Do you look before you leap?

[skidmarks]

I tend to look, look again, and then some more...
Seems like others just go. They say it's not good to look to long.

 

[icedtea]

I try to look to make sure there are no rocks in the landing I should avoid. There have been times where I have been "cliffed out" and had to jump and pray for the best.

 

[St. Bear]

I have a hard time skiing if I can't see what's ahead, basically this only happens in the trees. If I can't see my line, I end up stopping often to plan out my next couple turns. It probably comes back to lack of confidence, which is due to lack of practice, since I can only ski the woods on my trips up north, and even that is dependant on weather.

 

[drjeff]

I tend to look, look again, and then some more...
Seems like others just go. They say it's not good to look to long.

I've looked down that same area of Snowbird before too. Felt a few things in my gut that would pertain the the current and ongoing skiing and pooping thread. Said WTF! And I'm still here to type about it!

There's such a fine line between over cautious and in over one's head for many folks. And many times I actually think it's tougher mentally to look, assess, realize your in over your head and back away rather then just going for it and finding out mid way through that your in over your head

 

[kcyanks1]

I look...and look...and freak myself out. Some cautiousness is a good thing, but I probably have too much.

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

pretty much always...gotta make sure there's a good LZ. If you don't, at some point you'll land on something you wish you hadn't.

 

[tjf67]

The only time I have not looked is when I am following someone that I trust there Judgement. Then its the if they can do it so can i thing. It actually makes some drops easier.

 

[dmc]

The only time I have not looked is when I am following someone that I trust there Judgement. Then its the if they can do it so can i thing. It actually makes some drops easier.

yup... If you trust someone enough... Sometimes you just have to do what they say...

 

[bigbog]

LZ safety= a must

Scout over yes, but used to over-analyze much too much in intermediate daze...

 

[dmc]

This shot required a bit of trust in my guide....
Couldn't see the first 10 or so feet over the cornice....

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I always look before I leap..it's one of the rules of Smartstyle...remember to check yourself before you wreck yourself/..

 

[dmc]

I always look before I leap..it's one of the rules of Smartstyle...remember to check yourself before you wreck yourself/..

What if you can't see the landing?

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

What if you can't see the landing?

Then you have a spotter..or you ski around and scope it out first so you don't land on a rock..I've learned my lesson..I almost squashed a 4 year old who was camping out in the landing of one of the tabletops at Blue..that kid would have been as dead as Mary Jo whatever..lol

 

[dmc]

Then you have a spotter..or you ski around and scope it out first so you don't land on a rock..I've learned my lesson..I almost squashed a 4 year old who was camping out in the landing of one of the tabletops at Blue..that kid would have been as dead as Mary Jo whatever..lol

OK... I'm not talking terrain park... Sorry... Was in a world you don't seek out... BC and scary drops... not groomers... my bad...

Your dropping a cornice onto a 40+ your not going to have a spotter...

 

[bigbog]

corniceland..

...And the cornice holding together= is always a good thing!

 

[dmc]

...And the cornice holding together= is always a good thing!

yeah.... on that trip we were on a big cornice... Guides said it was safe... i heard it creak a little... and backed off... Our guides in Kashmir could find POW but their safety skills were questionable...
We taught them a lot...

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

OK... I'm not talking terrain park... Sorry... Was in a world you don't seek out... BC and scary drops... not groomers... my bad...

Your dropping a cornice onto a 40+ your not going to have a spotter...

Seriously I don't remember any cornices I have dropped onto 40+ degrees that were blind..at Grand Targhee there is a cornice about the Good, the Bad and The Ugly which is likely high 30s but you can see where you're landing...and looking before you leap is one of the rules as far as Smartstyle goes and definitely applys to the terrain park as well..going down a groomer that drops suddenly and getting some steezy air where you don't know what's below also applys to this..

 

[dmc]

Another thing is when you have a guide - you just follow... If they drop - you drop...
Some places you can't stop and see whats on the other side...

Like Pucker face at JH... Your just have to do the rock bands... your can't stop... it's more dangerous...

 

[TheBEast]

Overanalysis kills me, so I tend to take a quick look, make a quick decision and go. If I stand too long I tend to talk myself out of it. My best runs have come when I'm thinking on the fly, trust my abilities and go for it!

 

[Geoff]

I prefer to gape.