Tottenham 5 - 1 Arsenal

Juande Ramos - my new hero.

Look at him. Isn't he lovely?

Death from above...

Skiing is, under normal circumstances, a risky business. But quite aside from having to dodge snowboarders trying to ride into your bindings and beginners weaving their unpredictable way in front of you, it seems there is yet another threat to your safety, coming from a most unexepected angle. The other day while skiing under a chairlift, around 20 metres from the line of the lift, a ski fell out of the sky and crashed down in the snow in front of me, following by what, on closer inspection, I found to be the front end of someone's ski boot. I stopped by said ski, and then looked skywards to see a 4 people turned backwards on the chair looking aghast. I did the decent thing, and dropped it off at the lift station. before going on my way. Had I have taken a different route under the chair, it could have been nasty.

Come over to the dark side

Ever since I can remember I've been a devout skiier, pious and unflinching to the last in my devotion to the dual-planked method of getting down a snowy hill fast. I attribute this to a childhood spent on skis and my parent's oft-espoused opinion that snowboarders were hooligans whose trousers didn't fit them.

Then, the other week, something in me changed. My ideas about the superiority of skiing over boarding ebbed away into the mist (or, perhaps, the pow?) and I knew deep inside that the time was right. And so this afternoon, under the tutelage of my good buddy Fin, I shackled my feet (oddly sheathed in a soft boot rather than something made of rigid plastic) on to a single piece of downhill equipment rather than the usual pair.

After a mere 2 1/2 hours I was already almost linking my turns, and was extremely encouraged to say the least. The dark side beckons.

Hello Mister Blue Sky

Today was the third straight clear (very nearly 'blue-sky') day here in Whistler, and with it the longest spell of good weather since we arrived. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to enjoy it properly until today but, oh boy, enjoy it I did. Above a certain altitude there was unlimited visiblity and the a shining sun – see the pictures below for evidence. Doubtless it’ll be overcast and miserable within a few days but in the meantime it’s been less like skiing in the mountains and more like being on a summer holiday.

And here's an awesome shot of a local landmark known as "Black Tusk", for reasons which I hope should be glaringly obvious.

Sweet air

Today I went riding with a pair of mates from work, and it ended up being a fairly momentous day - it marked the first time I've ever taken a jump on skis, properly, without getting an arse/face-full of snow. I loved it, I must confess. The venue was Blackcomb mountain's Terrain Garden (a terrain park for beginners), which was right up my street. The next time I'm on the hill I shall be attempting a rail, and will report back (with pictures of stonking great purple bruises, no doubt).

Live the dream.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to you all; may your hangover be mellow and your general sense of well-being be regained by dinner time.

Best wishes for 2008.