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Wendy Gallagher
Dear Norman,
A Truly Wooley Story
I wanted to write and tell you a tale of the past two years and I promise I won't take
too long but it starts as a tale of misery and finishes with a fairy tale ending. I'd
like to tell this story in a diary of mini events starting from:
First Visit to Silver Star - March 2006:
After taking almost an hour to get dressed i.e. getting boots on and complaining about
them, the cold, my feet and legs hurting in these ridiculous boots and wondering why
I was on a holiday wearing restrictive, painful clothing only to throw myself off a
mountain. Nevertheless I persevered up to Far Out whereupon I accused my
husband of trying to kill me by taking me on a blue run it was only when I asked a
passer by I was assured I was indeed on a green run. So day 1 was spent coming
down the top side of Far Out partly skiing, partly on my bottom, partly rolling this
only took 1 hour and then another hour to Main Street back to the Village.
Day 2:
I knew this couldn't continue we were here for a week and rather than give up I
marched in to the Ski School and booked my first ski lesson and was allocated Angus
Wooley. Again we did Far Out but top to bottom this took the entire lesson and then
back down Main Street which took at least half an hour after I'd fallen over in the
snow to rest 6 or 7 times. Poor Angus BUT here was a complete stranger who
somehow had the patience to get me to ski about 4 turns all at once. Maybe I could
become a skier after all - so I booked 4 more lessons (I thought if I did all these
lessons I couldn't back out, that was it...)
Day 3, 4, 5 and 6
Well poor poor Angus it didn't really get much better for the 2nd and 3rd lessons. It was up to 6 turns before I'd have to have a rest I was still on Far Out and Sundance and still sitting down and moaning about my boots, my legs and the fact that I was
completely terrified every time I looked down Far Out and even Aunt Gladys didn't
help. Bergerstrasser was my favourite run - this really says it all BUT on Day
5 and 6 with new boots I managed half a run and somehow gained a little more
confidence. Angus persevered and although I'm sure secretly really would have
rather I'd skied off a cliff never to be heard of again I booked to come back next
year...
2nd Visit - March 2007
Poor Angus I was now here for 2 weeks - booked about 7 lessons.
The new boots were a blessing and Tom at Ski Dazzle knew my footsteps by now and
he'd punched out and shaved off half my boots but we were getting there with the evil
boots.
First 2 lessons and I managed Far Out in about half an hour was doing several turns
by now and finally enjoying myself
Lesson 3 - Angus' revenge I had to do a Blue - BX Express with my stomach in my
mouth I did it and the feeling was amazing - clearly Angus had picked a run with no
people on because I think I yelled the entire run and it took about half an hour from
top to bottom but the first big leap.
Lessons 4, 5, 6 and 7: more blue runs and despite the fact it was slow progress I was
in fact progressing and all this poor man had put up with was now paying off. But
was this the end - No I booked to come back at Christmas.
Christmas 07 and Jan 08 - 5 more lessons:
Gunned Far Out in about 10 minutes - Bergerstrasser was a pain it was just too
boring, Aunt Gladys was a bore even Whisky Jack was beginning to be pedestrian.
By the end of these 5 lessons I had done pretty much all the front blue runs not yet
top to bottom without a rest but by now Angus was getting his own back; Cloud Nine,
Surmy Ridge and Gypsy Queen were all tackled and completed albeit slowly and with
great trepidation on my part, after each slope Angus made me turn around to see what
I'd achieved. I was amazed this was a long way from the two hours it took to ski down
Far Out eighteen months earlier. I was finally seeing myself as a skier but I was still nervous and scared every time I looked down the mountain but I'd come this
far SO I booked to come back March 2008.
March 2008 - 4 lessons.
Skied with my husband for the first 4 days and pretty much loved every minute. 1st day
went straight down Whisky Jack and most of the front side blues WITHOUT
STOPPING AND I was really truly enjoying myself.
1st Lesson - Angus took me down The Face - my first BLACK RUN. Lesson 2 saw
me tackle Just Dandy and Wee Willie this was progress. I still have 2 more lessons
I'm now up to listening to better technique I'm no longer scared I don't look down the
mountain now and think 'I can't do this' next lessons will see me down more blacks
and ski the blues with carefree confidence. I truly feel I'm a skier albeit with much to learn but what a journey.
I could not have done this without the patience and tolerance of Angus. I'm not a
particularly patient person myself. I'm certainly not fit, and anyone who knows me
well is so surprised I of all people can now ski at a competent level. Angus has the
patience of Job; he had the forbearance to put up with this complaining, whining
middle aged woman but I guess seeing me ski The Face was a reward for all his hard
work, diligence and above all infinite fortitude and endurance
My husband, Eric, has had several lessons with Rachel and whilst he did not have my
phobias he has progressed his skiing technique and skills enormously over the past
couple of years. He continues to have a couple of lessons every holiday with Rachel.
The person who thanks Angus the most however is my husband, he can now ski with
me and we can have proper ski holidays together, which is the real reason I endured
this amazing experience for so long and made the effort and thanks to Angus I
achieved all of this.
This letter is to commend your Ski School and to produce such wonderful instructors
as Angus and Rachel Wooley they are a great credit to the Ski School we have and
will continue to recommend Silver Star and the Ski School to all our friends. Well
done.
Kind regards
Yours sincerely,
Wendy Gallagher and Eric Wandner
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