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Winter Sports

Ski Dubai

A writers' take on her first day back on skis—after a ten-year hiatus, and in the middle of the Arab desert.It’s a hot and humid 92 degrees in Dubai as I head for the Mall of the Emirates, a 2,400,352-square-foot behemoth with the first indoor ski run in the Middle East , “Ski Dubai .” The huge dome offers five runs including the world’s first indoor black diamond run with a 200-foot drop. I haven’t skied in ten years, but it doesn’t matter if I make a fool of myself, because no one knows me here. I buy a 2-hour $40 ticket that includes ski jacket, snow pants, boots, socks (mine to keep), and skis. There are no other women or tourists in the co-ed locker room. Nearby, two men expertly stuff the skirts of their long white jelabas into their snow pants. I slip the outfit on over my clothes, then clomp to the escalator leading to the bottom of the run. A revolving door opens into the huge cold (32 degrees F) ski dome. My outfit matches those of the few men skiing the slope, and I feel as ...

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