Everyone in the Family Can Ski Now

Date:  Dec 14, 2015

This year, we actually took 3 lessons at Urban Ski @ Millenia Walk, and it does help.  

The 3 lessons taught my wife and Kay Kay why is it important to shout “small pizza”, “big pizza” and “French Fries”.  It let them has the first hand to feel what is it like to be skiing on your ski.  Although it is done on an artificial snow carpet that emulates the skiing slope, It is much much more easier to ski on the real snow.  This is because at the Urban Ski, the snow carpet is non-stop keep turning as when you are on the real snow slope, you can stop anytime you want.

The main thing is to train this boy to ski so that he can join in the fun with me and Jay Jay.  

The first time we were at the Rusutsu West slope, it was quite icy as there isn’t much snow.  Or rather the powder snow came quite late.

There are at least 4-5 schools (Primary school or high School) students are taking lessons here at Rusutsu Resorts.  So, the ski slope is actually quite crowded

We engage a English speaking coach to coach us how to ski on the icy snow.  Coach Saskia Weir did a great job teaching us.

Everyday, I have to carry the kids ski here and there.  

Yup, we are ready to ski.

Day 1.  Simple slide down.

Mommy looks pretty sharp. 

Mommy is very happy that she gets to ski this time.

Kay Kay is having lots of fun.  He loves to ski, no doubt.

At first, he still don’t know how to handle those two ski sticks.  But later, he got used to it and did pretty well.

Jay Jay just recovered from the motion sickness vomiting from yesterday.  So, he is taking pretty easy on the first session.

You can tell he is very tired after the first session.  So, we decided to buy those delicious instant noodle and eat in our room.

Yesterday he still vomit here and there.  Today, he recovered.  I am so glad about it.

And he ate a lot of bowls.  hahaha

Here comes the afternoon session.  No snow.  The ground is a bit icy.  

During the second session, Saskia decided not to let us use our ski sticks.  So, every one just ski down without the sticks.

This is Kay Kay.  And the more he ski down the slope the more he learned how to ski.

Of course, daddy will do the funny running ski.

The next day in the third session, Saskia decided to bring us to the East Mountain.  Thinking that it might have lesser people there.   

Having acquired a new skill - skiing… Kay Kay looks exceptionally happy.

Here here are at the East Mountain gondola station.  It is hard work to bring all the skis from North Wing to South Wing and to the Godola station.  We are almost exhausted before we get here.

There are many people here too.  Especially those Hokkaido students.  

Let’s take a nice family photo here.

There was a short rain yesterday night and it has actually soften the icy snow.  So, the skiing condition is surprisingly pleasant for today.

The young man getting energetic and better today despite of his motion sickness and vomiting 2 days ago.

It is a nice ski run from up there, on the slightly right.  I hope we not going up there.  hahaha

For the first 30 minutes, we have been practising the big S and small S to turn left and right.  And surprisingly all the students performs very well.  And because there are too many students around, Saskia decided that we are ready to conquer East Mountain.  So, let’s go to the chair lift.

Ken:  Are you sure Saskia?  Kay and Boon just learned how to ski yesterday.

Saskia:  It will be fine.

Ken:  OK.

And there we go, after “cutting queue” go in front of hundreds of Hokkaido High School Students, we are on the chair lift.

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It is amazing.  I like!

We actually forgot to put down the safety bar.  hahaha  That is why we have to be very careful and lean backward.

The view is amazing.

Here comes Kay Kay - first experience skiing down from the chair lift.

And here we are … on top of the East Mountain.

We all amaze with the East mountain scenery and forgot all about the danger ahead of us.  hahahaha

It is amazing view.

Kay Kay got ready to ski down.

Another view from the East Mountain.  While we are skiing down.  I know it is dangerous to ski and take video or photo.  But can’t help it.  hahaha

Its a long way down, and we could not see the end… where is the chair lift station?  hahahahaha

Big pizza and stop.  Let’s do it!

Mommy doing pretty good on her first skiing experience from a hill.  hahahaha

There was very steep part during the ski run, and I lost all my control, as I was doing too small “S” to make turns and it gains a lot of speed.  I feel like I was skiing down the slope “non-stop” “unstoppable” “cannot stop at all”… and weeeeeeeeeeeeeee…. the next minute I found myself in the plain area.  It feels good.  And now I have to wait there for them to come down.  A fox slowly cross by.  Yet, I could not see them.  So, I guess, you have to put your trust in Saskia and hope that all three of them do not have that horrible speeding experience like me, coming down so fast.  

