10.08.01

WHY DO I SKI?

Skiing is the sport for me

It is fun and exercising

Most people ask me this:

Why did you start this tough sport?

And I answer with the grin:

Because it is fun to ski and glide over the land.

"But isn't it as difficult as flying a military plane?"

Others question me.

I do think this way sometimes

And when I am going up the hill,

I'm thinking to myself:

"What made me do this crazy thing, the skiing is what I mean"

And then I realize, all the fun I'll have

Just skiing down the hill after I reach the top!

And the best part of skiing is probably the race

When you're in the lead and everything's at stake

And when when you pass the crowd, there all screaming at you

"Go, Go, Pick up the pace,"

Cause you're in the lead!"

And when you win it's the greatest feeling yet

To know that you're the best, superior to them

I guess that's why I started skiing in the first place

To get the sensation of winning and achieving a goal.

By Pavel Sotskov

3.30.02

My Experience at the US Ski Team Spring Series

By Pavel Sotskov

            As we arrived at Bolton Valley on Saturday the parking lot was already full of “sponsor vans” and reps. Inside, there were people speaking French, Russian and I think Czech. Everyone was waxing with the best Cera F and other assorted high flouro wax, So I decided to go outside, and saw many of the US ski team members Lazily walking around, so I was like this is OK, they can’t be that good. I was wrong. I raced first for the men, so I could watch all of the Masters starting, and let me tell you, they were fast. Chris Freeman didn’t even bother switching to V1 as he blew past us up the climbs on the mountain part of the course! But it was still fun even though most of them skied faster loops while doing 2 then me, and I only did one! The experience of watching an international race is still thrilling.