萬禺 江玥 諸蕓 黃捷 官蓓
在杭州工作的“90后”女孩噠噠,是一位滑雪愛好者。往年冬天,她總會利用幾天年假,和同樣喜歡滑雪運動的幾個小伙伴飛到吉林松花湖滑雪場或者黑龍江亞布力滑雪場,痛痛快快地滑一次雪。
今年元旦,噠噠原本計劃好的東北滑雪之旅因疫情而取消。微信滑雪群里的朋友們安慰她:“東北去不了,在家門口也能滑?!比煨¢L假里,噠噠和朋友們從杭州出發(fā),自駕兩個多小時去了桐廬生仙里國際滑雪場。
“雪質(zhì)和滑雪體驗真的不輸東北。”對于家門口的這次滑雪之旅,噠噠感到很滿意,同時又有點好奇,“我和三個朋友在滑雪場各自請了教練,回賓館一交流,發(fā)現(xiàn)大家的教練都是東北人?!?/p>
這是個巧合嗎?
東北漢子與浙江滑雪之緣
“我們滑雪場目前有100個滑雪教練,除了少數(shù)幾個來自紹興、福建等地,95%以上來自東北?!闭憬布粕喜菰﹫鍪袌霾拷?jīng)理李明宇介紹道。
2020年12月中旬,云上草原滑雪場正式對外開放。在這之前,滑雪場便和來自東北的專業(yè)滑雪機構(gòu)達成合作。后者為滑雪場陸續(xù)輸送了90多名東北籍教練。為了招待好這群來自東北的姑娘小伙,云上草原滑雪場在安吉的山川村為他們修建了員工宿舍。
比起這群初來浙江的東北籍教練,蘇延龍在浙江滑雪場工作的年頭顯然更長。來自黑龍江省鶴崗市的他,既是云上草原滑雪場滑雪學校的校長,負責學校的日常管理及教學工作,又是這幫年輕東北籍教練的主心骨、老大哥。早在2007年,還在哈爾濱體育學院滑雪專業(yè)就讀的蘇延龍就來過寧波商量崗滑雪場體驗。正是那一次滑雪,讓這個東北漢子和浙江結(jié)下不解之緣。
“當時,來滑雪場體驗的游客已經(jīng)有不少了?!碧K延龍回憶,很多操著南方口音的游客,踩著雙板從他身邊小心翼翼地滑過,“還沒滑出去多遠,就連人帶板摔倒在雪道上?!币娝昧铮辶鶄€因為掌握不了滑雪技巧一直摔跤的南方游客把蘇延龍團團圍住?!奥犝f我來自東北,大家的眼睛都瞪大了?!?/p>
就像東北人覺得浙江人游泳好一樣,浙江人也由衷佩服東北人骨子里自帶的滑雪基因。接連在浙江當時的幾個滑雪場體驗后,蘇延龍感受到了浙江人對滑雪這項運動的熱愛。此后,看好南方滑雪市場的他一直往返黑龍江、浙江兩省,一邊作為滑雪專業(yè)人士參與溫州當?shù)貎杉一﹫龅慕ㄔO(shè),一邊作為“星探”,為長期固定合作的10家浙江滑雪場輸送近千位來自東北各大體育高校的專業(yè)滑雪人才。
現(xiàn)在,到了冬季,蘇延龍已經(jīng)很少有時間回東北老家生活和過年,“最近十多年的冬天,我基本在浙江這邊”。
浙江滑雪教學之創(chuàng)新體驗
這幾年,蘇延龍已不在滑雪場的一線做游客的滑雪教學工作了。不過,為了不讓自己挖掘出來的這些東北籍教練,在其他省市同行面前因技術(shù)不行而跌面子,他還是會抽時間指導他們,學習更加適合南方游客掌握的實用滑雪技巧。
現(xiàn)在,浙江滑雪場上的滑雪教練大多來自東北。提到這些后輩,蘇延龍言語中滿是自豪:“在浙江滑雪場工作的這些東北籍教練,不僅有在校和已經(jīng)畢業(yè)的大學生,還有很多擁有碩士學位這樣的高學歷?!边@些既有專業(yè)實踐能力又有理論水平的東北籍滑雪教練,受到了很多浙江游客的好評。
“我去滑雪場之前也沒有預(yù)約教練,就在現(xiàn)場隨意找了一個東北口音的男教練。”噠噠說,“和他學了差不多半小時,我一個江南人就掌握了雙板的滑雪技巧”。
更讓噠噠感到驚喜的是,這位熱心的東北教練還是一個拍視頻的好手?;睾贾莺螅瑖}噠把教練為她拍的滑雪小視頻發(fā)到了朋友圈,“朋友都說好羨慕我,一個女孩子滑雪這么溜,太酷了”。
