ALANA MAKI-FOUST
Cameron Ski Jumping Club
Coach/parent/judge
cameronskijumping@gmail.com
ANTICIPATION
Not a flake, not a flake,
Not a flip-flop flake.
We’ve been waiting all year for goodness sake!
Snow! Snow! We want snow!
Up to our ankles, up to our shins,
Up to our knees, up to our chins! (Ok, maybe not quite that much)
Here we are in northern Wisconsin, patiently…err impatiently awaiting the arrival of snow and the winter ski jumping season! At this point the temperatures are not looking in our favor for Learn to Ski Jump for our small club without snow making capabilities. We need the real stuff from the sky! I do, however, have some prepping to start this weekend including hot waxing 10 plus pairs of jumping skis ranging from brand new 160’s for our littlest jumpers to 240’s for one and only skier competing on the larger hills. The hubby also has a few new sets of bindings to mount. It will be nice to get this done as right now my basement is a guest room/wax room/equipment room and I would like to get it back to just a guest room. Although, I think my regular guests are used to sleeping with all the skis by now.
Winter is surely a busy season for my family (I have three kids jumping on hills from 5 meters to 30 meters), with some of us being on the road each weekend at different clubs around the midwest. But as a ski family, we mostly enjoy the craziness of it all. We all have our favorite places to visit, our favorite jumps to ski and our favorite people to see! I love to visit St. Paul and Ishpeming. Talia’s(10) favorite hill is Ishpeming’s 13 meter but she is excited to try out Cloquet and Coleraine 20 meter jumps this year. Jamison(8) is hoping to get back up on the 15 meter hill in Eau Claire this winter after a little spill on plastic this summer. I think Caiya(5) might be able to conquer the Sue Slide by the end of the season!
As I type this, my weather app says 50 degrees and I surely am going to get outside for a run. But jeepers! I am always up for a snow dance but does anyone know a cold dance? Not a flake, not a flake, not a flip-flop flake. We’ve been waiting all year for goodness sake!
Chant used from the children’s book, “A Wintry Chant” by Jamie A. Swenson (want to buy it? Click here for Amazon link.)
