Push on the right ski, that’s it, now snow plough. It’s good.
Get these skis off me.
I’m Nella.
I’m Harry.
And we’re out here meeting Black people slaying it in their lane
‘Cause you know we do that.
Harry!
We’re here.
Handshake.
Come on - shaky shaky. Talk to me man, how you been?
What do you think about skiing?
Erm… ski, ski, ski. Do you know what’s so crazy yeah?
Like if you asked me this maybe like three or four years ago
I would have said to you why are you asking me this?
As in God forbid.
God forbid, or like, I don’t care about it, but of late yeah, a few of my friends
have been going on skiing trips and I’m telling you, they love it.
Nobody knows what they’re doing.
It’s not like anyone was the expert, they were all learning and people are dropping.
Cause', you like people to drop so you record it and say, aha.
Of course, end up on the socials.
You know I’m going skiing yeh, with my best friend, and it’s like, I know for a fact
I’m going to be the only Black person there, that’s fine, I’ve accepted it.
Yes.
So Harry…
When you do that… so Harry…
You make me sound so evil. [Go on]
I’ve set up a fun day for us to go to Nubian Ski….
Oh.
… to do some indoor skiing.
Black man friendly.
Oh no, no not Black man friendly.
Ahhhh. [Not Black man friendly]
Nella.
Where are you man?
I’m not well.
Yeah you sound like a gremlin.
Do you know what, I’m actually so upset I’m not with you right now.
Yeah it’s proper cool in here.
It’s very lucky for you that you know, you don’t actually have to lose today
You bailed on me because mentally you knew that I was gonna merk you at skiing.
Anyway, enjoy it and please send me some videos.
Okay, get well soon.
Ahhh it’s cold.
It’s actually shiver me timbers.
I think I can see them you know.
Hi guys.
Hey, how you doing?
I’m good, nice to meet you guys.
And you.
I’m nervous man. [Why?]
‘Cause I’ve never been skiing before.
It’s easy
You’ll pick it up and you’ll be an addict soon. Don’t worry.
OK cool, do you guys want to come upstairs so we can have a chat?
Yeah we’ll be up, we’re coming. [See you in a bit]
See you soon.
You guys are Nubian Ski. Nice to meet you. Can you tell me a little bit about what you guys do?
Nubian ski is a Black-run all-inclusive organisation
where like-minded Black people can go and ski.
That’s amazing. So what is the best part about being in Nubian Ski?
The fact that we kind of share sort of similar cultures and similar world views.
Black people from all round the globe, from Nigeria, the Caribbean, and we all ski together.
There’s been marriages.
Weddings? That’s amazing.
So Denise, what is it about skiing that makes you want to book a hotel, buy the gear,
fly all the way out there and be like yeah, I’m skiing in the snow.
I’m always up for a challenge and I do like to try new things and I thought,
why not? And I’ve never looked back.
Big respect. Auntie D. Auntie D.
Okay, so today Nella, we’re going to take you out on the slope,
and we’re going to give you a little mini lesson.
Ooo let’s do this.
Just stand up on it and then push down on your heel [Is that all I have to do?]
That’s it. Now how does that feel?
It’s like putting on Jordans.
Good, you’re doing good.
Mi cyann do it.
Is it in?
I do not feel pretty right now.
You’re gonna look pretty on the slopes don’t worry. [Okay]
I want you to get up and just move around.
Ah. I just feel like a penguin. What the hell.
That’s good.
Why am I walking…
How does that feel? Do your feet feel okay?
Now to the serious bit Nella. Put the skis down but put it across the mountain.
Take your right foot. No, no, the toe – stick the toe into the front of the skis. Press down now.
Yeah I love that little - the little click.
Make sure it’s in the centre. Step down now. That’s it.
Woi oi.
Let’s turn round into the snow plough position.
The snowplough position is like this.
Is like that
And that is how you break?
That is how you break.
Something doesn’t feel safe.
Here hold my hand, that’s it.
Stay in that position… [Ah!]
That’s OK, that’s OK, that’s OK.
That’s the first one.
Move your skis around this way. That’s it.
What do you mean that’s it?
No, no, get up, take the skis off
Take the skis off. Stay there stay there.
We’ll take the skis off.