在杭州濱江一家室內(nèi)滑雪場做滑雪教練的東北小伙小戴說,除了日常教學員滑雪,在其他配套服務(wù)方面,他也和很多老鄉(xiāng)一樣正在學習摸索。
從沈陽體育學院滑雪專業(yè)畢業(yè)兩年后的2020年,在同樣做滑雪教練的老鄉(xiāng)建議下,小戴來到杭州濱江區(qū)的這家室內(nèi)滑雪場上班。和同事們混熟后,他發(fā)現(xiàn)公司現(xiàn)有的11位教練,算上他有10位是東北人?!拔覀冎械拇蟛糠秩嗽仍跂|北老家的滑雪場工作,大家來浙江后有一個共同感覺,就是這邊的學員除了注重教學質(zhì)量,還很重視服務(wù)。”
小戴教的學員中間,有“網(wǎng)紅”,也有帶貨主播。在學滑雪的時候,他們都希望小戴能幫忙拍出美美的照片和視頻,“到時候,他們就可以發(fā)到粉絲群”。
作為體育生,小戴原本對攝影攝像一竅不通,“現(xiàn)在什么運鏡、剪輯,我都會了”。如今,小戴專業(yè)的攝影攝像配套服務(wù),為他吸引了不少“網(wǎng)紅”學員。
年輕滑雪教練初到浙江
和已經(jīng)在浙江工作近一年的小戴不同,來自黑龍江省牡丹江市的22歲東北小伙徐朝陽,來這兒還不到一個月。
2020年12月21日,徐朝陽從老家牡丹江市出發(fā),先坐了近兩個小時的高鐵到哈爾濱,又從哈爾濱太平國際機場乘坐3個多小時的飛機抵達杭州蕭山國際機場。從蕭山國際機場再坐兩個多小時大巴到杭州汽車北站后,來不及找酒店休息,他繼續(xù)搭乘近兩個小時的大巴輾轉(zhuǎn)來到安吉。
徐朝陽是牡丹江師范學院滑雪專業(yè)學生。2020年,在同專業(yè)師兄引薦下,抱著改變一下教學方式的想法,他從東北老家輾轉(zhuǎn)南下。這是他第一次來到離家?guī)浊Ю锏恼憬皠倎砘﹫龅哪菐滋?,我最想念的還是媽媽燉的東北大鍋菜的味道”。
因為云上草原滑雪場建在山上,每天,徐朝陽的時間都被精準切割:早上不到7點,起床、洗漱,吃好早餐;7點半,準時和同事們從山下的宿舍出發(fā),步行10分鐘到游客集散中心;之后,乘坐5分鐘的景點大巴來到索道站;到索道站后,繼續(xù)坐10多分鐘的纜車到滑雪場。
云上草原滑雪場上午開放的時間是8點45分,在大批游客上來之前,徐朝陽要和同事們一起完成準備工作,比如檢查雪道、防護網(wǎng),整理各種滑雪器材。9點多,在游客陸續(xù)到達滑雪場后,徐朝陽持續(xù)近8個小時的教學工作就開始了。
徐朝陽的很多學員是來自浙江、上海等地的白領(lǐng),很多滑雪小白對這項體育運動充滿熱情?!盎﹫鰧嵭械氖抢m(xù)費制,很多學員一次學不完,會接著續(xù)兩三個小時?!边@時,如果已經(jīng)到了中午吃飯時間,徐朝陽也不會撇下學員去滑雪場的餐廳吃飯。
來安吉前,爸媽給他帶了滿滿兩大袋哈爾濱紅腸?!跋氩坏竭€真派上用場了?!睂嵲趤聿患俺灾酗?,怕教學中途體力不支,每次帶學員乘滑雪場魔毯到雪道的途中,徐朝陽都會抓緊從口袋里拿出備好的紅腸咬幾口。
最近,紅腸吃完了,他的新午餐換成了面包和牛奶:“都是從我們宿舍樓下的小超市買的,價格一點也不貴?!边@個開朗的大男孩樂呵呵地說。
一般到了下午四五點,滑雪場的大批游客會陸續(xù)下山。不過,徐朝陽也教過一些學員,最晚學到了晚上8點半。等到學員乘索道離開,獨自收拾好滑雪器材后,徐朝陽換著索道、景點大巴、步行這三種方式回到宿舍時,已近晚上10點?!盎貋頁Q洗貼身衣物時,衣服上都有汗液蒸發(fā)后留下來的鹽粒?!?/p>
