We took the kids skiing with some friends of ours for the first time last month. My lovely wife took the opportunity to use her new MacBook and make her first iMovie.

All three boys enjoyed it immensely. Well, Ashten - the youngest - probably didn't really understand much. The other two, however, had such a blast they didn't want to leave. Paxton tried some flimsy strap-on-skis that fit on over regular boots. Very little support provided. He couldn't keep his balance and it was difficult for me to tell if it was because of the skis or his inexperience. I can't remember my first time so it's difficult to have anything to compare to. He sure did love to go down the hill in my arms though. So did Camren. They both just kept yelling "faster, Dad, Faster!!" and pointing to where they wanted to go.

Kuma Ski Land is a short drive outside of Matsuyama. It is cold enough on top of the small mountain to keep snow frozen, but, it hardly ever snows. So the "snow" is actually all man-made, and only exists on the runs themselves. It makes for a surreal experience and a challenge to make winter wonderland looking photographs.

The Lift Passes are in the form of electronic key-cards a lot like those used in apartment buildings. Touch the card to a pad and the gate opens. Kuma only has three courses. Two main courses and a bunny hill. Everyone pays a flat rate to get into the park. From there, you can ride the bunny hill chairlift for free or buy a key-card in either a time-limited all-you-can-ride option or limited number of rides option. We bought three 12-ride cards and shared them between the four of us.

Interestingly, this sort of lift pass system must be quite common in Japan because I've noticed many ski/snowboard jackets have a clear-windowed card holder pouch built into the sleeves just above where your wrist would be.

Skiing is really a lot like riding a bike. After not skiing for four years, it only took a few seconds to remember how to move and balance. My legs and knees however must be "getting old." My four or five runs on this mini-mountain had my knee-joints aching like never before. Actually, my knees have NEVER caused me pain while skiing. Hopefully it was just lack of practice.