For us seasonaires, skiing on the mountain was just as social as being in resort. Of course, there were days when you craved a day of skiing on your own with nothing but your own thoughts, your ipod plugged into your ears and your favourite runs. But the best fun had on the mountain was when we would all ski in a large pack, picking up friends along the way and people dropping off and finding their own paths back to resort. Word would go round in resort, to meet up in the snow park to watch whatever comp was happening that day, or “be on the grid at midday ready to get on the cable car, if you’re not there then you’re going to miss all the fun!”
As seasonaires we all knew the mountain so well and it became our own. We knew the best way to avoid the cues, the quickest drags, the best off piste runs and the best cliff jumps to attempt if you were feeling bold! Each day would be different on the mountain. The people you skied with changed each day, the conditions, the snow and of course where you skied. There were no two days the same, which is what made it so appealing and why you could continue to do it day in day out. There was always somewhere new to explore and as a group we could always count on stumbling along a new route or a new jump to try.
Some days on the mountain also turned into massive drinking sessions in the snow park. When a comp was organised you could guarantee there would be a group of Ski Peak and Kick Ski seasonaires situated with perfect views of the jumps where they could see the best stacks of the day and cheer on the unbelievable tricksters who momentarily swapped snow for air time!
And if the drinking didn’t start on the mountain, it was sure to start directly after back in resort. Lazy afternoons spent sitting in the sun with an après beer or two at Ski Peaks Rissou Hotel was a routine we all fell into. Without much encouragement I must add! It was a great way to hang out and relax before heading back to work for the evening. We would chat about anything and everything and just generally joke around. But mostly we chatted about our day on the mountain or the local gossip that was going around in resort that week.
Good times!
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