There's snow on them dere mountains

This isn't me

Once a year I love to head down to Queenstown for a couple of weeks to hit the slopes.

Skiing is an aquired taste - I remember the first attempt at skiing was on a trip to Coronet Peak with a group of work mates.

Back in the late 80's skiing gear consisted of jeans and a woolen jersey, with plastic over-trousers if you had a pair. Needless to say that if you fell over a lot you started to look like a Yeti (sorry IG). I can still remember the laughter from the ski tow line when you came down the hill.

The only other thing I remember about that weekend now, is wet jeans get damn cold after a few hours. Oh - and Dangermouse peeing in a coke can - then accidentally spilling it on Simon Smith when he threw the can out the bus window. Not a good look.

Now days skiing seems much more about fashion and equipment than the actual skiing itself - don't get me wrong: for some skiing is the true source (whatever that means), but for the majority it seems another measure of status.

For me skiing was initially a break from my work, but over the years it has become a battle to improve over the year before - a challenge to ski harder and harder runs with more ease, and on the odd occasion - style. I still face the first day with trepidation, but after that day has passed I cant wait to book another lesson to get to that next level of ski-godliness.

Tyler (left) IG (right)

Often Tyler Knows Best and IG accompany me, but last year IG dropped a bombshell - after years of trips to Queenstown he admitted "I don't really like skiing". As Tyler's second child will be due about the time we hit the slopes in 2006, an extended stay would be unlikely, so this year will mark a change in the old traditions, hopefully just in the short term.

I can only hope for some great snow, and a short line to the tows - roll on August!