western eye press

BRAVE NEW PUBLISHING FOR A MULTI-MEDIA WORLD

Soft Skiing

The Secrets of Effortless, Low-impact Skiing for Older Skiers

by Lito Tejada-Flores, 120 pages, $12.95 softbound, plus shipping.

Currently available through  amazon.com

In the Introduction to Soft Skiing Lito writes:

"This is a book I never thought I would write. Why? Because, like you perhaps, I never imagined I would grow old — older yes, but never old. Seems there is more than a little Peter Pan in all of us. But here I am, 68 and counting, and more importantly, 68 and still skiing, skiing with abandon. Skiing I tell myself—and my friends all agree—better than ever. My gray-white hair and gray-white beard haven't slowed me down, and even a broken back (don’t ask, but it wasn’t a skiing accident…) a few years ago only slowed me down a little, and just for one season.

"Nowadays, when I hit the slopes, I confess that I am more amazed and delighted than ever at the ease with which I can ski, at this effortless sensation of flying. Skiing has always represented a kind of liberation from gravity, from weight, from the slow-speed limits of everyday reality. But now, now that I have spent most of my life on skis, I realize that it has also become a liberation from the slowly accumulating insults of passing years.…the subtext of this book — my message to older skiers, and to would-be skiers of all ages — is simple: if you can walk, you can ski. Gracefully, efficiently, elegantly. And you should."

Lito thinks this is the most personal and probably the most innovative ski-instruction writing he has ever produced.  And he continues:

"My hope is to share what I am calling 'soft skiing' with my many skiing friends and especially with skiers of a certain age. Too many skiers get to a point where skiing just looks like too much work for older legs and lungs. Don't believe it! Expert skiing is not a grunt sport; it is a liberation from almost all our physical limits. And this book aims to open the door to that unique ski freedom — especially for older skiers.

"Caveat Emptor — Buyer Beware! Although Soft Skiing is my "newest" ski-instruction book, I am not describing a brand-new way of skiing. To me, expert skiing is not about what's new. The basics don't change from season to season. But I still keep looking for new images, new words, new metaphors and new ways of presenting these basics to new skiers. So if you've followed my ski-teaching efforts (books, videos and articles) over the years, I don't think you will actually find much "new" in this "new ski book" of mine (even though you may well be my ideal ski student).

"Soft Skiing is the same timeless story—but told in a different words, tailored to a different audience. To me it seems logical that older skier don't want to wear themselves out. To me it seems logical that for older skiers efficient, relaxed and relaxing technique should take precedence over dashing high-speed, high-energy skiing. So that's the prime focus of my this book — working less, wasting less energy on the slopes. I'm also hoping this new book can reach a new audience. Even if you don't qualify as an "older skier," I'll bet you know someone who does, someone who can really benefit from my approach to soft skiing....

"Soft Skiing is a 120-page paperback, and costs $12.95 plus shipping. If you are a skier who doesn't want to waste any extra energy on the slopes, then this book is for you. You can order copies directly from this web site or find the book on amazon.com.

Good reading! And good skiing!