass to ride the ski lift, which takes you to the top of the skiing area.  A typical one-day pass at a resort like Park City will cost about $68.00.  Most resorts have discounts for beginners, children, and for certain times of year.  So when you decide it’s time to go on up into the mountains for a weekend of fun, make sure you go online to check the resort discounts first. You can often print out discount coupons from your computer, and save as much as fifty-percent on your lift ticket.

Happy Shushing!