PERFECT BOOKS FOR YOUNG SKIERS
Children and adults alike will love these colourful, fun, informative skiing reads, says Arnie Wilson
Ski A to Z – An Illustrated Guide to Skiing
by Kimberley Kay
What makes this book – for me at least – are the flamboyant (and I use the word as a huge compliment) illustrations. Most people reading Ski+board will have a pretty good grasp of skiing’s A to Z, but because this glossary of definitions and suggestions has a backdrop of hugely colourful and cheerful illustrations, it does wonders for any lingering lessons in the learning process about skiing safety, instruction and après-ski pleasures, even though in many ways it’s aimed at beginners.
Kimberley Kay – an artist* who has more than 40 years of ski experience including racing, teaching and heli-skiing – describes her hugely colourful book as “an all-knowing ski friend, imparting all the things people wish they had been told when they started.”
She adds: “Skiing is an amazing, invigorating sport, but if you’ve never tried it, where do you start? Will it be cold? What do I wear? How will I stop?” She says Ski A to Z “provides tips and information to demystify skiing and enhance enjoyment of the sport.” Among the many useful tips is: “Make the most of mountain time and learn key skills on an artificial slope beforehand.” And: “Even after mastering basic skills, use the venue to develop technique and get ski fit.”
Although much of her advice is serious, she does allow a fair bit of humour into her book. Y is for Yeti, for example. “Stories of hairy, wild, human-like mountain creatures can capture the imagination,” she writes. “Are they myth and folklore, or are they the ones who make mysterious first tracks, even before the lifts open, on perfect powder days? Other names for such creatures are bigfoot, sasquatch and the abominable snowman.”
Y is also, dare I repeat it, for ‘Yellow snow’. Kimberley writes: “Snow may contain contaminants, so it’s better not to eat it. Youngsters may want to eat snow, so be sure to tell them not to eat the yellow snow!”
Having sorted out such vital info, all that remains is: “Get boots on, and grab skis and poles – the slopes await!”
Kimberley provided most of the illustrations for Dan Egan and Eric Wilbur’s extreme skiing book, 30 Years In a White Haze, reviewed in issue 212 of Ski+board.
Goodnight Chairlift
by Libby Ludlow
A new children’s skiing book, or “bedtime story for little skiers and snowboarders”, has been released just in time for Christmas. Goodnight Chairlift is by the 2006 Olympic skier, Libby Ludlow (herself the mother of “two little skiers”, based near Boise, Idaho) and is endearingly illustrated by Nathan Y. Jarvis, a children’s specialist ski instructor and artist based in Park City, Utah.
It’s the second time they’ve teamed up like this, after producing A-B Skis for “little rippers” a year or so ago. Goodnight Chairlift is the perfect bedtime story, taking readers on a playful journey across a ski area as the sun sets on “another perfect day in the mountains”. Readers wish ‘goodnight’ to the chairlift, the snowpark and more.
The book has a charmingly written skiing glossary (entitled ‘In the sKNOW!’). ‘Alpenglow’, for example, is described as “the pink hue cast on mountainsides as the sun sets”. Après, you might think, could be a problem to describe in youngsters’ terms, but Libby gets round the obvious problem by ending the item with: “Hanging out with friends and drinking… hot chocolate!”
‘Cold smoke’ is defined as “the white cloud that puffs up behind a person as they ski or snowboard in light snow”. And in direct references to young skiers, there’s ‘Groms’ (short for ‘grommets’) and ‘Little Rippers’ – “kids who ski or snowboard”.
‘Stoke’ gives us “the exhilaration, happiness and excitement that one feels when they’re doing something really fun or awesome”. And that old favourite, ‘Whoop-dee-do’ is: “Wave-like rolls in the snow, often found on tree-trails.”
There’s even a “silly search challenge” with answers available on the abskis.com website. Among the hidden things children can search for, are “a slice of ice pie, three faces in the snow, 15 faces in the trees, a cow eating ice cream, a banana, an owl, an alligator, a baby shark, a dragon, a ghost cat and a bald eagle.”
Meanwhile, it’s “Goodnight Chairlift” – as Libby Ludlow puts it: “Always turning without protest, the weary chairlift has earned a rest… with a night of peaceful sleep ahead, it’s time for the chairlift to go to bed.”
Finally, there is a touching message from Nathan Jarvis back in October: “I got to see the first dusting of snow up high on the mountains here yesterday. I’m stoked! I don't ever want to grow up!”
Ski A to Z – An Illustrated Guide to Skiing
by Kimberley Kay
is published in December by Meyer & Meyer Sport at £12.95.
Goodnight Chairlift
by Libby Ludlow
is available to pre-order online now at ab skis at US$24.99 (£18).