I read
this article written by Gretchen on ESPN the other day, and I thought it would be something really good to share with everyone. Snowboarding is dangerous and because it has so much to do with one's own mental game, it's so important to know when to stop because of mental blocks. I tried riding yesterday (on my pipe board because my jib board is destroyed), but I just wasn't feeling it. I kept thinking about the cold, how I didn't feel good cruising on that board, and how I just wasn't happy, and I made the call to end the day. Last year I rode every day no matter what, but this year if my head isn't in it I call it. Anyways, here's Gretchen's article.
Our action sports world is again in
shock. One of freestyle skiing's top women, Sarah Burke, remains in
critical condition after a fall while training in Park City a few days
ago. As pro snowboarders, skiers, etc., we all know that what we do is
risky. But when accidents produce results like this we're left praying
and asking ourselves questions.
Is this worth it? Why did this happen? What are we doing?
I've watched Sarah Burke from afar for a long time now. We're about
the same age and have been doing our thing in our respective sports for
about the same amount of time. We've both seen friends come and then go
because of various injuries, lack of sponsorship or just the wear and
tear of this demanding job.
I've always admired and looked up to Sarah. Not only is she naturally
talented in everything that she does, but what has always impressed me
and stood out is her work ethic. In watching Sarah I see a woman who
knows what she's doing and knows what she wants. She's disciplined and
when it's time to go, she goes, and it's on.
I got to train with her and a bunch of the Canadian Freestyle Ski
team last year in Park City. Every day Sarah and coach Trennon [Paynter]
would be up early, as were we. But there was one particular day I won't
forget. I think it was one of Sarah's last training days before she had
to leave, and I remember it was flat light, gray bird and just hard to
see -- basically the conditions sucked. I remember not wanting to
practice because of it.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
And then I remember seeing Sarah side-drop into the pipe and throw a
perfectly corked 900. Apparently Sarah had gotten to the pipe way before
we had that morning and she was on a mission AND on fire! I said to
myself, "I guess I better get my ass into gear because apparently the
flat light doesn't matter today!"
But Sarah wasn't done, after she threw a few more corked 9's, she
moved to the other wall, where she started doing what looked to my
snowboarder eye like an alley-oop backside rodeos (I apologize in
advance if that's totally inaccurate, but either way it was some sort of
sick floaty, flippy, spinny trick). The girl was on a roll and it was
really impressive to see her total concentration and ease. She was in
the zone.
Sarah is a stud and there's a reason she's been at the top of her
sport for 10 years: She knows how to walk the line and she does it damn
well. So why is she in the hospital after a fall that looked like it
shouldn't have even caused a concussion? There are no answers. There are
no guarantees. And that is the risk we all take with us every day in
life. But that is why we must live and live well because nothing is
guaranteed. I think Sarah would tell all of us to keep going, keep
waking up early to land those tricks you've been dreaming of, but only
if it's done with 100 percent passion, pure fire, discipline and
commitment.
Our job as pros is to walk a very fine line; be the best but stay
healthy so you can continue to progress and be at the top. You can't
push the sport and yourself if you're always hurt. Being at the top
means never being satisfied with what you're comfortable with --
comfortable means you've stopped pushing and you're either going to get
passed or you already have been. But if you're constantly pushing
yourself, then you're exposing yourself to falls and injuries. And that
is the fine line I speak of.
Today was the first I've trained since I heard of Sarah's fall. It
was a cold, windy day up at Breckenridge and all I could think about was
the wind and the firm pipe. It was scary. And, of course, I was
thinking about Sarah and her condition. These are all of the things I
shouldn't have be thinking about, especially when I was trying to ride
at a high level in tough conditions.
What was even worse is all of these questions and emotions are all
too familiar. It was only two years ago that Kevin Pearce fell, eerily
at around the exact same time of year and in the exact same pipe. Kevin
survived, but his life has been changed forever.
We all realize what we do is dangerous. It's not easy to haul ass
into an icy wall and then at the top of its 22-foot wall, project
ourselves into either a spin or a flip now around 30ish feet in the air.
But all of us at the top have baby-stepped our way up to this level,
and in this amazing journey we've gotten comfortable doing things that
the average person would never dream of doing.
We've also learned that the more aggressive and committed we are to
what we're doing, the safer we become. It seems that whenever you ride
with doubt, fear, hesitation, or even just on auto pilot
unconsciousness, that's when accidents happen. Which is why today, when I
was riding, and thinking about all the things I shouldn't have been
with the wind blowing me sideways, I decided to leave.
#BELIEVEINSARAH
I was waiting forever for Prison Break to load online so I was like "What was the name of that mega discount website I like to look at to kill time but would never buy anything from?"
