The lifts I used to access angled snow all day, on the first day of 2009 – Gondola, Gondola, Thunder, Sublette, Sublette, Tram, Lunch at Four Season’s Peak Bar, Teewinot, Teewinot, Teewinot, Apres Vous.

This was my day, the pre lunch with a group of locals who like to rip powder, the post lunch with a friend of one of the local clients who is learning to snowboard. I enjoy teaching. This client had a breakthrough. She was able to link turns on steeper terrain on both heelside and toeside turns. She was struggling with toeside turns (from heels to toes). I suggested a few things…look where you want to end up, drop your toes, drive your knee (so that you can’t see your toes…but don’t look at your feet…look where you want to end up!), hips forward and a few other tidbits. She rocked it and was linking turns on the steep intermediate runs coming off of Apres Vous.

I was riding switch for the afternoon and am finally starting to feel it come on!

2008 has been a challenging year for me and many others. I am very much lookng forward to this new year and new beginnings.

No better way to start the new year than to share a wonderful quote that has inspired me for years.

“Whatever you can do, or think you can, do it now, boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it!” – Johanne Wolfgang von Goethe

Happy New Year!

Stephen Koch