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You’ve probably skiied in the Alps, the US, Canada or New Zealand. But how many of us have
ever skiied in Russia, and will the fact that the Winter Olympics are
being held there make us want to go?
A few weeks ago, I took a trip to St. Petersburg, and came across the Sochi
2014 countdown clock on the Nevsky Prospekt. Because Russia is a
completely alien place to me (in that I’d never been there before), it
came as a surprise to come across a reference to something I knew about
and recognised. Although St. Petersburg is very European for a
Russian city, the Cyrillic script is just one aspect among many that
highlights the cultural differences between here and there.. Like St. Petersburg, Sochi is
also situated on the most westerly border of Russia, however, rather
than meeting the Baltic sea, Sochi encounters the Black, and is right on
the Caucasus border of Georgia.
We’re all aware that the 2014 Winter Olympics are happening, and we’re all really excited and supportive of our own nations athletes and favourite riders. Yet rarely do we appreciate – or at least talk about – the cultural implications and differences that skiing somewhere
new can enforce. Although it is true that Sochi may not be as far away
on a map as Cardrona or Queenstown, such an alternative resort certainly
feels a lot less familiar than the popular places inhabited by us
around the world at particular times of the year. With this in mind,
there might be an awful lot more to learn and to gain from skiing in the
areas that are so much less frequented by us, and it’s this
cultural aspect of snowsports that the industry seems to lack. Whilst
skiing or snowboarding might be ingrained in our hearts, it is not necessarily
ingrained in (my own) British culture - and when we go to the Alps, the nearest
that most of us get to appreciating an alpine lifestyle (apart from the
skiing) is the tartiflette. It is a beautiful thing to embrace the
mountains when we’re on our skis, and whilst our sport has the
incredible ability to transcend cultural (or any other) differences, the
opportunities to experience the community values in a new ski area
often seem to be ignored.
Sochi 2014 will no doubt propel Russia towards the attention of
skiiers and snowboarders the world over, and it is true that for many of
us, traveling to somewhere like that for a trip is simply not
feasible (or affordable). In addition, heading to our favourite home
resorts often makes much more sense – knowing the best places to ride,
the best bars and the best people are obvious and important advantages,
and if we’re short of time, knowing the mountain often means getting the
most out if. This assurance means a lot, particularly when riding can
be dangerous. Referring back to Eric Poland’s horrendous accident – and
lack of competent, professional care – which happened in Sochi last year (http://news.lineskis.com/2013/02/08/eric-pollard-injury-update/),
being unable to understand or expect a particular standard from an
unfamiliar ski area can result in serious consequences. However, in the
case of the Olympics, we can only hope that appropriate support – both
in terms of medical and legislative – will be achieved, especially since
hundreds of athletes are already seizing the resort this month.
So venturing into the terrain of a new ski area – and a new
culture – can be difficult. It calls for a different level of awareness
and experience not only from the way you ride, but from the way you
interact with an environment and operate as a person. Snowsports can be
more than an activity – and using skiing or snowborading as a medium for
culture could be an incredible way of experiencing more of the
lifestyle that we all love so much. Let’s hope that those going to Sochi
will appreciate more than the slopestyle course.
ever skiied in Russia, and will the fact that the Winter Olympics are
being held there make us want to go?
A few weeks ago, I took a trip to St. Petersburg, and came across the Sochi
2014 countdown clock on the Nevsky Prospekt. Because Russia is a
completely alien place to me (in that I’d never been there before), it
came as a surprise to come across a reference to something I knew about
and recognised. Although St. Petersburg is very European for a
Russian city, the Cyrillic script is just one aspect among many that
highlights the cultural differences between here and there.. Like St. Petersburg, Sochi is
also situated on the most westerly border of Russia, however, rather
than meeting the Baltic sea, Sochi encounters the Black, and is right on
the Caucasus border of Georgia.
We’re all aware that the 2014 Winter Olympics are happening, and we’re all really excited and supportive of our own nations athletes and favourite riders. Yet rarely do we appreciate – or at least talk about – the cultural implications and differences that skiing somewhere
new can enforce. Although it is true that Sochi may not be as far away
on a map as Cardrona or Queenstown, such an alternative resort certainly
feels a lot less familiar than the popular places inhabited by us
around the world at particular times of the year. With this in mind,
there might be an awful lot more to learn and to gain from skiing in the
areas that are so much less frequented by us, and it’s this
cultural aspect of snowsports that the industry seems to lack. Whilst
skiing or snowboarding might be ingrained in our hearts, it is not necessarily
ingrained in (my own) British culture - and when we go to the Alps, the nearest
that most of us get to appreciating an alpine lifestyle (apart from the
skiing) is the tartiflette. It is a beautiful thing to embrace the
mountains when we’re on our skis, and whilst our sport has the
incredible ability to transcend cultural (or any other) differences, the
opportunities to experience the community values in a new ski area
often seem to be ignored.
Sochi 2014 will no doubt propel Russia towards the attention of
skiiers and snowboarders the world over, and it is true that for many of
us, traveling to somewhere like that for a trip is simply not
feasible (or affordable). In addition, heading to our favourite home
resorts often makes much more sense – knowing the best places to ride,
the best bars and the best people are obvious and important advantages,
and if we’re short of time, knowing the mountain often means getting the
most out if. This assurance means a lot, particularly when riding can
be dangerous. Referring back to Eric Poland’s horrendous accident – and
lack of competent, professional care – which happened in Sochi last year (http://news.lineskis.com/2013/02/08/eric-pollard-injury-update/),
being unable to understand or expect a particular standard from an
unfamiliar ski area can result in serious consequences. However, in the
case of the Olympics, we can only hope that appropriate support – both
in terms of medical and legislative – will be achieved, especially since
hundreds of athletes are already seizing the resort this month.
So venturing into the terrain of a new ski area – and a new
culture – can be difficult. It calls for a different level of awareness
and experience not only from the way you ride, but from the way you
interact with an environment and operate as a person. Snowsports can be
more than an activity – and using skiing or snowborading as a medium for
culture could be an incredible way of experiencing more of the
lifestyle that we all love so much. Let’s hope that those going to Sochi
will appreciate more than the slopestyle course.