As a leadership and business coach, I seldom work with my hands, leaning instead on my thinking processes, my speaking skills, and use of computers to accomplish the tasks at hand. When I’m skiing, I get to engage my body to contribute to my enjoyment, and using my skills I’m able to do what I am interested in doing. Before I ski, though, I get to use my hands–on my equipment.
Ski gear is big and bulky for the most part. Skis are long and can be unwieldy, especially when you’ve not learned how to handle them. Boots are bulky plastic cases into which you shove your feet. Bindings are annoying clips that don’t always close you onto the skis as you’d like.
But, you can change some of the way you feel about your equipment.
Many passionate skiers will start putting boots on in the late summer to begin to get the bug for skiing. Smart ones will take a visit to one of the truly premier boot specialists to get a tune-up of fit and balance. Bindings need to be checked to make sure that they are still functioning correctly. And it’s nice to have your skis tuned.
But, I like to tune my skis myself. When I do, I connect with them. I get to know them. I feel and improve the sharpness of the edges. I smooth and wax the plastic bases. I check them to make sure that there aren’t any issues with them that I can see. I use my hands and I connect with something deeper–that craftsman within. Skis bring that out in me.
Have you ever really looked at your ski equipment? Did you know you can keep it new longer? Want to try it?
Let’s go!
Posted by: — Stephen Hultquist
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