(...Bernard was wrong. It's not wasted on the young... )
Charles was a good friend. We worked together and made too much money for a couple of young adrenaline junkies.
Charles had charm and a way with words.
He convinced me we should jump from a plane at ten thousand feet, so we took up skydiving.
When he proposed go-karting, I said, "Sure!" Roll cages and rubber retaining walls saved us more than once.
And then Charles suggested night skiing at Saint-Sauveur, a quick one-hour drive away. He was an expert.
I had never skied, but I'd watched the Olympics. And since I could skate, I figured I could probably ski. It was Friday night, the slopes were lit up like Yankee Stadium, and that resort was hopping.
I felt like Franz Klammer as I lowered the Carreras over my eyes.
Charles smartly suggested we practice on the small hill. You know, learn the snow plow, parallel turns, and how to stop. He took the lead, and I followed. After several runs, Charles believed I'd mastered the basics and suggested "Nordique": the fourteen-hundred-foot "expert" slope.
I grinned and agreed. That small hill was for fricken beginners.
"Nordique" was squeezed between towering pines, framing a steep ribbon of white that left little room for error. My heart skipped a beat as I looked down. But with Charles in the lead, and me mirroring his moves, I felt confident.
Things began smoothly enough.
Glide... parallel left turn... glide... parallel right turn... glide...
Halfway along that trail, I missed a turn. With the speed I'd gained, I missed another and then... another.
To my astonished horror, I was soon passing skiers at full speed. Wind howled in a rush, my legs vibrated, and the edges of my skis chattered and bit into the ice. I was fucking downhill racing.
Panic gripped my chest until I recalled one important thing Charles had mentioned.
"Paul, whatever you do — never cross your skis."
You know how people talk about how everything shifts into slow motion when you're facing a crisis? It's true. I visualized Franz, got into an aerodynamic crouch, and was overcome by a serene sense of focus. The wind was silent and my heartbeat steady, as I streaked towards my sanctuary: the bottom of that hill.
What I noticed next had me wondering if I'd survive.
I was headed straight for the three-foot-wide ski lift stanchions and a crowd of a hundred waiting for their ride. I had no idea how to stop, and was going too fast to try. Those people were clueless. No one moved — neither did the beams.
Finally, I did what came instinctively. I began stopping as if I were ice skating.
With the incredible speed I'd gained and the angle I was coming in at, I must have thrown up a wall of snow twenty feet high, spraying everyone in that line. I landed on my back, mere feet from them — grateful to be alive.
I let out a relieved, "WOW!"
Two women I'd nearly hit wiped snow from their faces as they stared at me.
The tall one glared. "Asshole!"
Her attractive friend smirked. "Show-off!"
Later, at the bar, Charles laughed and agreed with both women. But he was proud of his pupil.
We enjoyed more than a few drinks that night.
Charles passed away last week. I'm grateful for the lessons and all the crazy and wild times we shared. That spring, we took up golf.
(... It's wasted on those who don't cherish it... )
... apres-ski is often more fun than skiing ...
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15 comments
SO HOT!!
Fantasy like this why not ?
It's all good fun.
Since you don't want me to say...I'm so sorry to hear about the passing of your friend, I'll skip straight to...you have a virtual hug from me anytime you want it. Celebration or not, a hug is always an appropriate offering!
Sounds like he was fun to be around, a great friend, and a bit of a nudger when you didn't know you needed it. So glad you have all those stories...although, I think I'd like to hear more about the stripping. No cameras when you sky-dived, but there had to be some when you were taking off your shirt!
But I have to ask...why does this post have the title it does? It seems a bit unrelated. Maybe I missed something. ?
Also...it's tough to talk me into stuff to be honest. Something I wasn't ready for that I did anyway was my first day of teaching a class at a community college. I was in a cold sweat the entire time. It got better. I know...not the kind of thing you probably wanted, but I'm an accountant type. What do we do that isn't planned within an inch of its life?
Alcohol fueled some of our decisions — like that club. And others came with a question. Why not?
This story wasn't about skiing or Charles; it was about looking like I knew what I was doing when I had no clue. You'd have to have seen me braking. Body clinging to the ice at a thirty-degree angle. Snow flying high into the air: it was a thing of beauty — exactly like those Olympic downhill racers. Those women thought I was a pro. Hence the title.
And yes, it was also an homage to my friend. But I didn't want to turn it into a — "Sorry for your loss" piece. It was a celebration post.
My background is finance, and I weighed the pros and cons with a risk analysis and a Q: What's the worst that can happen?
