The Unknown

I think my biggest fear is the fear of the unknown. I know it sounds silly, I always get incredibly nervous before doing something new. It could be meeting a new friend, a job interview, or even skiing a line for the first time. Yesterday was my first day skiing with Warren Miller Productions.

I was definitely nervous not knowing what to expect, but it was an awesome day.

The snow could have been better. I think every athlete hopes for bottomless powder and perfect features for their first day out. That was not the case. Chile is having one of the dryest seasons in years. Even so, the crew made the best of it. Everyone worked really hard and we were able to find some good pockets for the film crew.

Julian Carr Dropping In

All and all it was a day I will never forget!

Yahoo!

Big Fish. Little Fish.

I never thought I would find myself skiing with Chris Davenport, Julian Carr, and Daron Rahlves. I arrived in Portillo after the Chilean Freesking Championships at 2:30a.m. and by 10:00a.m. the next morning I was ripping around with some of my heros in the sport. Intimidated, inspired, and stoked would be a few ways to describe how I felt. Basically, it was really cool.

I have been joking that I would be honing in Spydie Powers while in Portillo. After watching the boys ski, I think my statement may be truer than I thought. It is absolutely incredible to watch Darron and Chris make flawless turns in any type of snow. A wise man once said, “There is no bad snow, just a bad turn.” I always thought he was being a little optimistic. I have definitely skied some bad snow. I think the statement may be true for the Chris, Darron, and Julien. I have eight more days to learn from three of the best skiers in the world. What an amazing opportunity. I think I might actually develop a few Spyder Powers while I’m here.

Chilean Freeskiing Championships

Standing in the starting gate, I couldn’t help question my decision to enter the Chilean Freesking Championships. It had been four months since my last turn. One of my biggest fears is that I will forget how to ski over the summer. It is kind of like the dream we have as children when we show up to school naked. I know it is nearly impossible, but I am still incredibly scared that it could happen to me.

My first day on snow was spent inspecting the venue. I chose a line that I thought would put me into the top five for the first day. With competitors like Jackie Paaso, Angel Collinson, and Jacque Edgerly I knew I would have to ski my best to be in money. Not knowing if I still had what it takes after the summer, I chose a line that was relatively safe. The snow was bullet proof in the morning and would warm up as the sun heated it through out the day. As a competitor, all I could hope for was that it would warm up before it was my turn to compete.

Max's Face - El Colorado, Chile

Standing in the starting gate for my first run, I had to convince myself that skiing is like riding a bike. As I left the gate, I had to quiet my inner fears and go for it. I was psyched after my first run. I stomped my big air and skied into second. Now I was in the running for first.

So close to winning the first run, I knew that I wanted to win the competition and I was pretty sure I could. It would take a lot of courage to ski a winning line after taking four months off, but I wanted to win. I stuck to a similar line as my first run, but added a spicy air at the bottom of the venue. It is always good to end your run with a crowd pleaser. The air was technical and if I blew it, I would pile drive right into a some huge rocks. Sometimes you just have to believe in yourself. As I approached the air, I knew there was no turning back. The take off was blind, I couldn’t see my landing. The landing was bullet proof and the runout happened fast. I felt and heard my feet smack the snow as if I had landed on concrete. I saw the rocks flying past me and I knew I had stuck it!

I wasn’t sure the line was enough for the win, but it felt so good to challenge myself my second day of skiing. Needless to say I didn’t forget how to ski! It feels great to win my first competition of the season.