Fear holding back the ripper?

[Trekchick]

The "is your wife/girlfriend a ripper thread got me thinking, about what's holding me back from being a ripper.
I'm a decent skier, with decent skilz, but when it comes to really ripping, that space between the ears keeps me from making that last step from being a solid 8 skier to being a 9, with confidence.

On the flip side of holding me back, the fear of being called a wuss is what pushes me to do stuff.

Abasin is a prime example.
I did the cornice several times, each time getting bigger, but never really landing it cleanly.
When I returned for Mothers day, Phil and Geoff went with me to help me take the next step. I had a fear of being a wuss, so when Phil said, "go bigger" I went bigger, but didn't land it so successfully.

Will another lesson help me wrap my head around the things that are holding me back or am I doomed, due to age, to being what I am?

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

The "is your wife/girlfriend a ripper thread got me thinking, about what's holding me back from being a ripper.
I'm a decent skier, with decent skilz, but when it comes to really ripping, that space between the ears keeps me from making that last step from being a solid 8 skier to being a 9, with confidence.

On the flip side of holding me back, the fear of being called a wuss is what pushes me to do stuff.

Abasin is a prime example.
I did the cornice several times, each time getting bigger, but never really landing it cleanly.
When I returned for Mothers day, Phil and Geoff went with me to help me take the next step. I had a fear of being a wuss, so when Phil said, "go bigger" I went bigger, but didn't land it so successfully.

Will another lesson help me wrap my head around the things that are holding me back or am I doomed, due to age, to being what I am?

hurling your carcass doesnt make you a ripper...sticking the landing makes you a ripper. The top two mistakes most skiers make when launching off a cornice or cliff drop (not a table/booter) is forgetting to put the landing gear down or leaning back into the hill...you need to commit to landing in the fall line, don't try to land across the hill or lean back into it. Before you go bigger, work on landing clean and coming out of it with speed...speaking of speed, having a little momentum built up before you launch will help on the landing...that way you're moving forward and down instead of just down. Sounds like you've got the right attitude, just need to nail the smaller stuff before trying to go bigger. keep it up, chicks who can rip are cool...at any age. ps. don't forget to keep your hands out in front of you...like you're holding a tray of beer you don't want to spill.

 

[Trekchick]

hurling your carcass doesnt make you a ripper...sticking the landing makes you a ripper. The top two mistakes most skiers make when launching off a cornice or cliff drop (not a table/booter) is forgetting to put the landing gear down or leaning back into the hill...you need to commit to landing in the fall line, don't try to land across the hill or lean back into it. Before you go bigger, work on landing clean and coming out of it with speed...speaking of speed, having a little momentum built up before you launch will help on the landing...that way you're moving forward and down instead of just down. Sounds like you've got the right attitude, just need to nail the smaller stuff before trying to go bigger. keep it up, chicks who can rip are cool...at any age. ps. don't forget to keep your hands out in front of you...like you're holding a tray of beer you don't want to spill.

Actually I did start nibbling at smaller bites. I think Phil was just trying to watch me go bigger so he could get his laughs.

Also, he said, what you said,..........
Hands out front, don't lean back, ...............I was getting it, but was worn out by the time it started to stick.

 

[Greg]

I don't worry much about it. I'm far from old, but I'm not exactly young either so I don't push my luck and I know my limits. I'm also in the situation where, at this point in my life, I have three other people relying on me to some extent. I think it was riverc0il that once said he's skiing for 2. Well, I'm skiing for 4. I'm not going to risk getting injured or worse for some temporary thrill. I'm very realistic as to what my skill level is and what I can handle, but I do push myself a little bit from time to time (emphasis on "little bit".) I try to ski as much as possible and I always make advances each season that I'm content with; often times improving far faster than I anticipated. Nevertheless, I have no delusions about where I am or should be as a skier. I'm okay with all of this.

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

Actually I did start nibbling at smaller bites. I think Phil was just trying to watch me go bigger so he could get his laughs.

Also, he said, what you said,..........
Hands out front, don't lean back, ...............I was getting it, but was worn out by the time it started to stick.

