Ira Riklis’ first skiing trip came to a fortunate close. After overcoming the challenges of getting into his skis, locking down the bindings, learning to sidestep and making his way to the top of a small (though it seemed large to him at the time) hill he was at last heading downhill. It was a thrilling ride that became a bit scarier when—as he was speeding directly towards the entrance of the base lodge—he realized that he didn’t know how to stop.
God was watching over him, though. Just before he hit the front door, Ira Riklis grabbed hold of a column supporting a canopy over the entrance. He came to an abrupt stop, amazingly without causing any damage to the lodge, other skiers or himself! It wasn’t the most graceful of moves, but it worked. If he had crash landed, his skiing career might have ended right then and there. Instead, that first experience led to a lifelong love of the sport.