What will this ski season bring? It will most probably be marked by the use of healthrelated measures never before seen. However, if there’s one sport that you can enjoy safely in the midst of an epidemic, I’d say it was skiing. We have to admit that we’re preparing for a different kind of winter.

I was lucky enough to go skiing in the Rockies this fall with my gang. The health measures, particularly in Lake Louise, Norquay and Nakiska, didn’t stop us from having a great time. We even had good snow, for October. As to the restrictions, there weren’t that many real differences, except for having to wear a mask in the waiting lines and on the lifts.

Otherwise, on the slopes, it was super. I have trouble imagining how you could catch this virus outdoors, with the wind in your face and your face covered with goggles and a balaclava. Having said that, I’ll add that once we were indoors, there were more public health measures in place. In the ticket offices, there were far fewer interactions because you had to order your ski ticket in advance.

At lunchtime, at Lake Louise, they asked us to sit down at a table and order our meal using a QR code. The table service was then carried out, quite professionally, by the staff. I felt it was well thought out and it managed to avoid congestion in the cafeteria. To accommodate as many people as possible, we only had 45 minutes to eat, which is quite reasonable after all.

At Tremblant

People want to get outside and move, which is understandable under the circumstances.

We’re in Québec. It’s going to be cold; that’s inevitable. I’m convinced that Tremblant has thought of some solutions, even temporary ones, which will allow us to warm up safely.

We could also consider looking forward to a pleasant winter with fewer people on the mountain than usual, particularly on the weekends and during holiday periods.

Competitions and training

At Nakiska, the resort was reserved for training during the week and personally, I thought that was super safe. The only times the various teams interacted they were outdoors, and they kept a good distance.

On the racing side, it could be more complicated. I understand that it could be hard to ensure that all the young participants fully respect all aspects of the government measures asking them to keep their distance from others. Having said that, I’ll add that it’s critically important to keep young people engaged in the sport.

Those registered for competition need to compete with other skiers. We don’t want to lose them…to have them quit to take part in activities that are less productive in terms of personal development. At Tremblant the ski club has, as far as I’m concerned, enough young skiers to organize competitions without having to race against other ski clubs.

It could be harder, however, on smaller mountains. Stay tuned….

Have a good season! And use every moment you’re skiing to fill up on positive energy!

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