Don't let someone sucker you into being their crash test dummy by calling you a wuss!
If you're falling onto you back, you're landing in the back seat...landing then washing out your tails, you're landing across the fall line. pick a landing with a good pitch too...flat landings are for teenagers. I started out standing on the edge of the cliff, tossing myself off the edge, then eating my knees on the flat landing...but I was a teenager then. I also had a hitch where I'd forget to put the landing gear down - extend my legs to meet the landing...so I'd have good, tight form in the air, then blow up on impact cause I had no shock absorbtion. Repetition worked it out eventually.

 

[drjeff]

I don't worry much about it. I'm far from old, but I'm not exactly young either so I don't push my luck and I know my limits. I'm also in the situation where, at this point in my life, I have three other people relying on me to some extent. I think it was riverc0il that once said he's skiing for 2. Well, I'm skiing for 4. I'm not going to risk getting injured or worse for some temporary thrill. I'm very realistic as to what my skill level is and what I can handle, but I do push myself a little bit from time to time (emphasis on "little bit".) I try to ski as much as possible and I always make advances each season that I'm content with; often times improving far faster than I anticipated. Nevertheless, I have no delusions about where I am or should be as a skier. I'm okay with all of this.

+1

I know I can get down most anything and usually pretty well, but yup, while I know I could push myself further, those times are when I start to really hear that little voice in my head remind me that the margin for error/injury in those instances, especially because of the type of terrain involved to get me in those situations has such a small margin for error. Plus, if "the big one" does occur, not only am I "skiing for 4" but there's a darn good chance that "the big one" could have some significant implications towards my professional livelyhood, and while I do have disability insurance, I'm not really interested in seeing that check arriving from my insurance carrier anytime!

 

[Trekchick]

Another question:
How much does age play into it?
Age that we start skiing?
Age that we are when trying to step it up?


*I was raised in a family with no health insurance. We were encouraged to play safe sports, therefore I never skied until I was 18, and had feelings about playing it safe set into my 'fear genes'.

I honestly believe that those who start skiing early on, before the fear sets in, have a huge advantage.

 

[dmc]

Know you limits... You know what you can handle...

Remember.. He who fights and runs away - lives to runaway another day...

But then again... With big risk come big rewards....

So.... i got nuthin...

 

[Philpug]

Actually I did start nibbling at smaller bites. I think Phil was just trying to watch me go bigger so he could get his laughs.

Also, he said, what you said,..........
Hands out front, don't lean back, ...............I was getting it, but was worn out by the time it started to stick.

Not true at all.

You were scrubbing your speed and rolling over the lip vs. launching.

 

[Moe Ghoul]

Don't fear the ripper, Don't fear the reaper....oops, wrong thread.

 

[Trekchick]

Not true at all.

You were scrubbing your speed and rolling over the lip vs. launching.

You were the witness of the mayhem. I was the entertainment.
scrubbing off speed, and rolling it is something I do very well...........
I'm telling you, those times I did get a bit of air(small as it was) it felt huge.

The truth is.......you laughed..........A lot!

 

[riverc0il]

Another question:
How much does age play into it?
Age that we start skiing?
Age that we are when trying to step it up?


*I was raised in a family with no health insurance. We were encouraged to play safe sports, therefore I never skied until I was 18, and had feelings about playing it safe set into my 'fear genes'.

I honestly believe that those who start skiing early on, before the fear sets in, have a huge advantage.

Age matters how ever much you let it (within reason). I have seen some ripping 40-60 year olds. Many of whom can still school me and often times do. You gotta keep the body up as you age but a lot of that most people have control over (or at least more control than most people would allow themselves).

I started skiing at age 3. I sucked and was a terminal intermediate until college and only started to turn the advanced corner at 21 and committed to an expert skiing level at age 23 or so. I am 29 now. I went from dabbling in bumps and not being able to ski powder to being able to ski pretty much anything in any reasonable condition with exception of certain highly exposed no fall terrain in about six years.

I think age and total time on skis is not something that would hold most people back that commit to improvement. It takes commitment, time, lots of days, and likely some instruction. It takes skiing with people better than you and always pushing yourself. It means having some uncomfortable days when you ski not only for enjoyment but also to punish your body a bit so you grow past your limits.

Fear absolutely will hold someone back from being a "ripper". Fear will hold any one back from executing properly. But there is a difference between knowing your limits and being fearful of pushing the limits.