云上草原滑雪場給教練們的休息時間,是每月4天。不過,隨著滑雪這項運動在浙江越來越熱,徐朝陽和很多東北籍教練一樣都舍不得休息。愛好滑雪的游客紛至沓來,這讓滑雪教練這份工作更加辛苦,但也帶來了更為豐厚的回報。
一位比徐朝陽早三天來云上草原滑雪場的東北籍年輕教練,不到一個月的時間就收入近萬元。這激勵了年輕的徐朝陽,我最喜歡浙江的一點,是只要不怕吃苦,就能賺到錢”。
來安吉的20多天時間,徐朝陽和同宿舍的7個同事一起去過一次安吉縣城?!盎﹫霾蛷d燒的菜,其實挺符合我們東北人口味的,量大,口味也重?!辈贿^,難得的這次出門機會,大家還是花心思找到了縣里一家比較正宗的東北菜館,好好地吃了一頓。
來浙江后,徐朝陽一直想抽時間去離安吉不遠的杭州看看西湖。不過,基本上每天宿舍、滑雪場的兩點一線,讓他暫時還不能完成這個心愿。
冰雪旅游旺季不只屬于東北
“這幾年,滑雪這項運動在浙江確實越來越熱?!弊鳛檎憬┦袌雠d起的見證者之一,蘇延龍經(jīng)常到浙江新開的滑雪場考察。他發(fā)現(xiàn)不論是國營還是民營,這些滑雪場都配備了從國外進口的壓雪車,“這些壓雪車造價不菲,在一般老牌的北方滑雪場都很難看到”。
從15年前安吉開出華東第一家戶外滑雪場江南天地,到15年后僅安吉一個縣就有3家滑雪場,截至2020年冬天,浙江已經(jīng)擁有16家滑雪場,包括安吉江南天地、臨安大明山、奉化商量崗、寧海浙東第一尖、紹興喬波、桐廬生仙里、安吉云上草原等。如今,浙江人在冬天想要暢快滑雪的選擇,顯然更多了。
隨著整個浙江滑雪市場的興起,很多新建雪場正在積極抓住不只屬于東北的冰雪旅游契機,在滑雪季接待大量游客?!盎┦袌龃_實非常火爆,從中能感受到游客們的熱情。為了提升游客體驗度、把好疫情防控關(guān),元旦期間的滑雪場門票需要通過網(wǎng)絡(luò)平臺預(yù)訂,并按要求嚴格限制游客數(shù)量。到了后面,對來電咨詢的客人都建議改期,直接來的散客就勸退。元旦小長假里,平均每天有兩三千人前來滑雪。”蘇延龍說。
新開的桐廬生仙里國際滑雪場營銷負責人楊駿介紹,江浙滬原本就聚集了一大批滑雪愛好者,就目前來看,最重要的客源市場還是來自杭州主城區(qū),占了五六成。杭州周邊的滑雪場之前只有固定的兩三個,每個雪場的容量也有限。而杭州總?cè)丝诨鶖?shù)大,消費水平高,滑雪場作為冬季里的稀缺產(chǎn)品,成為時尚新寵也就不足為奇。近一兩年來,隨著冰雪運動的盛行,吸引了更多年輕人專程趕來體驗滑雪的魅力,而在滑雪愛好者中,年齡最小的只有三四歲。
冰雪產(chǎn)業(yè)的消費市場究竟有多大?隨著中國冰雪運動發(fā)展規(guī)劃的提出,預(yù)計2025年冰雪產(chǎn)業(yè)總體規(guī)模達到1萬億元,帶動3億人參與冰雪運動,國內(nèi)滑雪產(chǎn)業(yè)還有很多消費空間可以釋放。
同樣是新開的安吉云上草原滑雪場,在元旦三天小長假期間,據(jù)市場部經(jīng)理李明宇透露,客流量達到1.5萬人,以來自湖州、杭州和上海的客人為主。其中,有一定基礎(chǔ)、自帶滑雪裝備的資深滑雪客不在少數(shù)。另據(jù)統(tǒng)計,在工作日期間,平均每天也有近千人來滑雪?!斑@足見滑雪消費需求在長三角地區(qū)的釋放?!崩蠲饔钫f。
浙江滑雪市場處于初級階段
