Uncategorized
Sacred
Published
11 years agoon
By Mike Mannelin Explorebigsky.com contributor
The snow cloud settles on our gear pile as the helicopter disappears out of sight. The rotor chop fades over the next ridge, leaving us in silence on top of the mountain. Snow-covered peaks surround us. Every breath up here is sacred.
I click into my skis, tighten my pack straps, and slide sideways for a second before pointing my skis toward the entrance. Then the earth falls away into an unknown specter of white. The face of the mountain is in full view below me. It’s hard to tell the difference between humility and masked fear. Perhaps they exist together.
The first turn sends dry, grainy, surface hoar powder into my face. With all my being, I release myself to gravity. This is where I find myself. The consequences of letting go of my edges are nonexistent. The run-out negates any sense of a need for grasp or tight grip on life. There is no hint of confinement. My skis are enablers.
I think about oxygen. I think about freedom. I think about why I’m here. Why me? How? It doesn’t make sense at this moment. The human brain is too complex – or maybe it’s just too simple.
Gathering all the energy of my freefall, I turn my skis sideways and push against a cloud. The feeling under my feet couldn’t possibly be replicated by anything else in life. There is a perfect balance that comes from pure energy transfer, from deep within the soul, back to the universe. It leaves me charged and full of wonder.
Finally, I come to rest in the valley. The faces of my friends around me share a knowing smile. They, too, have undergone transformations. We burst out laughing.
This is life. We belong to something so precious, and at the same time, so heavy. It’s a great responsibility, and we must take this feeling into the rest of our lives. We can try to share it, but only indirectly, through positive vibrations and genuine smiles.
We are skiers.
__________
Describe your perfect ski
This essay was
adapted from an email
Mike Mannelin wrote
to custom ski builder
Pete Wagner.
“I was imagining what
the perfect ski would
be like on my feet; and then I dropped in,”
Mannelin says.
Based in Telluride, Colorado, Wagner
Custom Skis are made to order, one pair at a
time, using ultra high-quality materials in a
shop powered entirely by wind and solar.
Wagner’s process starts with mapping your
personal skier DNA. Sound scientific? It is.
Precisely matching your body metrics with
your ski style, desired use and performance
needs, allows him to truly customize a ski
that fits your personality on the slopes.
For Mannelin, the follow up phone call with
Wagner was a thrill in itself.
“I [spent] an hour and a half on the phone
with another skier, talking about skiing
powder. We came up with a perfect design
for my skis, adding a little width here, a little
rocker there, and bomb proofing the construction.
He sent me an email with a drawing
of the shape and a description, saying
the boys in the shop were ‘stoked to build
this ski’.” Get custom – wagnerskis.com
– Megan Paulson
Megan Paulson is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Outlaw Partners.
Upcoming Events
april, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
more
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Sundays, April 14, 21 and 28, 2024
Noon until 6PM.
$170.
Time
14 (Sunday) 12:00 pm - 28 (Sunday) 6:00 pm
Event Details
Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Waypoint in Town Center. Participation is free, food and beverages available.
Event Details
Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Waypoint in Town Center. Participation is free, food and beverages available.
Time
(Wednesday) 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location
The Waypoint
50 Ousel Falls Rd