For years now I have been so jealous of Shana & Mike’s Epic Ski Adventures with their boys. My brother Adam and his family also ski…so it almost seemed like there was some sort of great conspiracy that allowed them to go on amazing ski vacations together. In her defense, though, Shana has been pressuring encouraging us to get out there ourselves for years now. I mean, Zack was already a seasoned snowboarder by the time I met him, but…I’ve just always been…”kind of an indoor girl” when it came to winter activities. In the summer I want to be outside all the time, but in the winter…inside by the fire always appealed to me so much more.

Until the coronavirus, that is.

At first, our quarantine experience went OK — we were lucky. Back when I thought it was just going to be a few weeks of lounging at home and then back to “normal.” But when summer came, then fall…and ‘normal’ still wasn’t in sight, winter just seemed like this big dark and depressing hole looming around the corner. Even I was sick of being stuck inside.

So, we finally took Shana’s advice and bought season passes to the hill–Marquette Mountain, that is–and waited for the snow to fall. Usually we have snow in November–sometimes even in October (I swear every Halloween costume I wore as a child was built to be worn over a snowsuit) but this year December came and went with little-to-no snow. Not enough for the hill to open (of course the year we buy passes).

Roxy Ski Suit | Midweight Zip-Neck Top | Helmet | Goggles

The Snowsuit That Got Me Through My 1st Ski Season

Aside from the lack of snow, I really had no idea what I was doing. Didn’t know what gear I needed, didn’t know how to ski exactly…so thankfully Shana and fam were here for Christmas and brought everything we would need to get started when the snow finally came: skis, boots, helmets, goggles, etc., They even had one of Pax’s old snowboards for G (she was really excited).

By January we finally had enough snow to get out there, so we signed up for lessons: snowboarding for Greenlea, ski lessons for myself. So there we both were, my 6-year-old and I, on the bunny hill, learning the basics together. Surrounded by…children. Literally, the only other adults on the hill were the instructors.

There’s something to be said for having to wear a mask, goggles and helmet when you’re learning as an adult. One of my friends was at the bottom of the bunny hill watching her 6-year-old’s lesson when she realized who I was. “Scotti…?” she said, incredulously. “Is that…you???”

Yes. Yes, it is I.

I can’t say I became an awesome skier in the short season we had (the snow is melting…mellllting!), but I did make a ton of progress. And I’m actually really proud of myself…I learned how to ski at 39, with ZERO functioning on my right vestibular nerve (the one responsible for balance–which is kind of important when learning to ski) and had fun doing it! I went from weaving my way back and forth across the little bunny hill to skiing down the “real” hills while Zack snowboarded. (Pizza helped.)

We even started having day dates at the hill…Mom would watch the kids for us and we’d ride up in the chair lift together, go down at drastically different speeds and then meet up for a beer outside when we were done. And honestly, that’s all I really wanted…to find some sort of winter activity that I actually enjoyed. And you guys, Shana was 100% right–it’s SO fun, I’m already looking forward to next year. (Ooh maybe there’ll be a snowstorm in April…definitely my first time hoping for that!)

What I’m Wearing To Ski: Roxy Formation Suit

Because I actually liked being outside this year more than ever before, I invested in some warm and comfy pieces that allowed me to stay outside for longer without freezing. One of my favorite purchases was this Formation Ski Suit by Roxy. It’s the kind of suit I’ve always secretly wanted, way back when I was fan-girling about all the hot snowboarders (married to one of those now–#goals) and dreaming of being part of the “in” ski crowd. I’ve since accepted that I’m never not going to be awkward skiing (and I’m totally ok with that), but I can look the part. And this suit is like a dream come true.

Aside from all the little zippers and details (including a loop for your headphones) and pockets for absolutely anything you might need (love the pocket on the arm for a credit card and an inner pocket for goggles), the waist itself actually zips off–which makes going to the bathroom SO much easier than having to take everything off every time you have to go. And I was worried that the medium suit might be too long for me, but the zippers on the bottoms make the legs fit over my boots without dragging and the bunching doesn’t look weird.

The sleeves are nice and long, and have an inner lining with a thumbhole that keeps them in place. And the velcro closure makes it easy to slip my gloves on and off. The hood fits over my helmet and adds warmth to my face when it’s really cold and windy. And the best part? It’s $100 off! 🙌🏼

Ski Outfit Details

ski suit: Roxy Formation Suit (m, $100 off) – Super comfy, warm, and with all the pockets and zippers I need for everything–especially the waistband that zips off when you have to use the bathroom.

base layer: Patagonia Capilene Midweight Zip-Neck Top (m) – I LOVE this top. It kept me warm, but I could unzip the top when I got too hot. This is a great base layer–and I love the thumb holes that keep it in place when layering. I’m wearing it for everything from skiing to sledding to walking outside right now. (Also in a pretty purple pattern.)

helmet: K2 Helmet (20% off) – My favorite thing about this helmet is that I can listen to music without shoving ear buds into my ears…and I can keep it quiet so I can hear skiers whizzing past me. It’s also really handy for phone calls!

goggles: Dragon Goggles – Super comfortable and didn’t fog up with my mask on…available in a ton of colors.

boots: Salomon Ski Boots (similar and on sale) – I know nothing about ski boots, but my Salomons were easy to get on/off and didn’t make my feet hurt or go numb…and they kept me warm, which to me is the most important thing. 😂

hat: Balaclava – I’m not wearing it in these pictures, but this added another layer of warmth when I needed it! I actually liked wearing my K95 mask under so I had some breathing room…but most people just had this on.

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Happy Skiing!

XOXO,

Scotti