For the purposes of this post, I'm going to take you back to yesteryear, to a time when life was carefree and happiness greeted you at every turn - yes, back to Reading Week of 4 days ago.
Now, I've got two scenarios for you, and your task is actually quite simple. Just go with your first gut reaction and answer which of the two you think would be more perilous and filled with fright and excruciating pain: 1) Being mauled to indistinction by a rabid, fucking ornery and hungry Grizzly bear, or; 2) Going cross country skiing on a sunny Winter's day? Don't think about it too much. Try not to over-analyze the scenarios. Now, what'd you pick?
The Grizzly bear gorefest?
Yeah, that's probably what my survival instincts would have persuaded me to choose too if not for an unforgettable afternoon of cross country skiing in Calgary's Olympic Park.
When I try to picture cross country skiing at the base of a ski hill I'd see a pleasant cardio workout involving a few mounds to overcome, but more-or-less a flat circuit that's hospitable to children and senior citizens alike. What awaited us at the Olympic Park was the snow-based equivalent of the American Gladiators Eliminator. How inadequate my thin ski's felt, partlialy locked in guide paths, as my body hurled down sheer cliffs, each sporting a break-neck turn at the peak point of acceleration - which would be the point where I breach the speed of sound, nay, light!
Thinking this would be, quite literally, a "walk in the park," and the gorgeous +7C weather, I hit the hill wearing nothing but pants, t-shirt, and toque. Perhaps this wasn't the best planning on my part, but at least the burns and holes ripped in my flesh were able to come into immediate contact with soothing ice and snow, you know, to prevent further swelling and bruising. In all my previous experiences downhill skiing and snowboarding I've never left a hill so battered and bruised...
...you've won the battle, Olympic Park, but I'll return to win the war!
Currently: Burning even more music to add to my massive mp3 collection!
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