在寧波商量崗滑雪場負責人王林彬看來,浙江的滑雪市場還屬于初級階段。對浙江人而言,滑雪嚴格意義上算不上一項競技運動,更多是一種休閑旅游的方式,側(cè)重體驗感。拿寧波奉化商量崗滑雪場來說,2005年開始運營,在浙江也算是頭一茬進入滑雪市場“吃螃蟹”的。王林彬分析,滑雪市場正在趨向于不斷精分,來滑雪的人群有著不同的需求。有的就是來滑雪場拍照打卡,就只是想體驗一回滑雪的樂趣,甚至其中有一部分人從好奇變成了愛好,成為滑雪愛好者,在朝著專業(yè)滑雪的路上越走越遠……
小趙是杭州汽車西站旅游集散中心的員工。2021年元旦起,杭州汽車西站開通了杭州往返生仙里滑雪場的直通車,接收來自各個旅游平臺的散拼游客,小趙經(jīng)常會帶團去滑雪場。她發(fā)現(xiàn)去滑雪的群體大多是年輕人,而且有個特別有趣的現(xiàn)象:有人去滑雪場并不是為了滑雪,而是把滑雪場當背景板拍照。小趙曾經(jīng)碰到一個漂亮女孩,一個人穿得美美的。到了滑雪場后她并不滑雪,而是拿出三腳架,架在雪道前的空地上一頓咔咔咔自拍。小趙甚至還遇到過兩個女孩子,穿著漢服來滑雪場。
目前年輕人拍照打卡滑雪場很流行,抖音、快手、小紅書等內(nèi)容平臺上,這類滑雪視頻經(jīng)常能獲得很高的流量。而這些流量集聚的背后,蘊藏著巨大潛力的滑雪消費市場。據(jù)CBNData聯(lián)合天貓體育發(fā)布的《2020冬季新活力生活趨勢報告》,2020年一個月的滑雪裝備銷量相比往年漲了13倍!一套相對專業(yè)一些的滑雪裝備,費用在萬元以上也并不罕見。
兩歲寶寶已成滑雪專業(yè)戶
近幾年來,親子滑雪的市場越來越龐大。家長帶著孩子來體驗滑雪,讓孩子接觸大自然。不少滑雪場還開設(shè)了滑雪課程,參與的親子家庭特別多。
杭州有個滑雪發(fā)燒友林先生,一家三口都很愛滑雪。特別是林先生,還會參加國內(nèi)比較小眾的登山滑雪比賽。滑雪其實非常消耗體能,強度相當于陸地上的越野跑,所以當兒子出生后剛學會走路,林先生夫妻倆就有意識地“拉練”兒子的體能,周末經(jīng)常帶著孩子去登山訓練,等孩子到了兩歲,就開始了一家三口的滑雪之旅。
夫妻倆加上孩子的滑雪裝備購置,就花了兩萬多元,其中還不包括每年滑雪杖等的損耗費用。每年雪季,夫妻倆就會帶著孩子去滑雪,除了浙江的滑雪場,也會去省外那些有更多專業(yè)賽道的滑雪場體驗學習。其中包括2022年冬奧會的主辦地河北張家口崇禮。
“80后”小伙邊滑雪邊看世界
劉百靈,發(fā)現(xiàn)之旅體育的負責人,“80后”,大學畢業(yè)之后就到了杭州工作,從事外貿(mào)生意。2007年,他開始接觸滑雪這項運動,并逐漸愛上了滑雪。
隨著滑雪技術(shù)的提升,劉百靈開始踏足北方的一些大型室外滑雪場。“我喜歡這種站在山峰之巔,享受著燦爛陽光和新鮮空氣,欣賞著腳下的云海翻騰和遠方的崇山峻嶺,還有山下各種風格的滑雪小鎮(zhèn)的生活和異區(qū)異域文化的感覺?!彼f。
2008年,金融危機爆發(fā),劉百靈的外貿(mào)公司受到波及。為了散心,他約了10多個喜歡滑雪的好友去了歐洲滑雪。面對著一望無際的白雪,劉百靈有了一個想法:干脆做滑雪生意吧。
經(jīng)過幾年的準備與規(guī)劃,2015年,劉百靈正式開始做全球滑雪旅行。為了更好地經(jīng)營,他去考了加拿大單雙板二級教練資格證,平常都親自帶隊。他的夢想是:通過滑雪看世界。
如今,劉百靈已經(jīng)成了在環(huán)球滑雪旅行行業(yè)里嘗到甜頭的一批人,跑遍了瑞士、法國、奧地利、加拿大等世界各地不少滑雪場。在帶團做教練的同時,他也會把他的滑雪經(jīng)歷拍成視頻,吸引了不少粉絲。
