The Apocalypse Snow movies filmed at Les Arcs by Didier Lafond, has a simple plot: two teams have a competition to win the “esprit de glisse” – “the ultimate feeling for gliding on snow”. Yes, Monoski is a great invention to experience this ultimate feeling for snow. With your feet stuck together, you have to ski with your whole body, trust gravity and enjoy the enhanced feeling of freedom and joy!
But esprit de glisse can be practiced everywhere, and in any situation in life!
Let me give you some examples:
My father is an arts dealer and he has a friend, a painter, who recently bought a new set of houses ideal for expos and the making of art. He just turned 92! WOW!
I also have a memory from Chamonix that still is clear and vivid in my mind. And it is NOT a powder memory or an image of a beautiful French lady…it is about an old man and his snowboard. At 82 he started to snowboard!
That is the real esprit de glisse! Defy gravity, defy old age and most importantly …defy all the restricting “DO NOT”: s that often comes with age, family and work.
Even nature can show you some “esprit de glisse” of its own: look at this marvelous picture from a French monoskier.
For me one of the best illustrations of Esprit de glisse is by Wulffmorgenthaler: the old man in the wheel chair doing the skateboard half-pipe…
(See more of their excellent stuff at: www.wulffmorgenthaler.com).
The challenge is to make a conscious decision to have fun and to enjoy life and gather WOW-feelings, no matter of age, job position and what illnesses or injuries you have.
When I am 65, I promise you all that I will start many new associations: Parcour for pensioners & old age acrobatics, wheel-chair free ride, etc…
If you have other inspiring images or stories share them as a comment!
Make it fun!
/Stefan
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