Ski Bum New Year's Resolutions
I’m not gonna lie to you guys, I was starting to lose faith in Santa. The past few years he has given me the silent treatment and ignored all my letters; not only was I starting to think I was on the naughty list (impossible!) but I finally began to understand how my high school boyfriend must have felt…sorry, Travis. I think we can all agree that this year Santa more than made up for the past few Christmases when he delivered multiple feet of snow to Sierra for all to shred!
Now that the holidays have come and gone, our bellies are full, and we’ve had more than our fair share of face time with the fam, the New Year is rapidly approaching. Since I'm sure you've been busy shredding pow, I’ve got you covered with a list of resolutions that every ski bum can relate to and easily fit between (or during) shredding freshies and that kegger around the corner this weekend. You’re welcome (:
1. Prepare Those Weakling Legs For More Pow!
Oh man, if only I had a dollar for every nay sayer who told me they would “believe El Niño when they see it”. Well fam I think it’s safe to say we’ve all seen what El Niño can do, and I’m sure I’m not the only one whose legs were straight shaking after my first pow-tastic tree run through West Bowl. The dope little vid above by Teton Gravity Research illustrates a simple leg circuit that’s easy to incorporate into any exercise routine, and best of all, can be completed in your very own living room!
If you’re an overachiever and don’t want to stop at legs, this video is the first of a nine part series that is focused on getting in shape to shred your hardest—check out the low down on the entire series here !
2. Learn How To Fine-Tune Your Gear
Since you’re working on getting yourself shred ready, it only makes sense that your gear should be, too! After all, your skis/board are what connects you to that beautiful lady we all love, Mother Nature.
For snowboarders, the type of riding that you’re doing directly affects a lot of factors, especially your bindings. If you’re riding park, for instance, you probably want the angle of your bindings to be mirrored and have them fairly centered on your board. If you’re riding powder, you’re going to want your bindings as far back as possible to alleviate pressure on your calves from leaning back. Backcountry.com has a great video all about fine-tuning your stance as well as an easy 8-step program for tuning your board . Obviously bindings aren’t adjustable for skiers, so it is extra crucial that you wax them regularly and make sure your edges are as sharp as that tux you wore to your high school prom. backcountry.com also has an easy 8-step program complete with videos to teach the basics for tuning up your skis .
Sometimes, life gets crazy and there’s not enough time to tune your gear if you’re a weekend warrior. As usual, your Sierra family’s got your back with a repair shop in the main lodge, a wax tent out by the Easy Rider lift, and an additional wax tent inside of 360˚ at the top of Grandview chair. You didn’t hear it from me, but they appreciate the occasional tip in the form of a frosty tall boy (to be consumed after work, jeesh)!
3. Learn Something New!
One of my favorite memories/proudest moments is the first tree run I did down to West Bowl. At the time, I had been really in to riding park, and it was my best friend Ari who pushed me to start branching out in the trees (hehe, pun intended). I will never forget the way it felt to do an entire solo run making my own path without falling, and how freaking pumped I was to tell Ari about it! That season I encouraged Ari to ride more park and it was rad watching her progress from being timid to following me down and hitting the same features, while she got to watch me progress in the trees.
Set a goal you would like to add to your bag of tricks and use your buds to help you accomplish it! Buttering, riding switch, tree riding, jibbing in the park—anything your pretty little heart desires! I do this for myself every season, because it feels awesome to look back each year and know that I have progressed some measurable way. Heck, if you’re new to the sport and El Niño keeps delivering, this season it can be a simple as learning how to shred that fresh pow, bruh!