If Sir Isaac Newton had been present to watch Ted Ligety ski Giant Slalom in the World Cup in Beaver Creek in early December, he might have been tempted to write a new law of gravity.
At a speed of around 55mph the angles Ligety achieves, whilst carving on a rock hard icy piste, are incredible. He has his inside hand, hip and even inside boot buckle on the snow and yet is superbly balanced and in control - Ligety won this race. If you look at Ligety in the finish area he has a smile from ear to ear, not only has he won the race but it is blindingly apparent he has just simply loved the buzz of coming down the course carving and arcing his skis at these angles, the adrenaline is rushing through his veins.
As a holidaymaker you might think ‘how do I relate to that?’ Well with the right type of instruction, some persistence and a positive attitude you can get the your skis to become your best friend and give you a fantastic feeling whilst skiing down the piste. Plus the more you do it the better you become and the fun factor multiplies.
So you probably won't achieve the same angles as Mr Ligety, (nobody else on the planet can), but you will love the sensation and want to go back for more. You never know, if Isaac Newton had been around, he might have been tempted to jump on a pair of skis, take some lessons and have fun ... just a bit more interesting than sitting under an apple tree.
And don't forget you can see more snow action now on Ski Sunday as it returns to BBC 2 this evening (16.45 GMT). Tonight's show includes an interview with Team GB snowboarder Jenny Jones and presenters Graham Bell and Ed Leigh are in Santa Caterina in Italy to cover the Men's World Cup downhill.