Best way to push your personal limits is to go after your weakest technique areas constantly. Do so in reasonable terrain areas with a good margin for error. A few years back, I was pretty horrible in the air. Now I try to launch off any lip I can find. Austin is doing this program right now, he is a pro and can offer some advice on how not to go about learning to huck :lol:

I guess we should address what the definition of a "ripper" is as well. Not my type of term. My goal has always been all mountain skier (literally, not like the ski definition which really means mostly groomers and some non-groomed occasionally). Any terrain and any conditions (within reason) any time and do it with style. Not the best at any one thing but damn good every where and without limits to any type of terrain on map or off.

There are people that rip the groomers. There are people that rip the bumps. There are people that rip the trees. Rippers could be anything to any one. Not sure how you are approaching that term, but you can't be fearful if you are looking to rip in jumps. Worst thing you can do is pause above a lip for more than a second or two to assess your landing. If you aren't sure on the landing, ski around and come back. Otherwise, you just psyche yourself out.

 

[deadheadskier]

I don't worry much about it. I'm far from old, but I'm not exactly young either so I don't push my luck and I know my limits. I'm also in the situation where, at this point in my life, I have three other people relying on me to some extent. I think it was riverc0il that once said he's skiing for 2. Well, I'm skiing for 4. I'm not going to risk getting injured or worse for some temporary thrill. I'm very realistic as to what my skill level is and what I can handle, but I do push myself a little bit from time to time (emphasis on "little bit".) I try to ski as much as possible and I always make advances each season that I'm content with; often times improving far faster than I anticipated. Nevertheless, I have no delusions about where I am or should be as a skier. I'm okay with all of this.

What he said, only skiing for 2 that I hope to be 4. A tad different in that I know my best 'ripping' is behind me. From age 10 until age 25, I skied 60+ days a year and probably averaged closer to 80. I'll never be better or even as good as I was at 25, actually I was probably at my best at 17 as I had ZERO fear and would huck with reckless abandon, but was also technically sound in all aspects of the sport and in great shape as a three sport varsity athlete.

I can ski better than what I have over the past few seasons though, but it will take commitment to fitness to do so, which I'm working on. I've slacked on fitness for years and I don't want to have that as an excuse holding me back from my best this upcoming winter. I won't ski as well as when I was 21-25 however. Why? Nothing can replace 80 days out a year on the hill. I could go into this season the best shape of my life, but at what will be 33, I'd have to string together a couple of years of 100 days to get back to that level. Even at that, I don't know if I'd ever 'rip' like I once did because as Greg mentioned, I'm not just skiing for myself anymore.

For me now, it's all about being in the best shape and skiing as much as my life will allow. Hopefully if I do that, I'll 'rip' at an acceptable level for my soul/passion for the sport. I've come up short lately, looking to turn it around some this winter

 

[severine]

Fear is definitely a deterrant. I think you're on to something with the age thing, too. I didn't start skiing until I was 26. So I already had a pretty good mindset of fearing consequences - something those who start skiing as children tend to overcome due to that lack of fear in kids. I know my limitations, though. As much as I'd like to be a ripper, or just an all around great all-mountain skier, the likelihood of such is ... well, not great. I don't have the time to commit to it, and I am another one who is skiing for 4. Don't get me wrong, I push my boundaries. But I've also had first-hand experience with what happens when the mommy is out of commission due to skiing injury, and it is NOT fun. Unfortunately, that's increased the fear factor for me.

I certainly don't know how to get past that point, but it looks like you got some excellent advice on here. Fear isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's important for survival and if you're facing something that really scares you, maybe the time isn't right to try it. But working with that fear and finding a way to harness it to help you (safely) push the boundaries and excel - that's the key to it all. When you figure it out, can you let me know how?

 

[hardline]

The "is your wife/girlfriend a ripper thread got me thinking, about what's holding me back from being a ripper.
I'm a decent skier, with decent skilz, but when it comes to really ripping, that space between the ears keeps me from making that last step from being a solid 8 skier to being a 9, with confidence.

On the flip side of holding me back, the fear of being called a wuss is what pushes me to do stuff.

Abasin is a prime example.
I did the cornice several times, each time getting bigger, but never really landing it cleanly.
When I returned for Mothers day, Phil and Geoff went with me to help me take the next step. I had a fear of being a wuss, so when Phil said, "go bigger" I went bigger, but didn't land it so successfully.

