badmigraine 0 Posted April 22, 2003 Share Posted April 22, 2003 I know my limits and I will never be throwing big spins in the pipe or doing Big Airs. You'll never see me tricking on a rail or putting down a "sick" slopestyle line... In fact that seems almost like circus performance to me--like the Chinese Acrobats or the guy who rides the motorcycle in the Cage of Death. No offense to those who do it or aspire to--I'll watch till the cows come home and even buy you beers... but I'll never do it. That leaves me steeps, powder, trees, moguls, high-speed carving, and backcountry. And cat/heli-skiing if I can get rich. So I am all about improving my skill set in other ways...like how IM said he got good at reading precip maps and predicting the weather. I don't see my skills having improved markedly this year. I don't see myself doing things I couldn't do before. But I do go faster and more comfortably down the lines I choose, and, more than before, when I remember my runs of the day while lying in bed, I don't see the slope and my tracks. I see the trees, the broad slope and trees everywhere, sitting white and peaceful under a giant endless sky. I like to think that Mogs and I are drawn to scary places because we need to improve our mental game. I think we already have all the skills needed to handle the places we go, but we just need to practice the mental part. When you start out something new--a language, a new trick, a musical instrument--any small advance seems huge because you may be doubling your skills every week...but at some point you are working on mental stuff. I think I got better at mental stuff this year. Not smarter! Just another year of alarming, exciting, and variegated runs under my belt. And I got the feeling I am not the only one, right guys? Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted April 22, 2003 Share Posted April 22, 2003 I used to think that, but then I got better... At some point though, there's got to be a point where reaching another level can only come at the price of injury, and that's where I stop. Link to post Share on other sites
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