They Are Coming Thick and Fast Now... Also I Get My Heart Broken...

13/2/11

1953 (local time)

Well Hello There! Its been a long time in between drinks! I’m currently babysitting 2 sleeping children so it seemed like a great idea to catch up on the trusty blog to chat to all my lovely friends and family!

What is news! Well! Today was the first day of Yeti Club in Zurs, so it was pretty full on! At the moment we have 20 kid and I have 2 staff working for me! Today was mega hectic but there is nothing that the Flack Attack couldn’t handle!

For the past 3 weeks, I have just been resting! (and doing a bit of skiing) Yeah that’s right, my leg is still a bit sore from my off piste crash, so im just taking it easy until it is fully recovered! Hopefully in 6 weeks ill be at 100%.

When I do go skiing, I have been trying my luck in the Snow Park! So I’m trying to pop up onto a box, and grind it sideways! But my problem is, that I hit it just WAY to fast! And end up almost clearing the box and landing on my hip from 6 feet up! Not all that fun!

Before I continue with my life, I am going to ask about all of you! What the bloody hell, is going on in Australia! We have Floods on one side, and Fires on the other side! Lets just hope that everyone is safe... Woah, this is getting way to deep!

Lets get onto my personal life, that’s right im going to open up! Ill be honest, I need my several life coaches the other night, as I got my heart broken at least 3 times! How is this possible you may ask! Well, firstly I have a heart like Phar Lap, so there is a lot of heart to break, and secondly the people that know me well will know that I am some what of a Chick Magnet, so the girls just flock to me, and sometimes it can be hard not to fall for them! But like time and time again, I have learnt my lesson... and that is that in general all women are trouble, and its best not to be around them.

Shall we move on! So, in my times of rest I have taken to a certain series! PRISON BREAK!!!! Potentially the best bloody show out there! I know it finished a while ago, but it has kept me company whilst I haven’t been skiing! I even got one of the bosses to bring me out the 3^rd season, because we don’t have internet at our flat! BONUS!

What else can I tell you all... oh that’s right DAHAB!

Its back on the cards, I got offered my job back out there, at the end of April when my contract for Powder Byrne finishes, so it will be from Snow to Sand in under a week! I cant wait to get back into the water! Its really depressing not being able to go for a swim! But, some even better news, is that my parents are trying to organise a trip to come and see me around June/July which would be amazing! Also, about what is happening in Cairo and Alexandria has not affected Dahab what so ever! I just spoke to my Egyptian friend who I worked with Ahmed, and he said nothing has changed in Dahab at all! So stress less those people that are worried about me heading back to Egypt (if that is actually anyone, apart from my mother). Ok, well I don’t really have any more news for you!... BUT if I do, you will be the first to hear about it!

Take care al!

Lots of love! Steve

One of the 100 Antony Gromley's that are scattered around the Arlberg Region

Pretty much defacing a Gromly!

Wednesday Just gone Apre Ski From left: Me, Andrew, Alice, Nat and Adam

Nat Pulling a SICK grab!

Adam following suit!

The Red Building in the mid ground, is the Arlberghaus, one of our main hotels!

Zurs!

Bit more of Zurs that we found whilst going off piste!

A Quiet gluvine with the Ski Total guys!

Giving it the pose!

The first couple i guided, after 3 weeks of skiing!

Hows that view!

Amazing, looking out over Red 10

Beautiful blue sky!

Everything is white!

Hope you enjoyed it guys!

Chat soon!

The Aussie Is Down...

23/1/11

1843 (local time)

This blog kinda brings us into the new year! For the past month I have had a ball, being skiing most days, tried some snowboarding (ill get to that later) and just meeting a whole bunch of new people.

Right so shall I bring you up to speed! As of late I have been doing non-stop skiing, that is up until now! I have recently got an injury... That’s right the super human Steve Flack has gained an injury, how is this possible!

Well, it was a Sunday the 23^rd of January, and after all day skiing with Tom Binns, on the final run home we decided to do a bit of choppy off-piste, that he had done before. Anyway, I sent myself down and didn’t turn correctly and stacked it... Well it felt as if one of my ski’s smacked me in the back of my leg, which it may have, but where it hurt my boot was covering the injury, which means that the only way I could have hurt myself was if my binding didn’t release early enough and I managed to put my leg at a super backward position which resulted in my pulling/ripping 2 maybe 3 muscles in my calf. Not ideal! So here I am now, with no shortage of ice on my calf trying to make it recover as quick as possible.

What sucks the most is that this week that I have hurt myself in, was one of the weeks where I could have skied almost every single day, because the resort manager isn’t here to tell us to work... Shattered!

No worries though, I consider myself lucky as I have been sending myself down some pretty steep runs and pulling out ok. I might as well add, that when I went off-piste in Grindy, I did end up in a river... but enough about that! It’s kind of embarrassing.

Right, so ill tell you a little bit about my snowboard experience. I got up nice and early to start my snowboarding experience! Got myself a board and some boots and went on the magic carpet... I only lasted 2, 20 second  runs on the magic carpet before I got extremely bored. So I headed up my first chair lift. Never had a lesson, and never been shown how to get on a chair lift with a snowboard on was a very interesting experience. But I managed and got down. At the top of the 2 man chair in Zurs, I sent myself down my first blue run. It was sketchy, but I got down. I went up the two man chair again, and went down the blue again.

Enough with that I thought, its time for a red run! In Switzerland and Austria the runs from easiest to hardest are in this order, Blue, Red, Black. The way they get harder is that the blue’s are quite wide, not very steep, and very well groomed. Red’s are a little steeper and narrower. Whilst blacks are generally very steep, narrow and not groomed all that often, so they can be quite a few moguls.

So I crossed the bridge and set myself up for my first red!

I was flying down the mountain until I got a bit twisted up, and tripped my heel edge and smashed my head so hard on the ice, goggles flew off and everything!

I shook myself down, and continued! After continuous wipe outs my body was in so much pain that I couldn’t even board down the mountain! Instead I had to walk down! Not good!

The next day, I couldn’t walk! Every part on my body was aching!

But I’m not going to give up, when my leg gets better, I’ll be set to be carving the shiz-nit out of the mountain!

So until next time my dear friends!

Byeeee!!!

Steve xxx

Anyway, i have dropped in a few photos from Grindy so Enjoy they my lovely little lemon drops! next blog is in the making and hopefully more photos there too!!! xx

Sasha's Party (one of the Aussie Instructors)

Im just wearing the "Trevor the Traversing Mask"

Hanging out with the Yeti Kids in Grindy!

CHECK OUT THAT BACKGROUND!

Sasha and Myself just keepin it real!

Sasha with the yetis!

Standard Steve Pose! Hows that mountain! Amazing ey!

Bloody freezing to death!

Tommy the 3rd Gear Pritchard in the mid-ground!

Thats right! IM IN THE ALPS!

A beautiful scene!

Im bloody lucky! what a view!