Snow Skills

There’s an old saying that basically goes “That’s about as useful as yesterday’s newspaper!” The simple message is that if your news isn’t current, it isn’t really all that helpful. In skiing and riding, the situation around you changes by the moment and you’ll need to develop good mental awareness along with your physical skills. You’ll learn to know that you shouldn’t be concerned with where you are: you want to focus on where you’re going.

Beginning skiers and riders are particularly prone to focus only on the snow immediately in front of them. That’s a function of their ability as much as their experience, so there tends to be alot of people with limited views on beginning terrain. More experienced skiers and riders should consider that factor when moving through such areas. As skills improve, awareness on the slopes will as well and as both expand so should your vision. Beginning skiers/riders should make a habit of having a stopping place in mind when they push off and identifying their success when their skills allow them to achieve this. The next level of focusing on where you’re going is to be able to briefly look in other directions other than your path while maintaining flow of movement.

By developing a “broad view” of what’s around you, you’ll stay current no matter where you’re moving to. Look to the future, not to the past.