2020年新冠肺炎疫情暴發(fā)后,劉百靈的環(huán)球滑雪旅行暫時停止了,于是他把目光放在國內(nèi)的滑雪場。國內(nèi)除了吉林北大壺滑雪場、萬科的松花湖滑雪場等幾個比較火熱的滑雪場外,劉百靈推薦去河北崇禮滑雪場,這也是2020年他去得最多的一個滑雪場。
發(fā)掘青少年專業(yè)滑雪人才
浙江總體上來說具備專業(yè)滑雪技能的群體并不龐大,也因此滑雪場都會配備專業(yè)的滑雪教練,提供滑雪教程。但也有一部分人,他們并不局限于“好玩”,而是奔著專業(yè)競技性的滑雪比賽去的。浙江各地的許多滑雪俱樂部里,不乏一些國家級的滑雪運動員,他們也成了帶動滑雪市場往更專業(yè)的垂直領(lǐng)域下潛的一股力量。
林柯羽,寧波羚羊體育的負責人,也是一位資深滑雪教練,目前帶著近百人的青少年專業(yè)滑雪隊伍?!拔覀冞@些學生都是從各個小學挑選出來的,訓練的要求也是按照競技性比賽來設(shè)置的,非常專業(yè),他們中有些特別好的苗子今后有可能進入專業(yè)滑雪隊,有機會為國爭光?!绷挚掠鹱鳛閺氖聦I(yè)滑雪的一員,對滑雪有著更深刻的體驗。
有個寧波鎮(zhèn)海的女孩叮叮,小學一年級的時候就加入了專業(yè)訓練的滑雪隊伍。叮叮的父母特別想培養(yǎng)孩子的滑雪技能。盡管叮叮目前還只是讀三年級,但是滑雪技能進步特別快。在林柯羽看來,青少年的專業(yè)滑雪訓練,不光靠本人和教練,和父母的支持度也關(guān)系很大。叮叮就是因為父母的支持,訓練季每天6點不到起床,然后坐車半個多小時到達位于北侖梅山港的滑雪場,她從來不遲到。
專業(yè)的滑雪訓練并不輕松,對孩子的體能和技能要求都很高。讓林柯羽感到欣慰的是,目前這支隊伍正在逐漸壯大,并且已取得了不少成績。隊伍中的一位女生小程,今年才12歲,在2019年國際雪聯(lián)中國北京滑輪世界杯的比賽中就取得了全國第四名的成績。
林柯羽說,像這樣的專業(yè)培訓,一部分是采取政府補貼的方式,學費每年在1萬多元,還不包括自己購買一些專業(yè)滑雪服裝等裝備的費用。盡管如此,依然有越來越多的家庭選擇培養(yǎng)孩子在滑雪這項專業(yè)運動上的興趣。
Zhejiang’s Amazing Ski Season
By Wan Yu ?Jiang Yue ?Zhu Yun ?Huang Jie ?Guan Bei
Dada is a girl of the “post-90s” (those born in the 1990s) generation who works in Hangzhou and loves skiing. Every winter, she takes a few days off for skiing with her friends in Northeast China. However, she was not able to make it this year because of the epidemic and went to Tonglu instead, a place only two hours’ car ride from Hangzhou. Those ski-lovers were actually quite happy about their experience there, and found out surprisingly that their coaches at the ski resort were all from the northeastern part of China. Was that only a coincidence?
