I wasn't a great basketball player, but I like to play the game. In eight grade, I tried out for the middle school BB team and was cut. I still want to play so I joined a CYO team from my church, but the coach on the team had two sons who also played the guard position. I would see limited time and I became disenchanted with the basketball.
My older brother had been a member of the high school ski club and decided to teach me how to ski. Well, I would try anything so my brother and several of his friends took me to Swain. I went in line and throught the process of getting boots, skis and poles at the rental shop. I was struggled to put on the ski boots. My brother waited and watched impatiently for me to get dressed. Finally, I am sure that he was thinking it was about time we get to the lift line. This was very interesting trying to put my skis on and move toward the lift lines. Without really knowing how to ski, I was suppose to move forward and get ready for the chair to pick us up. I kind of didn't get in properly and ceremoniously fell forward out of the chair lift. Everything stopped ... I finally got back into position and away we went to the top. It was my first real experience in getting on a chair lift and surprisingly not my last fall. Now, after the ride up the mountain, the real trick was going to be getting off the chair lift. At the top, there was a little dip to ski down and off. 
I put my ski tips up and true to form, I slide to the left and fell there as well. My brother's eyes were rollling back in head. Already, he had just wasted an hour with me pickings out my skis and other stuff. It was finally time to show me how to ski. 
He explained the simple things first like ... lifting the bar before you get too close to the drop-off area and where to put the t-bar so you don't fall. The more important signs were to come.
The basics were explained like the trail symbols and signs. It appeared to be safe as many of the skiers were heading in the same direction toward the sign that said "Easiest" and that where we were going to as well. Everyone has to start somewhere, I started on a neat trail called "Mile Sweep". I looked down at the path and it did appear to be easy to ski down. Now remember, I have fallen on the lift twice, yet I was still willing and able to try this skiing thing. Well as you might imagine, I racked up at least eight falls as I slowly made my way down the slope. It was amazing to see, but my brother was standing at the bottom of the slope waiting to take me up again. After about four more trips on Mile Sweep, I thought that I might venture onto other trails. The next trail 80 Acres would test my resolve to continue this madness. 80 Acres had some moguls @ the top of the run. I managed to somehow slide down a portion of the slope. That is not how you are support to do it. Also, the rental skis did not have breaks, but were attached to your legs by run away straps which means when you fall the skis would stick with you ... no head injuries thank God.
I put my ski tips up and true to form, I slide to the left and fell there as well. My brother's eyes were rollling back in head. Already, he had just wasted an hour with me pickings out my skis and other stuff. It was finally time to show me how to ski. 
He explained the simple things first like ... lifting the bar before you get too close to the drop-off area and where to put the t-bar so you don't fall. The more important signs were to come.
The basics were explained like the trail symbols and signs. It appeared to be safe as many of the skiers were heading in the same direction toward the sign that said "Easiest" and that where we were going to as well. Everyone has to start somewhere, I started on a neat trail called "Mile Sweep". I looked down at the path and it did appear to be easy to ski down. Now remember, I have fallen on the lift twice, yet I was still willing and able to try this skiing thing. Well as you might imagine, I racked up at least eight falls as I slowly made my way down the slope. It was amazing to see, but my brother was standing at the bottom of the slope waiting to take me up again. After about four more trips on Mile Sweep, I thought that I might venture onto other trails. The next trail 80 Acres would test my resolve to continue this madness. 80 Acres had some moguls @ the top of the run. I managed to somehow slide down a portion of the slope. That is not how you are support to do it. Also, the rental skis did not have breaks, but were attached to your legs by run away straps which means when you fall the skis would stick with you ... no head injuries thank God. 
Hudson Valley - None, possible 6
Holiday Valley is the ski resort where many of the ski clubs from Western NY colleges go. I wasn't surprised to hear that I should include Western PA and Eastern Ohio. Holiday Valley benefits from a unique location directly in the lake effect snow bands and gets a lot of snow as a result from mid-October until April. I had the opportunity to ski the slopes of Holiday Valley for three seasons and became very familiar with most of the trails. In college, skiing was as much a sport as a social event. I was lucky as my roommates like skiing, too.
Well, again I was not aware of such things in the mid-80's. Without have ever taken lessons, I was still quite ackward at skiing even after skiing for years in high school, but like I said half the time college skiing was spend socializing. Generally, I shied away from the most difficult runs in order to gain confidence and work on my techique. Surprisingly, I didn't fall coming off the lifts, but did manage to find many ways to wipe-out going down the slopes. Cindy's Run and a few of the trails like Maple Leaf and Foxfire would be enough of a challenge most nights. The candlelight run @ the end of the night was a real treat to watch, the skiers would just moved what looked like effortless motion down the slope in perfect S's almost like a delayed action photograph. I would say to myself afterward that someday I'll ski like that too. By the end of my time skiing in college, I would have skied the slopes of Holiday Valley more than thirty times over the four years and finally became comfortable with the black diamonds - Yodeler, Champagne, Chute, Shadows and Firecracker.
Upon retirement, many of these soldiers continued to support the sport of skiing in a number of capacities. In many respects, there is a vacation resort skiing industry due to the efforts of these pioneering individuals; some 30 division members who have been inducted into the US National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Frame. Such skiing resorts as Vail, Aspen, Sugarbush and Whiteface just to name a few were designed, laid out and built by the 10th. It is conceivable that every ski area in the nation had some sort of 10th influence. Other became ski coaches, racers, instructors, shop owners and filmmakers. Some wrote and published ski magazines, ran ski resorts, improved ski equipment, developed snow-making and lift equipment.
When ready to hit the slopes, we skied together as a group for awhile, then broke off onto different trails. The rental ski boots were the strapped from the back type and skis were long and narrow, similar to my own ... difficult to maneuver especially on the steep narrow trails covered with deep moguls. I had great fun skiing in Austria and now I wanted that thrill of racing down the slopes for the rest of my life. My skiing buddy's added to the moment by getting me ski upto the very top of Rosentranzhohe peak. The scenic view of the Alps was utterly unforgetable. As it was a perfectly clear day, the 360 degree look was for miles in every direction and I didn't have my camera. That won't ever happen again. Later in the afternoon, my legs began to burn after every run, but I didn't want to stop. I couldn't keep up with my friends on the expert trails and would need to take breaks between running laps on the intermediate slopes (at least the grillboden served beer to damped the pain).
Racing down the groomer trails to the Mittelstation, I remembered that I love the speed. Someday, I will be back in Austria Skiing for Enjoyment.
As they're looking over the fall line, I would give the last bit of advice "remember to do your S's" and over the edge they would go. You are not judged on how quickly or smoothly you skied down, or on the number of falls until you reach the bottom of the mountain, but that you did it. For the rest of the day ... all you'll hear "let's do it again!"