In 1968 there was a toy every boy hoped to find under the Christmas tree: a Hot Wheels track with the new Super Charger Power Booster. No longer was it necessary to build your track with a large slope so the cars would roll. Nor was it necessary to run to the end of the drag strip to retrieve the cars. This new and improved track was oval-shaped, and included a new Super Charger that would “power boost” cars around the track for hours of fun.
The cars could never make it all the way around the track at full speed though. They would eventually begin to decelerate about halfway around the track. Just as the car appeared it would come to a complete stop, it would reach the Super Charger, receive a power boost, and be whisked around the track again. This is a great illustration of how the FCAP Ski Adventure has functioned over its 45-year history for so many of its regular attendees. Participants come from all over the world — primarily from the USA, Europe, and Canada — but also from far reaches such as Africa, Australia, Singapore and South America. When attendees arrive, they are fatigued — not only from jet lag — but also from experiencing yet another year of life.
The Ski Slopes in View
Something special happens once passing through the first tunnel about twenty minutes south of Salzburg, which serves as a gateway to the Alps. When emerging from the tunnel on the other side, audible “Ooo’s” and “Ahh’s” erupt as eyes are immediately dazzled with spectacular scenery. The weather could be completely different this side of the tunnel; foggy instead of sunny and as much as twenty degrees cooler. The scenery overwhelms the senses making it difficult to take everything in: towering majestic mountains with jagged peaks, roaring rivers, castles, quaint Austrian houses and farms perched high on hillsides, onion-domed steeples designating a village’s Catholic church while the straight steeples identify the Protestant churches. It seems one has been transported out of this world, and dropped in the setting of a fairy tale. Yet all these sights are simply the first signs that one’s life is about to be impacted significantly.
The Thrill of Skiing
The skiing is thrilling, as is rodeln (sledding) down the five-mile rodelbahn that leaves even the card-carrying senior citizen squeeling like a school kid all over again. Other winter sports activities include snow-shoeing, horse sleigh rides, and — for the more advanced skiers — a seventeen-kilometer ski tour through the back country.
For the non-skiers, or those taking a break from skiing, some take day trips into Salzburg or picturesque Hallstatt, a 4,000 year-old village wedged between a lake and steep mountains. Some afternoons are spent at factory tours to the Austrian slipper factory and Lodenwalker, a company founded in 1434 that makes traditional Austrian wool clothing.
Reunited With Family
While all fun and exciting, these attractions still aren’t why regular attendees return year after year. The primary reason is because the Ski Adventure resembles a family reunion. Once stepping off the chartered bus from the airport, hugs abound and relationships deepen with each passing day.
A couple of misconceptions of the Ski Adventure is that it is only for skiers; advanced skiers at that. In reality, not everyone skis. Those who don’t ski typically stick together and explore the village of Schladming and its culture. All who do desire to ski are placed in ski groups with similar skiing abilities; from beginners up to advanced. It is in these groups where rich fellowship and deep bonding begins to take root.
The roots take a firmer hold over meal time conversations as attendees share life’s milestones, challenges and trials. Stories of fractured families are sadly common. After asking one attendee an opening question of how things were going, tears immediately filled her eyes as she shared the that she had been laid off from her airline. Another had suffered a stroke a few months ago, but was determined to live life to its fullest. A university student came to weigh and consider what he would learn from the evening messages against things he has already established as his beliefs. A regular attendee lost her husband a couple of months ago, and spread a few of his ashes at his favorite spot by a small chapel high up in the mountains with a glorious view of the majestic Dachstein mountain range. The blooms of this sweet fellowship finally burst forth in the evenings as participants worship and pray together.
The Week Comes to a Close
At the end of the week, those who are traveling by car or train stand at the bus for sendoff hugs just as with a family reunion. Eyes are filled with tears and lumps are lodged in throats, making it difficult to speak.Super-charged and spiritually filled, the wheels — whether bus, train, or car — have been power-boosted back into motion to whisk Ski Adventure attendees down the track of another year.
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV
