Skiing at the beach

I spoke to a man named Derek last year around the end of March. He fasions long hair, a long goatee and a sick pair of tele skis. I made some comment about the great snow and he slowly glanced at me to say, "my mind is already in biking mode." He has been a true mountain man for a long time and when the snow starts to fade, he can't help but hope to be back on his bike soon. I thought this was strange. Afterall, I was living to ski. But this year for some reason I am definitely ready for summer to roll around. One of the key signs that sailing, kayaking and biking are right around the corner is spring skiing.
Often called slush skiing or sitting on the beach, it really has no substitute for the unambitious, lazy alcoholic who has trouble dealing with the transition between sports. That time when neither is good and you can do both, but would rather just sit on the beach. This beach is not sand covered, but the snow has a certain corn-like quality to it.
Some times the snow would melt beyond slush and form little ponds in flat sections of the hill. These are the times when I got to show off my pond skimming ability. One gains a lot of speed and waterskis through the water hoping not to fall.
Not far from Vancouver is a local mountain called Cypress. Locals talk about sitting on that beach as they talk about looking forward to a day of spring skiing. Similarly, Arapahoe Basin in Colorado is a small local mountain with no accomodations nearby. Cars back into the closest spots near the hill and pop their tailgates to blast music. They display small groups of fold-out chairs in a circle around a portable camping stove. They tap the keg and, dressed in either Hawaiian or 80's wear, do a few runs before having a burger and beer while baking in the sun. The skiing is really just a way to cool down.
For whatever reason people enjoy spring skiing, I am definitely happy it's finally here. While the skiing may not be great, I'm starting to get some colour back on my face and it is getting me in the mood for summer.