Crossing Over with James

When people ask me how long I have been snowboarding they generally are pretty shocked to hear that I didn’t even see snow until I was 16 years old. This is just one example of the issues facing an unexperienced Australian instructor trying to ‘fit in’ in Norway.

Most of the people who work here were basically born on the snow. Skiing has been in their families for hundreds of years. Imagine the reaction I get when I say that I had never stepped into a ski boot… until today. One aspect of my new job that I may not have mentioned before now is that; while I am officially a snowboard instructor, I will be expected to teach skiing- and apparently a lot of it.

Unlike Canada, where roughly a third to half of everyone on the mountain is on a snowboard, Europeans like their skiing; a lot. Of the hundred or so people I passed today on the slopes I saw maybe 10 snowboards- if that. I have a feeling the demand for ski instructors might be a little higher than snowboarders. So to summarise: the reality of the situation is that in less than 2 weeks I will be teaching people a sport I have no experience with, in a language I do not speak.

With this fact in mind; this afternoon I promptly strapped myself into a pair of skis, grabbed myself an instructor and crammed in a solid hour of skiing. While I am far from being ready- I have taken the first steps to make this ridiculous situation a little less insane.