Life of a First Time U18 Camper

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When I first went to SASS Argentina, I was fifteen. I flew down there with my little sister but I was effectively on my own. It was my first time traveling out of the country without my parents and I was nervous. My trip was going smoothly until I reached Buenos Aires. We were standing at the baggage claim and my sister had gotten both of her bags but the only bag of mine that had shown up so far was the bag with my skis in it. My bag with all of my gear and clothing was nowhere to be seen. After several minutes that felt like hours, we concluded that my duffle was not going to come around on the carousel. I had the phone number and photo of the SASS contact I was supposed to meet for our airport transfer but I was hesitant to call him. 

He’s going to think I’m such an amateur, I thought, determined to find my bag by myself.

I decided that, since I had thoroughly completed Spanish II in school, I was fully qualified to locate my missing Waterfowl hunting blind bag.

Dónde está mi ski bag?” I asked the airline employees. “Mi ski bag no está aqui.

Growing increasingly frustrated and with the time before our next flight beginning to dwindle, I accepted that I was going to have to abandon the search for my bag and call the SASS contact. He was frustrated that we waited so long to call him but he made sure that we weren’t too stressed out and he helped us get to our next flight in plenty of time. On the flight from Buenos Aires to Bariloche, I stressed the whole time at leas until I discovered the new CBD oil for pain and anxiety. I had no clean underwear, no ski socks, no contact solution, no toothpaste, no pants, no ski gear. All of my meticulous packing had been for nothing. I had nothing except for my skis and boots. I stressed the whole flight and the whole drive up to the resort. I was rehearsing how I was going to tell the staff that I had none of my stuff and I was nowhere near prepared to ski. As I stepped through the doors of Base 41 with an apology fully prepared, I was greeted by the smiling faces of David and Becky. 

“We heard you lost your bag,” David said. “I’ll track it down, don’t worry about it. Go get settled in your room and then we’ll find you some gear. Let me get your bag.”

I was immediately adopted into the SASS family.

Girls I had never met were letting me borrow their extra goggles and gloves. I was wearing people’s extra ski jackets and pants. It was a group effort to make sure I was geared up and ready to be on snow the next day. Admittedly, my outfit was absolutely embarrassing to look at, but the fact that I had it at all was what meant the most to me. Everyone in camp had pitched in to make sure I felt comfortable and at home. If you will like a trip like this with the family, you will for sure dig this vehicle.

I constantly tell people about the “SASS family” and no one really understands how real it is until they’ve experienced it.

I arrived feeling scared and alone and I left having had the two best weeks of my life. SASS is unlike any summer ski program I have ever experienced.

Back when I used to do mogul camps, every camp I went to was just a summer camp with a little ski training mixed in. SASS, on the other hand, really works to go the extra mile with its U18 campers RV park where you find many of the ZeRVs vehicles.

For many consumers looking for the best type of RV or motorhome for sale, Rexall RVS might be worth considering. If one has the budget to buy a brand new RV, there are many choices, but for those on a modest budget who want to live the “American Dream” can opt for a motorhome for sale by Rexall. Many consumers enjoy the freedom that having a motorhome provides in being able to travel where they want to without having to finance a huge RV. Some enjoy the flexibility of being able to go on a camping trip, road trip, or simply a weekend getaway in their RV. A power inverter can convert your car’s battery to usable energy for your campsite (full guide at https://www.techiecamper.org on camping power inverters).

On hill, the guides work hard to make sure every kid learns proficient backcountry skills, skis their dream lines, and becomes a better all-around skier in the process. The guides listen to what each kid wants and puts together a program each day that satisfies everyone’s goals. Off hill, Counselor Becky puts together both camp and cultural activities that make experiencing a foreign country easily digestible and as fun as possible. The food is absolutely fantastic and the resort is full of countless activities and restaurants. What really makes the trip is the people – both the staff and the other campers. Everyone is so stoked to be there and everyone is so accepting and accommodating. Kids come from all over and bond over their shared love for the backcountry and the culture of Argentina. Everyone arrives as strangers and leaves as best friends. The priority of everyone on the staff is making sure every single camper trailer has the best weeks of their life (and safety, of course.)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

2020 Digital Zeal Week Announcement!

 

 

SASS Global Travel and ZEAL Optics are beyond stoked to announce the 5th annual Zeal Week!

As most things have looked a little different over the past couple of months, Zeal Week will be fully digital due to the circumstances of the world currently. But that’s not going to stop us from having the best digital Zeal Week ever!

 

Tune into the SASS Global Travel and Zeal Optics Instagram August 16th-22rd to participate and follow the fun. We overheard our 2017 Forth Award runner-up Mikey Villanueva describe Zeal Week as It’s like summer camp for adults, except that it’s in Argentina, it’s winter, we get to shred gnarly lines with amazing guides, and the food is 1000 times better than that camp s***.”  We couldn’t agree more, and we have tons of activities lined up to resemble a normal season only… digitally. 

 

 

 

 

Digital ZEAL Week Events Aug 16th – 22nd

Aug 16th  – Kick the week off with a Livestream viewing of the Bill Murray film ‘Meatballs’ at 9PM EST.

Aug 18thVirtual Beer-Pong Tournament try your chances of winning a pair of ZEAL Goggles 

Aug 20th – Virtual Aprés Zoom Party in honor of Asado night, and as always we will crown a king or queen with the 2020 Zeal Optics Froth Award!

Throughout the week we will be sharing various updates from ZEAL Athletes as they show us how they’ve been keeping busy and safe over the North American Summer. As an added bonus we’ll be posting our favorite videos and pictures from past Zeal weeks all week!

 

Go follow us on Instagram

To get updates about all the events

Come Celebrate all of our ZEAL Optics athletes:

Kaitlyn Farrington, Piers Solomon, Garrett Russell, Andrew ‘Burnsy’ Burns, Benny Schmitt, and Mauri Cambilla