Winter Awaits

It's hot and muggy today, but it's not too early to start thinking of winter. The other day I received an e-mail from the snowsports school for which I occasionally teach. They already had a picnic for instructors and patrollers (I was out of town), and plans are set for refresher meetings.

My favorite news, though, are the tent sales for the sporting goods stores. There's nothing like looking at new gear in person to get me giddy about the return of winter.

Take a Risk ... for Your Health

The common perception among non-riders is that snowboarding is much too risky of a sport. Maybe something like bungee jumping.

It's true that injuries do happen during snowboarding. But sometimes the worst risks are those that aren't so obvious. Take obesity, which is correlated with diabetes, high blood pressure, and other health issues that in turn have bad implications for health.

Writing on the op-ed pages of the Wall Street Journal, Phillip K. Howard explains Why Safe Kids are Becoming Fat Kids, and the item actually has some relevance to adults and their attitudes toward snowboarding.

You can read a summary here, but essentially the argument is that risk of physical harm is one thing that makes physical activity attractive. By removing opportunities for risk (e.g., banning tag at recess), our political and legal system encourages children to be inactive--and obese.

What's the takeaway for adults? Some moderate amount of risk is still something that makes an activity enjoyable. Without it, there's no testing of your abilities, and no "I did THAT?" sense of wonder and accomplishment after laying down a series of good turns or taking a pitch a little steeper than you did last time.

And so too many adults say "Snowboarding? Too dangerous. Not for me," and they miss out on opportunities for personal growth--as well as a way to keep or get into shape.

Who is James Niehues?

If you look at a number of ski maps, especially those of larger areas, you'll notice a name far off in one corner. It's an artist's signature, really: James Niehues.

Fortune magazine calls him the Ski Trail Map Painter. In an interview with the magazine, he says "I've probably done 75% of the large resorts."

Niehues renders photographs of mountains and topographical maps into art, and says that creating trees takes up 80% of each job.

You can read more about Niehues at his website. There we learn some of his art:

"Whether it’s a ski map, a regional or a resort property all perspectives are rendered in a way to best show all aspects of the terrain. In many instances, distortions are necessary to bring everything into a single view."