Posted Friday, October 22, 2021 at 10:18pm
As his twenties turned to his thirties, Burns moved to Andorra. Surrounded by mountains and folk using them, the time had come for him to start skiing.
As you’d imagine for one with an innate understanding of balance and a feel for speed, progress was made quickly. The difference for Burns, however, was at either end of a day on the mountain.
For most of us, preparation for a day’s skiing goes no further than making sure you’ve got your lift pass and a mid-morning chocolate bar. Once done, skis, boots and poles are dumped en route to the bar, a beer and the instant recollection of how big that jump was, how cool the carving looked.
That wasn’t Burns. The day’s skiing was bookended by some incredible preparation of the skis. Edges were sharpened, skis were waxed to the level of a professional downhill skier. When it came to the equipment, everything had to be right. Nothing would be left to chance.
That was Richard.