You said it would be easy. It was you. Ah!
That’s it. Right, good.
We’re going into the snow plough start position. All the way round like this.
So what you’re going to do is you’re going to do a snow plough all the way down [Cool].
And you’re gonna go like this. See that? Nella you watching? See that?
OK your turn. Keep turning, slowly. Dig in, dig in, dig in.
No no no, don’t go yet, don’t go yet.
Waaaaah.
That’s it.
See you’ve got that.
Ah. It’s like a sauna in here.
OK, let’s get on. Your downhill ski on first and then the upper ski.
Nella, keep going, you’ve got this.
[Crying] Harry. He left me out here to die.
Come on Nella, you can do this. Let them go straight. And then push out, slide out.
Now push out. That’s it, you’ve done it. Do that again.
Push out. One more time. Push out. Right now, do that without me.
Oh my God.
Come to me Nella. Go on you can do it. Push. Push out, push out. You’ve done it.
Yay! [Go Nella, go Nella, go Nella]
I feel ugly, I feel sweaty, I feel defeated,
I feel like I could have lost my life there about three times and nobody did anything about it,
talking about ‘oh Nella get up’, ‘Nella keep going’, ‘Nella you’re doing well’.
Near death experience. You don’t ever see Black people on the snow. This is why.
OK, Nella, I think we’re now ready to go to the top.
Oh God. Oh God.
When you get here, step off.
Yo. Yo.
Left, and right. That’s it
Gracias. Yo. Yo. Yo!
OK.
So we’re ready?
Keep digging. That's it.
OK Nella, you’re gonna do one run where you do a left turn, and then you’ll come up again,
do a right turn, and then we’ll do a left turn and a right turn together. [Cool]
Kurt’s going to demonstrate. Look at that see? Left… Right… Left.
Push out and push on your right hand ski.
Now push, that’s it, that’s it. Push on the right ski. Push on the right ski.
That’s it. Now snow plough. That’s good, that’s good. You did it.
Get these skis off me.
I can’t even look cute in this outfit.
You’ve done the left turn, let’s do a right turn.
Let’s do it.
You know I’m just going to do it.
Plough, plough… on your left, your left, your left, your left, left, that’s it. That’s it, you’ve done it.
You’ve done amazingly well.
I hate it here. [You’re the best] I’m running away.
You’re ready for the big mountain.
Now, your final challenge, we’re going to do a left and a right turn together.
Cool.
This is it.
Woooo.
Go Nella, go Nella. [Right see you at the top] [Let’s Go]
OK let’s do it.
This is the last run.
Cool. Now wait for the click. Yo. Lean forward.
Get yourself in the snow plough position. One more step. Right okay, you’re stable? [Yeah]
Right, so follow this, go that. Left hand, push on the right ski, and then when you
get to the other cone, you’re gonna turn right, push on the left ski.
I’m gonna be just down here.
OK, go.
Keep in the snow plough position. Nice speed. [Come on Nella].
Push down on the right ski.
Looking beautiful.
Little bit more speed. Yep, push down on the left ski now.
You’re turning round. Left ski push push push push push.
Yay! Nella did it, she did the slalom.
[That was amazing] I’m still pressing charges, every single person here, names and addresses.
I’ll happily take the time.
Thank you for putting up with me. [That’s no problem] ‘Cause I know I’m not the easiest.
You were a good student.
Bye guys I’m never coming back.
Harry.
Did you do well yeah?
Fam I was skiing left I was skiing right, man was braking up and down the ting.
You don’t know about my ting.
Was it sick yeah?
It was hard, bro, like it looked so much easier, ‘cause obviously there’s little kids here,
and they make it seem like they’re just gliding innit.
So then whend I got on top of the hill ting and I started accelerating, deffo thought I was gonna die.
I’m actually jealous I wasn’t there man.
We would have had so much fun if we was here together I’m not gonna lie bro. Get well soon.
Until next time...
Until next time. Harry Pinero.
I’ve only gone and smashed it haven’t I? And honestly, shocking, me, a Black girl
in the snow, skiing. Gliding from left to right, braking.
Do you think my friends are gonna believe me when I tell them oh yeh I went skiing?
Nubian Ski are the most fun group of skiers out there. Love them to bits.