How it all began: "I still remember that cold December day in 1975 when I first put on a pair of skis. It was at the Tsugaike Kogen Ski Resort located at Nagano Prefecture where I had gone with a group of Singaporean students and my seniors from the University of Tokyo. I was filled with anticipation, but it turned out to be a lot of fun. I felt like a kid again.

When I had mastered the Beginner slopes, I went on to explore the Intermediate slopes. After that, it was the Black Diamond slopes, and then the Double Black Diamond, and so on. I love the challenge of exploring new ski terrains and I've skied in many key resorts in Japan, North America, west of the Mississippi and certain parts of the European Alps."

Shop 'n' ski: "Whistler in Vancouver is my favourite - there are two huge ski mountains in the same resort with all sorts of slopes for skiers of different ability levels. Despite my numerous visits, I have never been able to comb the entire two mountains.

The flight from Singapore to Vancouver has only one stopover and it's a mere two hours' drive from Vancouver to Whistler. On top of that, it has a large village below the mountain with lots of shopping and eating places."

The challenges: "The difficulties (of skiing) come with different slope conditions - how steep they are; whether they are full of bumps; or whether they are groomed or covered with soft powder. Once you can 'bomb' the slope, you move on to more challenging ones. Double Black Diamond is steeper, ungroomed, and perhaps unmarked, and hence more difficult than a Black Diamond.

I enjoy Alpine downhill skiing; it's certainly more exhilarating than cross-country skiing. It is also more 'energy efficient'. You get up the slope on a ski lift and simply ski downhill.

Physical fitness is important. Skiing requires lower-body strength to absorb the shocks, and hence well-toned calf, thigh and stomach muscles are essential. That said, I have met skiers who are 60 years old or more and they are still physically fit and are able to ski very well."

The "rush": "The ability to control the skis coupled with the sheer adrenalin joy of speed when you come down the slope with its elegant twists and turns create a superb rush. It's amazing how peaceful one can feel too in the midst of such movement and speed."

Those were the days: "I used to ski most weekends when I was living and working in San Francisco. Whenever the weather looked good, we would simply drive up to the Lake Tahoe ski resorts. These days, I can only find time to ski twice a season - once in Japan and once somewhere in either North America or Europe."

If you had to try something once: "Glacier skiing in Chamoni, France. In some high mountains, the snow never melts. It is perpetually cold, and over the years, the compacted snow becomes ice that moves very slowly downhill. As the skiers are guided by experienced guides to only ski on the safe part of the glacier, the ice you see around you is ice that has remained untouched for hundreds of years."