Bulgaria Ski discussion board

I remember over 20 years ago now, it was the week before my birthday and Angie had planned a meal at a local restaurant with our best friends. After the meal had finished and we were drinking coffee, Angie said 'oh I've brought your birthday present along'. I said that it was not my birthday for another week but she said that as our friends were there she thought it was a good idea to open it now. She presented me with a picture frame that was full of pictures from previous holidays in differnt places accross the globe. Although I thought this was a nice present I still had not any idea of what was about to come and how it would change the rest of my life. At the bottom of the frame was a picture I didn't recognise so I asked where it was. (still no idea!) She said well where do you think it is, and I said I've no idea but it's somewhere with a lot of snow - almost like a ski resort, I'm sure I've never been there before?

No you haven't she said - well not yet anyway. It is a ski resort she said, and you're going skiing next week! Still in shock I said - but I can't because I'm working. Your not she said - it's all arranged and all you have to do is get on the plane. Then to top it all off our friends said - and we're coming with you! Almost everybody knew except me. My workmates, my family, my friends, and not one of them let out the secret.

That was over 20 years ago and still remains the best present I have ever had in my life, in fact that present completely changed my life forever.

We still ski every year with those same friends and every year it just seems to get better and better.

Today I can ski pretty much anything, but those early days of learning, not even being able to stand properly, massive snowploughs, laughing, crying, and finally being able to make a turn are memories so precious that you just could not buy them for all the money in the world.

So if you are in the early stages of learning - cherish every moment. Stick at it because no matter how frustrated you get there is no better feeling in the world than when you realise that you are actually skiing and those early learning day are the very very best days of your life - and these are memories that will stay with you forever!

Just wanted to share that with you and would be really interested to hear how it all started for you.

Skiing - the best fun you can have with your clothes on

PP

Blimey mate, i never knew that's how you started, good on Angie...
My first time perhaps is not as romantic...
Being a Westcountry boy surfing was my life, summer and winter, and as soon as i could drive i was off to beaches all over the Southwest... One of my favourites was Polzeath in N.Cornwall, and i made quite good friends of the locals including the lifeguards, who happened in two cases to be Aussies... One damp miserable October weekend, after coming out the water and savouring a pint or two, one of the Aussies asked if i fancied coming skiing to Austria with them, i replied `what ? waterskiing in Austria?'... `nah, mate, snow skiing' was there reply... A few weeks later we arrived in Kirchburg, the snow only just arriving pre-Christmas, the Aussies off to find work, and me spending three days on my head... they then took me under their wing, and by the end of ten days or so i was hooked... returned to the UK and promptly booked again for a few weeks later... That was 34 years ago, a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then, i am still ending up on my head occasionally, but it definitely was the best offer i have ever had, and for me, totally dictated my life to date... Here i am, living the dream, still loving the mountains and all they have to offer, only a few days ago, possibly one of the best days skiing i have ever had... Its more than a holiday, its a way of life...

Aged 4 me and my family lived in Sweden, snow came and us kids got supermarket skis made from wood with bamboo poles and little leather boots, that was it, we skied everywhere instead of walking, the skis has sprung back so you could almost telemark ski, two winters passed of endless fun. Moved back to UK and didn't stand on skis for 10 years then school ski trips to Scotland for the next 4 years and later ski holidays in Europe until Snowboarding was invented, living in Northern Greece we started to mess on home made snowboards and crazy skateboard decks on mini skis, again another 10 years passed when work commitments meant I didn't see snow holidays until Bansko in 2007 where we re learnt snowboarding, became re addicted to two holidays a year and weekends in Spain, Latvia, Lithuania where ever we could find a hill near work. well miffed last year as I couldn't make it due to working on a house rebuild and then this last week of sublime heaven learning to slash the powder in Bansko, will I ever stand on two skis again, no chance but can't wait till the next snowboard session.

Many years ago we went on a winter holiday (not skiing) to Austria. One day we visited Zell Am Zee and went up to the top of the mountain where they were skiing. My wife said that she fancied giving it a try and I said that I didn't but that I would tag along and enjoy the apres ski. My wife said well at least give it a go and if you don't like it then just stop and enjoy the apres ski to which I then agreed (we didn't ski in Austria as we were only on a short visit to the mountain). Later that year or maybe the next I'm not sure we booked our very first ski holiday to Pamporovo for Christmas 1994 (we chose Bulgaria because it was the cheapest). I went out the first day and we had Marco as our very first ski instructor and although I didn't enjoy it too much the first couple of days I soon got into it later in the week. The rest they say is 'history' and we've been going back every year since then (most years two or three times), although we now spend the majority of our time in Chepelare we still occasionally get up to Pamporovo.
Off out to Chepelare again on 28th.

It was my favourite break, a funnel bay, with a small reef just off shore to the left side under the cliff car park. It could really work, especially in the Autumn...
Park on the beach, sleep in the van... after a few up on the hill at the Oyster bar... many happy memories for me to Pete, the surfers cafe on the beach, cheesy chips (surfers lunch), and yes, Kellys icecream, made with Devon clotted cream... I would go down on my own mostly, just to chill (literally in the winter), and had a group of friends that knew nothing of my life, apart from the time they saw me there, never had to explain anything, just surf, and hang out..... happy days

I apprehensivley joined a gang of 18 from the local pub (just to make up the numbers) that were going to Pas De La Casa at the Millenium, 1st Jan 2000, wasn't even sure if we would get away (remember the Millenium bug supposedly effecting/crashing computers around the world) which is why it was a cheap deal if i remember. As i hadn't the slightest interest in snowboarding, i was 42 at the time, i was advised "dont worry its like Ibiza in the snow and there is plenty to do!" WRONG. After the 1st day i was so bored, everyone had gone out on the piste's. As board and boot hire was included in the deal i decided to give it a go, i managed to borrow and squeeze into a young ladies pair of sallapets (lucky they wasn't pink, oh and sadly she wasn't in them at the time ) and off i went onto a lift, managed to get off reasonably well and then spent about 3 hours getting back to Pas bruised and battered, but absolutley loved it. Went back in march with the wife, who hates the cold, and from then on the rest is history.

I was lucky enough to be taking by my mother skiing for the first time in 1986 and where did we go Pamps we continued to go every year even when I had out grown going with mother dearest. I slowly introduced many of my friends to this great country with amazing people and I still do. (3 bulgaria virgins this time round) Lots of them are hooked as well. I have skiied in Austria, Canada but keep coming back to Bulgaria. Have doe Pamps, Boro, Vitosha and a day at Chep with a ski instructer pal Boren, just Bansko that still needs doing....

Hooked its worse than Heroin!!!

As for cornwall....Fantastic place lived there for the best years of my childhood and try to revisit whenever possible again I love the place.