Opening Day at Whitetail (Day 7)

Today kicked off my second season as an instructor for the ski and ride school at Whitetail. We welcomed many new snowboarding instructors. As a result, the trainers needed to train the new instructors first. I asked our lead instructor if I could take skiing clinics instead and he approved.

I switched out my boots and my snowboard fellows sarcastically shook their heads in disapproval. Ski vs. snowboard battle never ended. I loved them both and I wanted to coach in both. As I joined the ski crew, I talked to another skier instructor who had taught skiing at Whitetail for a decade. He told me he lives in Vienna, which made me remember the conversation we had five years ago. I recognized his face and his voice. Five years ago, I took my first ski ever with David Mendelowitz right at Whitetail. That first lesson, which my wife signed me up without my consent, changed my wife.

I told Mr. Mendelowitz that he took me on the First Class Magic Carpet at the end of our lesson. I zoomed straight down without stopping or crashing into anyone else while he was yelling, “Pizza, pizza, pizza.” He laughed and joked, “I guess I didn’t do a bad job.” Since I was standing next to him this afternoon as a fellow instructor, he had done a phenomenal job. I finally had a chance to thank him.

In hindsight, Whitetail and I are meant for each other. On January 20, 2020, I took my first ever skiing lesson at Whitetail with Mr. Mendelowitz. On February 21, 2024, I took a skiing lesson with Ms. Mary Poscover and she encouraged me to become an instructor. When I applied for the ski and ride instructor position, I chose Liberty because it was 10 minutes closer to our house. Liberty rejected my application. I applied for Whitetail and was hired.

In retrospect, I had only been skiing for four seasons and snowboarding for three. We skipped 2020-2021 because of Covid. It seems as if I had been skiing and snowboarding for a while. I hope to continue for many years to come.