“Currently there are 100 coaches at our resort, and over 95% are from the Northeast China,” introduced Li Mingyu, the marketing manager of a ski resort in Anji called Skyland. It was officially open for business in mid-December 2020. Before that, it had cooperated with some northeast-based professional skiing clubs, which introduced over 90 local coaches to work here at Skyland.
Su Yanlong, born in Hegang city, Northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, is the principal of the Skyland ski school. He is responsible for not only the school’s daily operation and teaching, but also the team building of these young coaches at Skyland. When Su was still a ski major in Harbin Sport University, he had traveled south to Ningbo, Zhejiang for a ski experience early in 2007. “There were quite a few people skiing at the resort,” Su recollected. As a master in the snow, he captured great attention of many unskillful Southerner skiers, who pretty much kept falling down. “The moment they knew I came from the northeast, their eyes went wide open.”
Just as Zhejiangers are all good swimmers in the eyes of Northeasterners, the former also look up to the latter as born skiers. After visiting several ski resorts in Zhejiang back then, Su felt local people’s passion for skiing and saw great market potential. As a ski professional, he participated in the construction of two ski resorts in Wenzhou, and as a talent scout he tried to find suitable ski coaches at sports colleges in Northeast China for ten ski resorts with which he signed a long-term partnership contract. Since the past few years, Su has become too busy with his business here in Zhejiang to return to his hometown for the Chinese New Year.
Recently, Su has shifted his teaching focus from coaches to costumers, but he still spares some time every now and then for instructing his coach team which he always speaks of proudly. “These Northeastern coaches include both undergraduates and graduates, and many are very well educated with a master degree.” Professionals with rich practical experiences and theorical foundations, these coaches have enjoyed a great reputation among Zhejiang costumers. For Dada, her coach was also a skillful videographer, which was quite a surprise to her. But that was not the only case. Many coaches have been exploring in the mastery of such supporting skills including photography, video shooting and editing, in order to improve their service and attract a greater number of customers.
Xu Zhaoyang, a 22-year-old boy born in Mudanjiang city, Heilongjiang province, came to Zhejiang and started working at Skyland only a month ago. This is his first time to live in this southern province, so far away from his hometown. “Upon my arrival, what I missed most was my mum’s stew.” At this mountain ski resort, Xu follows a very busy and specific schedule. The place opens at 8:45 every morning, and that means he needs to get himself ready in position and completes all the preparation work with his colleagues before that time. Customers usually begin to show up after nine o’clock, and Xu’s eight-hour teaching task starts upon their arrival. Sometimes when he is too occupied to leave for lunch, he would always make do with Harbin sausages his parents generously stuffed in his luggage — or some bread and milk recently, as the sausages were eaten up.
The bulk of costumers usually begin to leave at about four or five in the afternoon, but some of Xu’s costumers like to continue their session into 8:30 pm, which could make him extremely exhausted. Arduous as the job can be, it is at the same time well-paid — much better than the salaries his hometown could offer. Therefore, Xu is fully motivated to work hard, and that may put on hold his dream to visit the West Lake in Hangzhou.
Recent years have witnessed a booming ski craze in Zhejiang. By the winter in 2020, there had been 16 ski resorts in the entire province, offering Zhejiangers with a wide range of choices for ski destinations. But what is the actual size of the consumer market for ice and snow sports in China? It is estimated, after China’s Ice and Snow Sports Development Plan was introduced, the total size could reach a trillion yuan by the year 2025, and 300 million Chinese people will be encouraged to play ice and snow sports.
Take the newly opened Skyland for example. According to its marketing manager Li, the number of customers during the three-day New Year holiday this year hit 15,000, with the majority coming from Huzhou, Hanghou and Shanghai. And statistics also shows that the average number of skiers coming on workdays approached 1,000. All these are clear evidence there is great potential for ski industry in the Yangtze River Delta.
Yet to Wang Linbin, who is in charge of running the Ningbo Alpine Ski Resort, Zhejiang’s ski market is still in its infancy. Because for Zhejiang people ski is more of a leisure way of travel than a competitive sport, and the majority just do it for getting a new experience. According to Wang, the ski market has developed into different segments, since people are driven to the ski resorts by different needs. Some just want to take beautiful pictures, some to have fun, and some others who have grown really attached to the sport itself to be trained professionally. Lately, skiing has become a family sport, with a growing number of young ski lovers — as young as two years old. It has also functioned as a vehicle for some skiers who love traveling around the world.