Few minutes later, a relief as I saw Jay Jay appeared.

And a few minutes later…

Here comes mommy and Kay Kay.

All three of them along with the coach arrived safely.  hahaha

Wow, in the middle of the ski run you sometimes will see this.  A hole with cold water streams.  Make sure you don’t ski into it.

Here is the final footage of the East Mountain ski run.  And now we are back to the East Mountain gondola station.

It was a pretty good ski for the last 25 minutes or so.  HaHaHa…

Kay Kay fell down and pick himself up and use the two sticks to chase mommy.  Well done! 

Let’s take a break.

So, we went back to our room again to rest and cook ourselves very nice Instant Noodles.

Then, at 2pm, we came back to our 4th session.

And Saskia felt that our “S” is not big enough so she make sure we have enough practice again to make sure the “S” turning is wide and big.

It is fun to watch the little kid do so well.  He is so light that is why he can control well I guess.

I think he loves to ski.  Looks like next year we might come back to ski here again.

When we are ready to go, let’s go up to the lift chair.

The only other time that Kay Kay sitting on the lift chair is in the Sentosa Luge.

It’s pretty exciting.

That’s Kay Kay in front.

We did two run int he West mountain.

West Mountain ski run is pretty easy and straight forward.  So, even Boon has a big smile on her face for what she has achieved.

Let’s go!

The second time we go up West Mountain, we let the kids sit with Saskia.  Let’s take a selfie here.

Here is the footage of one of the West Mountain run.

Thanks Saskia!  Thanks for teaching us how to ski.

Yes, we did the Family run on the West Mountain.  There are so many more.  That will be next year!

And we also did the Fuboru run.  On the East Mountain.

We will do more next year!

Later at night, very tiring Kay Kay still play snow with Kay En.

An Hour at Urban Ski

Date:  Aug 17, 2015

This year, we are heading back to Hokkaido for our winter vacation.

So, it is nice to know that there is an Urban Ski opening in Singapore.  And it is just right beside my office here at Millenia Walk.

[Updates] At the moment, Urban Ski has to close down for 2 months so that they can get a proper license they are missing… yeap… The Amusement Park license.  Once they got the license, they will re-open again.  :)

Urban Ski is a training facilities for skier.  It is kind of amazing.

Since I am bringing Jay and Kay back to Hokkaido for Skiing, so, it is better to train up Kay first.  Because Kay has zero roller blade experience and only 2 hours experience with skiing (last December).

It is not a big facility but at any one time they can have two trainers train on two different sections.  Each section can accommodate up to 4 students.

So, let’s give it a try.  If you learn at Hokkaido, I think it is much more expensive. 

If Kay can pick up at least most of the basic here in Singapore, then, it will be easier for us.

They have shoes for all sizes.

Jay has a red shoe.

The helmet, they required every one to wear a hygiene head net before you can wear the helmet.  I think that should not be needed at all.  It looks very ugly.

OK.  We are up.  It is our turn.

There is a big revolving carpet below.  

And they moisture it with water.  That is why when you turn your ski, it will cut the carpet and the water will sprinkle up just like the snow effect.  

Very cool.

The coach wants us to get the feeling of the carpet.

 Kay is up and skiing.  And he did good.  

But he cannot come down.  

HaHaHa… because his leg is not “pizza” shape enough.

I can fly.  Yoo hoo...

It feels real.

It’s me and Jay Jay turn.  Jay has learn it before, that is why he can pick it up faster.

Let’s focus on Kay Kay again.  He is the one who need to learn how to control.

The coach will lend him a hand to make him comfortable.  He needs to do that pizza shape in order to stabilise.

He has not enough strength to control the ski.  That is why.

So, he will need to learn a few times before he has the confident.

And by the way, sometimes it can be dangerous too.  But the coach will stop the facility in time.

After just a two sessions of 10 minutes sessions, my legs are very very tired.  

I can walk 2-3 hours continuously but this skiing sessions is using all the muscle that I don’t usually use. 

So, my legs are very tired after the skiing lesson.

But I must say, it is a fun thing to do, especially in Singapore.

Can’t wait for it to reopen again.