JONNY LAW

Anybody excited to go skiing?  I sure am!  But it seems like this time of year it’s everything I have to control my nerves and not get over stimulated by the possibilities of winter.  But why shut down my own stoke, you ask?  Well, you know how sad it is to see people on crutches in November?  Ya, that’s why.

No matter your level or what you’re up to, freeskiing is a mind game and a big part of it is what I call the ramp up: The game of matching your mental state and your physical abilities to the conditions.  It’s all timing, and if it’s off the result can be a gnarly season ender.  But this isn’t about holding back, being reserved or scared of getting hurt, this is about putting it together so you perform at your highest level when the time is right.

I believe those on crutches in November were either unlucky, or most likely didn’t have the balance right.  The anticipation for sending it allows them to make decisions as though the base is deep and they already have their ski legs.  It’s the same game when competing at a high level.  If you let your stoke get out of control, it’s not that you’ll ski terrain that’s beyond your physical ability, it’s that the conditions will up the physical challenge to a level you’re not necessarily prepared for.

Now the bonus of really getting ‘the ramp up’ is how hard you’ll throw down when the time is right.  Everyday is an opportunity to understand yourself as a skier and gain confidence in your ability to make good decisions.  By mid winter your legs are strong, the base is deep and your mind is in the game.  You’re fully present.

I’m not saying to not get excited about ski season.  Get really excited!  But keep it in check and remember you have a full season to build the stoke and send it hard. Also, I invite you to get real with your friends and help them survive the first 2 months of the ski season.  Discuss ski philosophy, talk about ‘the ramp up’, make goals together for later in the season and be proud of turning away when the balance isn’t there.

But most importantly, don’t make me sad by letting me see you on crutches.

Ok, here we go…  Apparently I’m a blogger now?  This is something I’ve been thinking about doing for a few years but I had no idea what I would write about.  And then it hit me… it doesn’t matter!

And though it doesn’t really matter, let me tell you what my intention and motivation is: I want to fire people up about real skiing, real skiers, attainable experiences.  I want people to see what’s possible within a commitment to skiing.  I want to share insights and help people bring skiing further and deeper into their lives.

I’ve heard enough about pushing the boundaries, progression, the next level, blah blah.  Let’s ski hard, experience more and drop the attitude. Don’t get me wrong, there will be talk of stepping it up and challenging yourself, but in the name of personal growth and self awareness.

Equally as important and probably more popular will be the tomfoolery and entries that are in no way related to skiing (see above).

At the end of the day I’ll be making it up.  Stay tuned and maybe help me out a bit!

To the Extreme.

JL