Em Palermo: On the Importance of Having Multi-Disciplinary Friends and Being Open to Change

AMBASSADÖRK Em talks about the entry to snow sports and how being open and honest when learning and teaching - can transform friendships and your mountain experiences.

With that, let's get to it.

AMBASSADÖRK Em Palermo enjoying some freshies. Photograph courtesy of Em Palermo

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ambassadörks

Em: Multi-Disciplinary Friends and Being Open to Change

I was born and raised in Upstate New York – seemingly a mecca for the cross country ski community, complete with a nordic team at my high school – but I didn’t receive an opportunity to get on snow in that capacity until I was entering my twenties. A running friend invited me to join a nordic ski trip in Watertown, surprised when I shared that I’d never been before. “What else would you do as a runner in the winter?” I guess running inside on a treadmill or suffering in the slush wasn’t the right answer – nordic skiing was.

My introduction to the ski industry was not a kind one – picture a shy 23 year-old who had never alpine skied before, attempting to learn how to ski, translate the ski bro dialect, dress the part, and make ends meet in a mountain town all at once. Needless to say, that first winter in the alpine world soured my taste on downhill skiing. Not only for wanting less to do with alpine skiing and that crowd, but also for constant condescension on my sport: “Well, that’s not real skiing.” “Those skis don’t even have edges, why would you want to do that?” Intense stubbornness to continue taking up space in a place that didn’t seem to like or celebrate “my type” of skier was among my larger motivators to returning the following winter, and the next and the next.

Last winter was my first season of pure joy and understanding: I met an accomplished alpine skier who drastically changed my opinion on two sports I previously only ever saw as at war. Nick and I met through mutual friends, and we quickly learned that we’re both nerds about different sports. He surprised me by asking me to teach him how to skate ski – something an alpine skier had never asked me – and immediately after our first outing, he bought a setup. Since then Nick has convinced me to trade his alpine ski lessons for my nordic lessons.

I was originally hesitant, content to give away nordic tips for the love of sharing my sport. What I didn’t realize was this opportunity to teach is just as important from the other side – not only does instructing bring Nick joy, but it strengthened our friendship and made our mentor- mentee relationship bombproof. No one will ever trust me as much as the person who has shown me their clumsiest, least coordinated, frustrated self struggling with step one; and the same goes for me. It took humility and vulnerability for Nick to be a beginner in my presence and it would take the same from me if I was going to grow in my alpine skiing.

As someone who didn’t grow up sliding around on snow, it’s been a major learning curve to build confidence and competency on alpine skis and Nick is the perfect teacher: patient, no ego, simply in it for the love of the sport. He encourages me to challenge myself on the mountain on double blacks that others have told me I’m not good enough for, to huck 180s in the kid’s park because it’s simply fun to try.

Maybe I’m not always connecting the most beautiful, flowy turns in heavy powder, but I’m trying and learning and making mistakes and getting up from every tumble with a giggle and I think that counts for much more than we always give it credit.

In return, I have the privilege of taking Nick skating on my favourite trails in the woods that are quiet, not well-traveled, and encouraging him to tackle the scary double fall line on a tight turn. Last spring, we happily happened upon perfect conditions to head off trail onto some solid crust. Nick took some convincing before taking his first stride off trail onto these amazing natural rollers. If you’ve never skied perfect springtime crust conditions, imagine the grace and freedom you see from dancers, pianists, ice skaters – this is exactly the same. I’ll never forget the child-like joy and whooping that came out of both of us as we explored an untouched meadow that we were brave enough to trust with our weight.

To see vulnerability in our students is something we come to expect; it is something entirely different to allow our students to become our teachers and give that vulnerability right back to them. Nick sees me at my worst and at my best while I tackle the fear of dropping into Marx or Lenin off the Big Sky Resort tram; I am blessed when Nick shares his fears with me while he tackles a steep downhill on skinny skis with a free heel. It’s beautiful to share my passion with a supportive friend like Nick, and it’s only more special that we can reciprocate with one another.

To keeping our hearts and minds open to the world around us; may we always be surprised by

the joy and beauty of it.

Authors Note: An Upstate NY native, five years ago I moved to Montana, where I now call Bozeman home! I've been working in the outdoors industry for about seven years, primarily guiding backpacking trips and spending my winters working as the Assistant Manager of the Big Sky Nordic Center. Aside from my love for nordic, I'm also a huge tele nerd, big reader, lover of sewing, and a good yap session! You can find me on the grid @mountaem

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the closer What We're Thinking About.

That Em and friend Nick have something super special. May we all be so open to change, learning and growing as people and skiers. And also? The alpha-alpine speak has become deeply tiresome.