Will another lesson help me wrap my head around the things that are holding me back or am I doomed, due to age, to being what I am?

very cool idea for a thread.
in the past few years the thing that holds me back is the fact that i do a lot of solo riding. when i was in college i always had 3 or 4 people to ride with and we always pushed each other. not in a overly competitive way but everbody just got amped when you up'ed it a bit. thats one of the few things i miss about riding with a crew. now adays its me draggin other people to ride and they are not at the same level so there is no one to push me. the last few years have been about self motavation. which is one of the reasons i got a splitboard. i really do miss riding with a group of people. riding in a group of good people brings out the best in people.

 

[kcyanks1]

Fear does keep me from getting better.. I feel like I've plateaued since around the beginning of college (now I'm 27). Sometimes if I'm with others I'll push myself (and I like that even though I have fear), but I just get scared jumping off anything more than a few feet. I don't have fear on expert stuff without mandatory jumps at places like Jackson Hole (Tower 3, Alta Chutes, Expert Chutes, etc.), but once a cliff gets thrown in, I get nervous that I will get hurt.

 

[Trekchick]

Hardline, (among others) thanks for the thoughts.

I honestly believe that I would be in a different frame of mind today, if I had an upbringing that was more adventurous. However, I had a great childhood, and my sense of humour gets me a long way when it comes to making a fool of myself when I push myself.

A couple years ago, I was skiing with my body strength, but after a couple ESA's and one private lesson here at home, I'm skiing with a lot more technique and relying a lot less on my muscle mass.
The technique improvement has mosdef made a difference in my confidence and the desire to challenge myself. Three years ago I would have never considered doing the cornice at Abasin. While I didn't go big successfully, I did make progress and am eager to get back out there.

I want to give Phil some significant credit. He is the first person to get me in the right mind set to "huck" I'll be it, it was only a 3ish foot rock, but it was my first and it was the first step in a deep desire, that now burns within me!

Yup, not a ripper............ yet

 

[drjeff]

Another question:
How much does age play into it?
Age that we start skiing?
Age that we are when trying to step it up?


*I was raised in a family with no health insurance. We were encouraged to play safe sports, therefore I never skied until I was 18, and had feelings about playing it safe set into my 'fear genes'.

I honestly believe that those who start skiing early on, before the fear sets in, have a huge advantage.

Turning 37 the day before Thanksgiving

Started my ski addiction at age 8

I guess you could say that I've consistantly been trying to step up my skiing for my entire snow sliding career, although sometimes the step-ups I'm looking for are bigger than others. Sometime's I might be just looking to step up the cleanliness of my turns/line down a trail/some trees that I've skied 100 times before, other times, especially when I go out West, it might be trying to step up via something like the big/bigger mandatory air that trek mentioned to start this thread. Either way, I'm a full believer in the basic concept that one never stops learning, and I feel that that applies to all aspects of one's life.

 

[SkiDork]

Hucking isn't skiing.

I can't jump at all, my knees can't take it. I accept that limitation with my skiing.

But I don't consider myself less of a skier because of it.

 

[campgottagopee]

To be honest I would bet very few, if any of us in here are rippers. I know I'm not, but I'm a darn good skier with some sort of a skill set. To me rippers are very few and far between. I know a few, as I'm sure we all do. Rippers, well all they do is ski and have done so for a very long time. They don't need great equiptment, they ski everyday no matter what, it is there life. Ripers can ski anything anytime NO MATTER WHAT THE CONDITIONS ARE as if they're skiing a groomer. They ski with such speed, power,agility, balance and yes no fear.

Years ago at Smuggs we had ripper on the mountain. He wasn't ski school, he wasn't ski patrol, he was a local dude, an ex-racer from Green Mountain College. IMHO, Lift Line at Smuggs is one of the best on map trails anyone could want to ski, and you have to be an upper level skier to manage it---just manage it, not "rip" it. There was a group of us who skied on weekends when we weren't working which included Mike, the "ripper". We were all some kind of certified with PSIA, so again, we had some kinda clue as to what we were to do. We started down from Sally's Alley over to Lift Line with Mike following----peeps were watching from the lift givin a few hoots now and then which must have ignited something inside our resident ripper because he took it up a notch to the point were it was truly amazing to watch. The dude flat ass ripped it with such command that it's very difficult for me to explain. He launched off everything he could find and never hesitated once over the big headwall---he carryed such speed over that thing that it was scary.

Guess my point is if anyone wants to rip it takes mileage, dedication, a few screws loose and a big smile.