The Hard Work of Winter

The Hard Work of Winter

The sport of freeskiing has been a huge influence on my life since I can remember. There is nothing else in the world that has taught me so many life lessons, and I never would have guessed that it would have brought me to where I am today. When I was seven or eight years old, my father would take me up to Brighton Ski Resort where he was a ski instructor. I remember watching these much older and experienced skiers go off these tiny little jumps where they would perform a 360 spin or backflip in the air. I was amazed as ever at how interesting it looked. From then on, I knew that I wanted to do the same kind of thing.

I told my dad that doing tricks on skis was the greatest thing in the world, and that I was going to try to attempt what they were doing. He knew that I was getting myself into something that would be a struggle at first, but he was aware of my determination so he was very helpful and supportive. A great fear of consequence struck me the moment before I attempted a 360 off the jump, but my desire to land the maneuver is what kept me from backing down. Of course, I crashed the first time I attempted the trick. In fact, I probably crashed the first ten times until I actually landed it on my feet. I was so happy that I accomplished my first 360. With all the constant crashes, it made it very difficult to keep a positive mindset to achieve my goal. Though when I finally landed it, it made all the work well worth it. When I look back at this moment in my life, I realize that learning my first spin on skis taught me that achieving a worthy goal is definitely worth all the work in the end. I never would have guessed that just a recreational sport could teach a person such life lessons.

Freeskiing has not only taught me about hard work and commitment, but it has also given me knowledge of the world outside of Utah. I have traveled all around the country for competitions, and what I’ve learned is that the U.S consists of so many different cultures. For example, going to a place like Steamboat Colorado in the winter will surround you with a majority of wealthy tourists. It is hard to find a local person actually from the city only because the culture and economy there is designed around rich tourists who enjoy recreational skiing. In contrast, if you find yourself in a place like Gaylord Michigan, you would notice the culture there is entirely different. The people at the resorts are mainly locals who all seem to have the same kind of lifestyle. They are generally much more kind and giving than the people in a big ski town like Steamboat or Park City. Traveling to these different cities around the country has greatly broadened my view of the world outside of Utah. It has taught me that there are so many different cultures out there, and the best way to experience different places is to simply go out there and experience