I think most skiers and snowboarders can honestly admit that transitioning their feet from stiff ski and snowboard boots to flip-flops come April feels really good. I said most. The rest of them — you know, the freak sect of the skiing world — continue to think exclusively about ski season and are only willing to accept summer as a necessary evil of the mountain lifestyle.
If you recognize yourself in any of the scenarios below, sorry, but you’re officially a ski freak. (Like me.)
Looking the Part
Summer is when a lot of ski freaks acquire new gear. They want to be first on the block with the hottest new boards. And because they’re so excited to put that new gear into action, you might find them mowing the lawn in their new ski boots, you know, to break them in. In August.
Or you can spot them as the ones still wearing their trusty, all-wool beanie. They just can’t bear to put that into storage during the summer months. And it’s not out of the realm of possibility to hear about somebody literally sleeping with their new skis the first night they get them. Don’t judge.
Mailbox Watching
Your much-anticipated gift from the postal service arrives in mid-August, when temps are still at their peak. But that doesn’t stop the winter junkie in you. You read the ski pub from cover to cover, riveted. And because one issue isn’t enough, you dig out your copies from winters past and settle in for some quality time. We know, you’re dreaming of all those powder days to come.
Priorities In Order
Even on the most coveted lake days of summer, your mind never shifts from falling flakes. You wake up, throw on that T-shirt with your favorite ski company’s logo on it, collect your beach towel, reading material (see above) and, of course, a pair of goggles. Because losing the base for your goggle tan would be devastating come ski season.
All of this while sipping on a cold PBR tallboy, just to make sure the current vintage is as good as the last. That’s just normal, right?
