What I Do When There’s No Snow!

Okay, friends, I get asked this question ALL the time: “What do you do off-season? Like, what actually keeps you busy when there’s no snow?” Well, grab a cup of kombucha (or Earl Grey), because I’m about to spill all the tea on my life beyond the ski season.

First things first — ski season is barely five months. Yep, just five fabulous months of carving corduroy and teaching turns, and then… what? What do I do with the other seven months? Here’s the scoop.

Come fall and spring, you’ll find me at the gym. I pump iron—deadlifts and squats mostly—thanks to my fitness competition years in my former life. I love that next-day muscle pain. Also, it helps to be able to lift dumbbells and little people. When you’re helping ski guests who’ve taken a tumble, you’ve got to have the muscles to lift them up. Thanks to all that heavy lifting, I can carry little ski kiddos around like they’re featherweights, which totally feels like my superpower.

Summer is my playground. Deer Valley isn’t just a ski mountain—it’s a full-on downhill mountain bike park from June to September. I’m all about the cross-country trails on Park City Mountain Resort and adrenaline-pumping downhill runs in Deer Valley. If you didn’t know, now you do: my ski mountain doubles as my summer fun zone. Plus, nothing beats mountain biking for getting that wind-in-your-hair, sun-on-your-face kind of happy.

Here’s a little nugget about me: I grew up by the water in Istanbul, Turkey. Swimming is my OG sport—backstroke was my jam—and my whole family are mermen and mermaids from scuba diving to water polo. So, I still hop into open water swim races, because some passions stay with you forever, and there is family pressure! As a connecting activity with my dad, we swim laps at the pool for 2 km for fun.

My newest obsession (and humbling experience) is kitesurfing. After tens of hours of lessons, I can barely kite upwind solo. I mean, the struggle is REAL. But being a first-timer again? It’s the best reminder ever to stay patient and empathetic. I get how scary it is to be new in a sport, and I remind myself to always keep that beginner’s mindset. Plus, it’s way more fun than just scrolling on the couch.

On the professional side of things, I’m a legal translator and interpreter. I spend a lot of time at depositions, pretrial meetings, and court hearings. Yep, behind that ski instructor smile is a “real job” that keeps me sharp. And yes, I clean up nicely—I rock professional suits at hearings and can turn heads off the mountain, too. Kisses!

Travel is a biggie in the off-season. Europe calls, and I answer. While most ski instructors avoid traveling in the winter months, I confess, I sometimes slip away for a summer vacation… especially in mid-January. When the days are short and my bones are frozen… This January, I went to Tulum—warm Caribbean waters melted my frozen bones. No shame. I usually avoid other ski vacations when I live in a vacation spot, but last year, I even went to Japan for a ski vacation getaway. Onsens helped me to unfreeze.

And finally, I keep planning to amp up my Turkish delight costume for the winter-end pond skimming party. Because ski instructing isn’t just a job—it’s a lifestyle, a passion, and yes, sometimes a little quirky.

So, when you ask what I do off-season, now you know: I train hard, play harder, work smart, dress sharp, travel often, and keep that ski life spirit alive every single day.

Ready for your ski adventure? Ski lesson reservations are open at Deer Valley Ski School. Hit me up if you’d like to take a lesson this winter!