Mental skills can be one of the ongoing training regimens you maintain. I like to look for relationships between whatever I am doing and my snow sports. Leaning over a hole fixing an irrigation valve can require delicate balance knee to knee. Otherwise I might end up kissing dirt. Similar to skiing, riding or telemarking. Consider lateral balancing movements while raging downhill on that next mountain bike ride. While walking with your sweetie on the rocks of the riverbank or ocean side think about the flexibility in your ankles. They must flex and extend to allow for a comfortable walk and an even more enjoyable sunset. It’s cool how they allow your foot to almost match any slope or surface that you set your foot on. Even typing this I can relate the movements of my fingers to those of my feet. This is all happening through commands from my brain. I think. While golfing I have to constantly remind myself to relax and use finesse. If that doesn’t work then brute force gets me through. Sliding on snow is the same. The first trip on the river is darn stressful. But if I let my hips loosen up and just "Go with the flow" I don’t have to swim to shore and my friends don’t have to rescue my gear. Look for the correlation between your winter passion, whether it’s skiing, snowboarding, or snowbiking and anything you do during the off-snow months.

Let’s talk about a few accepted cross-training sports. How about mountain biking? I am a very unmotivated mountain biker. If the stars align and the weather cooperates I am game for anything. When I do ride though, and I can muscle my way through the uphill strain, I enjoy it. Going downhill is the only reason I go up. The rush of the descent, the challenge of keeping yourself upright, dodging bugs and trees, watching out for your dog, and enjoying the occasional sideways slide all make for a fun time. All of these sensations can be felt on the snow. Some feel them more than others. Once in a while you may catch yourself learning new ways to accomplish an old task. Keep that thrill alive into January.

Inline skating is another sport I am lackadaisical about. I can skate. I can stop. Going downhill scares me though. Concrete, asphalt, and gravel all scare me with skates on. I can appreciate the aerobic workout from skating along a flat surface. I can also appreciate the foot to foot balance and flexion/extension movements and how they relate to skiing and flat land Nordic skating. I just don’t understand why spandex seems to be necessary to the sport of "Fruit Booting". Fortunately, "Aggressive" inline skating is helping out in the fashion department.

Skateboarding is another classic, year long (in some parts of the country!) sport that has direct transfer to our winter sliding. Sliding sideways is great. On snow, on land, or on water. Don’t get me wrong, concrete, asphalt, and gravel still scare me. But, the wheels are not attached to my feet on a skateboard. Consequences for incorrect (weak) movements are immediate though. I have the respect for street skaters. These athletes push themselves constantly and suffer tremendously if they fail. Asphalt doesn’t lie. Snow can be a very forgiving surface. Learning to skate a ramp was my challenge last year. By the end of the summer I could "drop in" on a mini ramp and kick turn with a very brief "grind". Skating a ramp is great training for riding half pipe. Dropping into a ramp can be very, very painful. Masonite burns hurt but in a different way than asphalt. But dropping into a big halfpipe was easy compared to dropping into a four-foot mini ramp. All the same movement patterns need to be present to be successful. Flexion/ extension in the lower body and allowing the upper body to complement the lower is essential. One of the most important aspects is … COMMITMENT. Many of the better snowboarders I watched were at least good skaters. The best skaters were excellent snowboarders. As the skaters went to bigger ramps the tricks in the pipe got bigger. So, if you get the chance, learn to skate a ramp. It can be a huge rush

It’s time to hit the water for a bit of windsurfing. I dabbled in windsurfing several years ago to the point of being able to go out, jibe, and, luckily, make it back to shore. Balancing on a moving platform, manipulating gear, maintaining your focus, and hanging on all are a part of windsurfing. I consider the timing and balancing, toe/heel and foot to foot to be the most direct cross over themes to winter. Your windsurfing buddy can fill in the gaps. Maybe.

Surfing is another classic crossover sport. It is a heckuva a lot harder than you might think. I can stand and balance on most tools but surfing requires skills and balance. When you do get up for your ride though…. It is an amazing sensation. For the briefest of moments you get the feel of really flowing with the wave. Go with someone that can help you stay out of trouble and provide pointers. Don’t get frustrated, enjoy the water and sun, and be patient.

Wakeboarding is another water sport that can keep your muscles and mind in the sliding sideways mode. Again, balance foot to foot and toe/heel are direct transfers to snowboarding. Once you start catching air and spinning you can transfer these skills to any snow sport. Air awareness is a hard skill to teach unless you understand it yourself. Water can be forgiving. It is not always forgiving, though. I have yet to fall in the water and have it feel like collapsing into an eighteen-inch pillow in the middle of January. This sport requires the added expense of a boat, motor and gas. Or, a friend with the boat, motor, and gas.

Kayaking can also provide valuable learning experiences that will help once the water freezes. First of all, getting over fear and realizing that you are capable and will survive is great for your self-confidence. Learning specific skills to help yourself be successful is what you are coaching your students to do. Challenging yourself by trying new movements and new conditions is what experiencing the whole mountain is all about. Both whitewater and seakayaking can provide these rewards. Whitewater kayaking has the added excitement of a bit more adrenaline. Punching a hole and keeping your head upright is a great feeling. Learning to roll is a great example of learning to help yourself. I equate this to learning to get up. Or, applying your previous success and skills to new and challenging terrain. Learning to eddy out can be like learning to stop. And when you get off the river you relive the experience just like you would on the hill.

Golf is a sport that continues to grow in popularity. I will chase that little white orb around once in a while. Golf is a very challenging sport. It requires concentration, balance, timing, and skill. Fortunately, my family is not dependent on my golf prowess to survive. The occasional perfect shot or 30 foot putt will always make up for the vast majority of double bogie scores. For me the occasional epic powder stash, smooth bump line, or successful run in the pipe are those moments of glory on snow. These are the rewards for enduring the rest and working to improve. And, similar to sliding, golf has no shortage of people willing to offer advice. Wanted or not.