Anticipation

It doesn't matter where you are in the world pre season anticipation is the same in resort destinations from Wanaka to Whistler, Niseko to Nigata. The weather gets colder and little by little the snow line creeps down the mountain. Talk around town revolves around last seasons highlights,weather,global warming, Jobs, ski resort developments and opening day. There is also the ineviatable  banter that grows most intense at the bar, this banter revolves around ego and optimism. Individuals will boast and claim how many days they are going to spend on the hill, runs they will conquer, tricks they will do, how many beers they will drink, how fast they will go and how good their  new gear is. This inescapable talk will often be heard coming from those newest to town as they as they strive to find a seat at the bar for themselves and their ego. Of course seasoned locals can be found equally guilty of such claiming and their claims often stray further from the truth every year they stay in town! Remarkably such claiming tends to stop as soon as the mountain opens and you will see the guy who boasted about his new ski gear sitting in the cafe rubbing his feet as he tries to break in his new boots. All the pre season claims will soon be lost in the powder and the anticipation shared by a whole town just hours before melts away as your swept up by the first chair of winter.