KAREN LAND

Dog mushers and sled dog racing fans alike are growling over a recent online Sports Illustrated (SI) article.

“Let’s start a barroom argument. Who are the toughest athletes in sports?” the magazine’s anonymous toughness experts asked its readers in the April 1st feature posted on sportsillustrated.cnn.com. But Sports Illustrated didn’t wait around for an answer – they went right ahead and made up their own list of the top 25 toughest athletes. And, of course, not every reader agrees with the lineup.

You would think that dog mushers would just be happy to see their sport finally recognized right alongside of other popular and tough sports such as football, basketball, baseball, hockey, triathlons, ultimate fighting, boxing, golf…

“Wait, did she say golf?” you might be asking yourself.

So far, my downhill skiing career consists of a measly eight days on the slopes. I’m not in denial; I know my awkward technique reeks of ROOKIE. At first, I was a bit embarrassed by my lack of coordination, but I quickly realized that being a beginner isn’t just about looking like a clumsy clod on skis; it’s actually a great conversation piece.

It seems that most skiers and snowboarders enjoy taking a trip down memory lane, reflecting on the days when they too were green and klutzy. They recall with a chuckle their first time getting on and off the chair lift. They complain about the prehistoric skis and bindings and boots they used in the past, telling me, “You’re lucky... back when I was learning, you determined the length of your skis by standing with your arm held straight up above your head and measuring yourself from the floor all the way up to your wrist.” I look down at my kiddie skis and imagine they were 7 feet long - I’d be stuck in a constant, contorted tangle of gangly legs and poles and skis (even more than I am now).