Skiing - "Hot Dog" & "Pizza"

I took Alissa skiing for the second time today. Our day started out to be very frustrating. When we arrived at Snowbird, around 10:00 a.m., the parking lots were mostly full. Therefore, I parked in the back of the lot near Chickadee (the beginner run). If I were skiing by myself, this would be no big deal, but it's different with a four year old in tow. Alissa was begging me to pick her up as she couldn't walk in the ski boots very well. In addition, I was carrying my ski's, her ski's, and my poles. I must admit that I was a little surprised when none of the big strong guys offered to help. We eventually made it to Chickadee only to discover that Alissa's goggles weren't going to work as they connect into her helmet and the connection piece had fallen off. Luckily, my dad was working as a Mountain Host on Chickadee today so he was able to help with Alissa while I skied down the hill and walked over to the store to purchase some sun glasses for her. But, when I returned to put my ski's back on, I discovered the heel of my left boot had broken off and would no longer fit into my bindings. Luckily, I was able to rent a pair of boots for only $13.00. By the time I was ready to ski with Alissa, it was after 11:30 a.m. and I was exhausted from running back and forth. I'm so grateful my dad was around to help out. I'm not sure what I would have done without him.

The good news is that the day greatly improved when I learned that my dad had been working with Alissa in a little ski area called the "Magic Carpet." This area is a small ski area located to the right of Chickadee. The hill is barely sloped so the kids can practice and ski on their own without any help. Alissa was amazing.  The "Magic Carpet" gets it's name from the conveyor belt located in the middle, which takes you to the top of the hill once you ski down.



Alissa skiing to the left of the Magic Carpet (conveyor belt)

 Alissa riding up the Magic Carpet (conveyor belt)

 Alissa looking back at me to see how far ahead she is...

After eating lunch with Alissa and my dad, my dad was assigned to a different ski area. Therefore, I decided to spend some time in the Magic Carpet ski area to teach Alissa how to turn better and to stop. She loves skiing fast down the hill, but ends up falling at the end because she can't figure out how to stop. So, Alissa and I played two games called "Red Light Green Light" and "Hot Dog Pizza". The concept was that she could ski fast when I said "Green Light or Hot Dog" and she had to STOP when I said "Red Light or Pizza."

 

In the next two pictures, Alissa is doing the Hot Dog, which means

that her ski's are parallel to each other and she can ski fast.

Alissa's form in this picture is perfect. Her knees are slightly bent and she is leaning forward.

In this picture, Alissa is doing the Pizza, which means that she makes a triangle shape with her ski's and this slows her down or allows her to stop (when the Pizza is very wide).

Alissa loved this game and after a few times, she decided she was ready to ski down the big hill by herself. So, I took her back to Chickadee to try it out. I was nervous at first because I wasn't sure how much control Alissa would have. I skied backwards with her behind me the entire time so I could be sure she wasn't skiing too fast or out of control. She was amazing. She didn't need my help at all. In fact, we played a new game where I skied from side to side and Alissa had to work on her turning by following me to one side; turning, and following me to the other side. I am so proud of her. I have a new ski partner and cannot wait to go the next time.