Planes, Trains, and Race Cars?

It has been an amazing three weeks.  My adventure started in Revelstoke for the first stop of the Freeride World Tour.  As soon as I arrived in Revelstoke,  the snow began to fall.  I didn’t see the sun for ten days.  I was starting to wonder if it was possible to see the sun in Revelstoke.  I finally asked a local on the chairlift and he said, “I think we saw the sun a couple times at the end of the season last year.”  It was looking like we might not get the finals off for the Freeskiing Competition, but on the very last possible competition day, I woke to a beautiful beam of sunlight.

The day was amazing.  Mount Olympus is one of the most picturesque venues I have ever competed on.  The day couldn’t have been more perfect.  A heli shuttled us to the top of the venue, a knife edge peak.  The venue was stunning and the feeling at the top of the mountain was powerful.  It was one of those moments when I felt incredibly lucky to be a professional skier.  I skied my line exactly how I had planned and came flyin into third place.

Riding my high from the day, I returned to my hotel room to receive a text message on my iphone: Jess can you be in Telluride on sunday.  Sorry for the short notice, but it is the only time Regan Smith and his team have time this month.  It was thursday.  My plan was to drive the 15 hours back to Jackson, recharge my batteries, and fly to Chamonix on the following thursday.  It felt like a quick turn around without a trip to Telluride, but it’s not every day you get an opportunity to ride in Regan’s Furniture Row Race Car.  So, yes of course, I can squeeze a quick trip to Telluride before I fly to Chamonix.

I can’t begin to describe the feeling of sitting in a race car.  The feel of the engine is powerful.  As soon as Regan started his engine, my heart rate jumped to 170 and that was before we went 200mph.  I have never thought of myself as a motor head.  And I never thought I would watch a Nascar Race.  Never say never.  After spending two days with Regan and his team I found myself watching Nascar on my flight over to Chamonix.  And I can’t wait to go to my first Race.

It started to snow as soon as we arrived in Chamonix for the second stop of the Freeride World Tour.  My timing couldn’t have been better.  It snowed so hard the first night I arrived that the mountain didn’t open the next day.  Luckily, the competition was postponed because as soon as I arrived in Chamonix I came down with the stomach flu.  I was my first time catching the stomach flu and I never ever want to have the stomoach flu again.  Thirty hours of sleep later, I emerged from hotel room feeling like I had been hit by a truck and “ready” to compete.

I have to admit, I wasn’t feeling my best, but I rallied to the top for my competition run.  I chose a winning line, but it wasn’t my day.  I choked when I arrived at my biggest feature.  Why did I choke?  I wish I knew.  What I do know is that I don’t like fourth place.  It’s time to head back to Jackson, recharge, and get ready to kick some ass!

Fall Training for an Epic Winter

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.

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.