For Women OnlyBy Valerie Summers
Call it Shangri-La. Call it Fantasy Island. Or call it Crested Butte, a place where dreams do come true….at least for the distaff ski crowd. Ski goddess, Kim Reichhelm, founded Women’s Ski Adventures in Colorado 11 years ago. This sportswoman extraordinaire is a five year veteran of the U.S. Ski Team, two-time World Extreme Skiing Champion, and three-year member of the women’s professional ski racing tour. I signed up for one of her 4-day clinics with the hopes of improving my confidence and my ability in this exhilarating sport. I found, not only improved proficiency in the sport, but a nurturing atmosphere of support, encouragement and bonding. Arriving by America West Airlines into Gunnison, a friendly Alpine Express driver shuttled me into the town of Crested Butte and gave a short tour of “main street,” a typical ski village filled with a variety of boutiques and restaurants. The ski clinic’s base of operations, the Crested Butte Marriott, provided meeting rooms where our group congregated to chow down appetizing breakfast, lunch and apres snack buffets. We gathered for stretching and video viewing –oh, but I am getting ahead of myself. On the first night, a group of 22 women, from all parts of the country, plus one from London, gathered to meet one another and the staff. Most women came alone, many because they had no friends who shared their passion for skiing. Several were repeat customers, one who had returned for the 9th season. Kim Reichhelm, a striking, 5’10” bombshell made the introductions. Her staff….. to say they were exuberant would be an understatement. They were almost all in their 20’s and I thought uh oh….these kids are going to be my teachers? While eating and drinking and getting to know the other participants, we filled out detailed questionnaires. Not only were we asked how long we had skied, how well we skied and the standard questions, but what were our special needs and how we wished to be treated. We could be gently encouraged, waited on hand and foot - having someone buckle our boots and help us up when we fell (princess skiers), or if boot camp was the style of choice…we got it. Our skiing sisterhood was split into six groups ranging from one 50-some year old woman who had never been on skis to a group of hell-on wheels extreme skiers. I fell in the mid-range along with three of the best pals anyone could ever want and our very special instructor, Stacey Roman, who formerly taught kindergartners how to ski.
Next morning we met for stretching and warm-up with Bradley Richmond, a kinesthesiologist/ski instructor, followed by a hearty buffet breakfast to stoke the energy of this ardent ski group. Many skiers brought their own equipment, but those who did not visited Flatiron Sports or Crested Butte Ski & Snowboard Rental where they were fitted with skis and boots. Kim displayed a selection of various K2 demo skis which we all had access to for those wanting to try the latest equipment. Then we hit the slopes—22 women ranging in age from 30’s through 50’s of every size, shape and ability. A major winter storm passed through the day before and the result created pure magic. The mountains seemed covered in wedding cake icing with gentle swirls where a few skiers had already carved their marks. We sat, bunched close together on the quad which lifted us up over the snowy landscape to our first run of the day. Stacey led the way, always with a smile and a voice that could be heard all over the mountain. She was everyone’s pet because of her thoughtfulness, stuffing cookies into her pockets for the lift operators and always with a word of encouragement and concern for anyone who crossed her path. We all reaped the benefit of her support and her mantra…number one, safety; number two, fun; and number three better skiing skills. We spent lots of time laughing. Freda, one member, who I dubbed “Wild Child” followed Stacey’s instructions to a tee even when she wasn’t supposed to. When Stacy instructed us to do what she did and then began skiing backwards to watch us, Freda attempted the same. Then there was Kitty who was determined to forget those stem-christies and wedges and surprise her husband with a new and improved skiing partner, which he got when she later rendezvoused with him. And Felicity, who I skied with in Switzerland last year, always underestimates her abilities, but she was our star. As for me, I felt like I was doing the Makarena on skis…butt in, feel those shins, weight centered, watch those poles and keep smiling. Then along came Pat with his video camera. Were we ready to we photographed in our first effort? I don’t think so, but it was a great comparison to the finished product three days later. Lunch time came and we skied back to the hotel where Kim gave a talk on boot fitting. Her talk made so much sense that I, who had never owned a pair of ski boots in my life, ambled over to Flatiron just to check things out I was so impressed with the knowledge of master boot fitter, Larry Ryan, that I ended up buying a pair. The fitting took more than three days to customize and was well worth the effort. I cannot imagine that kind of service from visiting the average sports store and walking out with a pair of boots just as you would a pair of tennis shoes. Back to the slopes. The ideal ski weather continued. Stacey skied side by side with each of us, correcting, suggesting and encouraging. We played follow the leader, honing our skills at making tighter turns. We learned to negotiate deep powder , did some synchronized skiing and ran some non-threatening gate courses. Magically, Kim would appear, each day in a different, gorgeous Nils ski outfit, just to check on how things were going. And each day, Pat Wild would also appear, video camera in hand, capturing our progress on tape. At the end of the day, we returned to the hotel for apres refreshment and an opportunity to see ourselves on video. These invaluable tapes enabled us to get a true picture of our improvement and provided a wonderful remembrance. Working up an appetite after a full day of skiing, we all looked forward to a good meal and enjoying the camaraderie of fellow skiers. Dinners varied, with a welcoming dinner for the whole group at The Idle Spur (noisy and fun with good, hearty food) and a closing awards dinner at Le Bosquet (elegant, fine cuisine) and in between dinners on our own. The intimate Soupcon, a local favorite, won another fan when I feasted on their fabulous elk tenderloin and portabella mushroom napoleon. The awards dinner brought us all together one last time before departing to our homes scattered all over the country. I accomplished my objective and Kim attained her goal in creating an environment which “fosters women’s natural tendencies to develop bonds, to support and encourage each other.” Kim Reichhelm’s Ski Adventures: Telephone (888) 444-8151. Website: http://www.crestedbutteresort.com The final clinic for the 1999 season is Feb. 25-March 2. Cost: $700-$1200. Black Diamond Adventures, a co-ed experience is also available. Nils Ski Wear: Manufacturers of fine, functional apparel including an apr�s ski resort collection; a sporty line of trendy, technical outerwear; the classic, feminine, sophisticated ski attire; and the latest in sport underwear. K2: Telephone: (206) 463-3631 America West Airlines, the ninth largest U.S. carrier provides more than 600 daily departures to 58 destinations across North America and Mexico. Postscript: Valerie received this letter from a reader... Valerie, I just read your article about your recent trip to Crested Butte -- your experience bears an uncanny resemblance to mine. I recently returned from Kim's final WSA clinic and was blessed to be in Stacey's group. Actually, I sort of "adopted" Stacey after I found her sense of humor and playfulness to be similar to mine, and I switched over from another group to ski with her. She was a delight, just as you described, and largely responsible for the great time I had. It was Stacey who referred me to your website. Since I've been back, I've been wistfully dreaming for another return to the slopes before season's end, although my knees are still recovering from six days of hard skiing on this last trip. It sounds like we share a similar enthusiasm for active, stretch-your-comfort-zone vacations, so I'll look forward to reading about your next adventure. I'll probably go back to a Women's Ski Adventure next year, so maybe we'll get to meet if you're there again. Thanks again for a great article. Connie Day |
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