Snow-drifting is the perfect antidepressant during COVID times

Times are pretty rough right now. A global pandemic is ongoing, many countries worldwide are still on lockdown. There is not a lot you can do these days to brighten up your ever so negatively influenced mindset. No shopping, no going to the restaurant, no watching a movie in a cinema, no working out in a gym. I could go on and on about things you cannot do at the moment. But fortunately there are still activities that have not been taken away from you by the governments of the world. One of these is driving your car, more explicitly drifting, skidding, sliding - however you want to call it - your car on a snow covered surface.

All you need for that is of course a car, some empty space - ideally an empty industrial property, an empty parking lot or something of the likes - and, naturally luck with the weather, hence a few centimeters of snow. The propelled axle of the car is not the most important factor, as all kinds of drive types can be fun, however drifting is ideally enjoyed in something with driven rear wheels.

What is so great about drifting and why is it the best distraction you can get during these very uninspiring, emotionally dragging, COVID dominated winter days?

I would go as far as calling drifting a form of art. The art of controlling your car in an unstable state of driving. It is actually something unnatural that can turn out to be absolutely perfect when you get it right. It is about this very moment, in which you are turning the car into a corner, stepping on the gas with the intention of making the rear wheels to overcome the adhesion with the ground, and suddenly feeling the rear wash wide. Then smoothly unwinding steering lock, until you are counter steering, whilst keeping the perfect amount of throttle input. Getting everything right, uncorking the perfect skid-angle and duration of the drift is like a dance on a knife's edge. It takes your full attention and driving skills, makes you forget about everything else that is going on with the world. These split seconds, when your inputs are totally in tune with the car, and the car does exactly what you are commanding, can be so satisfying. It never fails in putting a wide, silly grin on my face. It can literally make your day. Also doing all that on snow comes with a huge advantage. You do not need to be Chris Harris to be able to pull it off. On snow, everything happens in slow motion. The overall speed is lower, so you do not need masses of space. Also, the way the car breaks away from you happens very smoothly and predictably, leaving you bundles of time to apply corrections. Snow just makes everything so much easier, stretching the margin for error, almost converting you into a drift pro. It literally helps rounding off your dance on knife's edge. So, the next time you have the chance to try it out, give it a shot, and tell me I was wrong!

However, please make sure to dose snow drifting responsibly, as it can cause severe addiction. Also, consult with the mechanic of your trust regarding possible side effects in case of human misjudgments during the act of going sideways.

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