You live once.
We had a backup chute. lol 😎
@Paulxx001 "My background is finance, and I weighed the pros and cons with a risk analysis..."
I knew I liked you. Lol.
@MyNameIsKay
Should I share where I fucked up? OMG. You know about number crunchers.
When I'm kissing a woman, LinkedIn is the "zeroist" of my thoghts/
So... Can share with you the most fudged-up P&L I've ever stamped my name to?
I've changed.
Fuck credits.
I love debits. 😎
@Paulxx001 You can share anything with me! I'm retired, everything goes to my grave. LMAO.
@MyNameIsKay
Ya really wanna hear about this one? Lol...😂
I once worked for a large corp that liked to play games and invest in start-ups. They tasked me with the tedium of managing one outfit: no revenues, only massive expenses (all paid by corporate). They finally made a sale one day: $127.00 ... FFS. And the head office said, "Open a business account for those guys."
Those accounts require a minimum balance in order to waive the standard monthly fees. I figured, fuck it, did the math and realized there was no point. Especially since for the next year, THEY never made another sale. At one point, HQ asked to see the bank statements (I guess they were ignoring my monthly P&L's), and I had nothing to show.
Proud 'start-up' dicks were insulted that I hadn't bothered, and HQ (single owner) agreed. I had to do some serious skating. In the end, I left, and those 'inventors' dissolved six months later... with total revenue of $127 and a huge negative balance in their account.
I know, boring. But I had a car and an expense allowance, a sweet view of the river, and a secretary who never read the HR manual about fooling around with your boss. 😲
@Paulxx001 Oh that is good! Hey, as I see it, a job (from someone else vs my own enterprise) is a means to an end, which is defined by me. But I'm very loyal and will be totally dedicated to the one that pays my check.
You had a good deal. And when it was no longer good for you, you left. Awesome. And are you really surprised they ignored your P&Ls?
@MyNameIsKay
My spidey sense told me I was walking into a "time-bomb," but the perks were fine, and my CV was always on the burner — ready to go. Lol...😂
I was talked into ski racing. I was barely intermediate at the time. I was not prepared for the icy ruts around the gates. I did complete the first run (last), but slid off course in the second.
When my friend Charles and I went, and he convinced me I could do IT — I believed him.
Good for you, that you survived. 😂
Yeah, I have a similar experience- went skiing in college with no idea of how to turn or slow myself down. Luckily this is Minnesota so it wasn’t much of a slope.
Gotcha.
Turning and stopping are seriously underrated.
It's a good thing we didn't drive up to Tremblant: that sucker is 2,900 feet. If we had, I might not be writing a blog today.😐
Well, what I like most is the "après-ski" part, even if it's not after a day of skiing LOL
True... Unless one only goes on a couple of runs.😂
Your story brings back the memory of my friend, Cindy teaching me to ski. I was very content on the bunny hill but she decided I needed to advance to the beginner's slope. What she didn't do was teach me how to turn to keep my speed down. I schussed! Ran her over at the bottom of the hill. She fell and I snowplowed safely to a stop. She never took me again.
Sounds like I lived that, except from fourteen hundred feet. Skiing is/was fun, but I enjoy a controlled descent where my only concern is where the bathrooms are. 😂
@Paulxx001 I'll stick with sledding. The world is much safer if I'm closer to the ground.
That final shift from the laughter at the bottom of the hill to the reality of his passing caught my breath.
What a beautiful tribute to Charles, and what a gift it is to have memories that still burn that bright.
I am so incredibly sorry for the loss of your friend.
Catching your breath was my intent. This was a reminder to me. I didn't have much trouble conjuring up this memory, or a dozen more.
Thanks, but no sympathies required. Charles would have shit on me for not calling before I left. And I really do have to thank him for telling me NOT to cross my skis. 😲
Charles and I would talk each other into some crazy stunts. Like that time I convinced him we should jump on stage at the strip club — on a slow night — and provide the patrons with a show.
We got as far as our bare chests and belts before the bouncers noticed.😂
Our golf game was safer, although we never broke 80. But we always managed to impress each other with that once-in-a-match "miracle shot."
... sky-diving was out of this world...
click for a full view
The skydiving photo is beautiful, but it’s clear from your stories that your entire friendship was out of this world.
@4playlist_Sugswt
I wish there were people with cameras back in the day. In fact, there were no tandem jumps. And I am scared of heights. Somehow, at ten thousand feet, I thought I was looking at ants.
I think many people (hopefully) had friendships that pushed the limits: neither of us had inner monologues.😎