Fernie 11-Week Ski and Snowboard Instructor Course ’09 – Week 6

By Brad Nicolai

Week 6, for those who are still on the hill, was a bit of a relaxing week as far as skiing goes. With week 5 being a stressful time due to the Level 1 tests, they deserved a bit of a break from hardcore skiing. I think most, while they were still concentrating on proper skiing, did get the chance to relax a bit and just have a fun. Next week they’ll have to decide for sure which path to take, Level 2 or AMP.

The Calgary trip was the real highlight of the week. 40 or so of us that signed up for the trip loaded on to a very nice tour bus on Friday morning around 10 or so and we headed straight for the big city. Despite the fact that most of us had gone out the night before, we were all really awake and very excited about the weekend ahead.

The scenery on the way through the valley was a nice surprise. See, when we had all come from Calgary the first time, it was very late at night. So for most of us, this was the first time that we had seen what the valley had to offer. We threw in a movie once we got into the plains and it made the rest of the trip fly by.

We arrived at the hostel where we were staying around 2 and we were soon settled in. The hostel is small, but it’s more or less just a place to lay your head, so no big deal. After a quick change of clothes, we headed out to see what Calgary had to offer. I feel like I had a unique perspective on things as I am on crutches for the next few weeks. Very near to the hostel is a public tram pick-up point, so that wasn’t too big of a deal. A quick ride on the tram brought us near the city center and a bar dedicated to the Calgary Flames called Flames Central. Flames Central was converted from a playhouse-theatre to a bar and it makes for one unique experience. The entire place is huge and it has a really cool vibe to it. Definitely a must see when in Calgary.

After a drink or two we headed back to the hostel for pizza and a few more drinks before heading to the NHL game. At this point I was struggling to get around on my crutches so a few of us decided to get a cab to the Saddledome. Cabs are surprisingly inexpensive around Calgary and after we discovered this, we used them quite a bit. Most people did walk, though, and if I didn’t have crutches, I would have as well. Most everywhere we went was within a half-hour walk of the hostel.

The Flames were playing the Minnesota Wild and I was pretty excited about that. Originally I’m from Sioux Falls, which is pretty close to Minnesota, so the Wild is my team when it comes to the NHL. Unfortunately for me, but to the approval of 99% of the people there, the Wild got their butts kicked 4-1. Oh well.

After the game the crew headed to Cowboys, a bar near the stadium. Cowboys, I suppose, isn’t so much a bar, but more of a club. Some of the Banff crew was on the same trip as well, so there was quite the Nonstop crew packed into Cowboys. Cowboys was the point of another celebration that night. Vivid, an adult entertainment company was having their 25th anniversary party in Cowboys. Many of the stars of Vivid were out and about, much to the approval of all who decided to come. A few even got autographed videos and pictures with the top stars. The rest of the night was an absolute blast and probably the highlight of the trip for most that came!

The next morning we had to be out of the hostel by 10am, which made for a groggy morning for most. The afternoon was free for us to do whatever we wanted, and we had to be back by 4 to catch the bus back. We ended up heading to an outdoor store and then to a pub for breakfast/ lunch. Afterwards we found the mall and wandered around for the rest of the time. Most of the girls did what they called “Power shopping” and spent more money in one afternoon than I did in the last 3 weeks combined!

The trip back was pretty sedated with most people sleeping or watching “Spaceballs”. When we got back it was good to see friends that decided not to come. We decided to head out for the night, first to the Pub to eat and then to the Northern for a live band and some hanging out; A good end to a great trip.

Sunday was a nice and relaxing day filled with movies and lots of snacks, just the way a hard week should end. Week 6 absolutely flew by, and week 7 is sure to do the same. I think we’re all getting very good at savoring the time we have left, because we can all tell that it’s going to end much sooner than any of us would like.

TO READ WEEK 7 CLICK HERE