Skiing is a Matter of Attitude

by Jeannot, TD at Bluewood

People get involved in outdoor activities such as skiing, rock climbing or river rafting, for different reasons. Many individuals could probably be classified as “thrill seekers”. Others participate for the joy of experiencing the outdoors and the sense of well-being they gain from it. Personally, I get involved in them mostly for the sake of the aesthetic found therein, of playfulness, of the challenges they offer. Mental attitudes might make the difference between good and great experiences in these activities.

photo by Jack Dayley

The aesthetic attitude

Beauty is something perceived. It has been forcefully argued that aesthetic objects or events have intrinsic and objective values or qualities. Three main elements of aesthetics: unity, diversity and intensity, when used in balance with each other, have been recognized as fundamental to great art. We readily recognize beauty in paintings, sculptures, some music, in fine cuisine or in expensive perfumes. We also have noticed beauty in some sports such as ice-skating, gymnastics or diving; even in ski or board aerials. Subjectivists have tried to claim that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder; however, spectators experience beauty only vicariously. I would like to propose that in movement, the deeper aesthetic experience can be found within the body of the person actually doing the action.

 Beauty is mainly perceived through our regular five senses. We often forget our sense of kinesthesia, which is a combination of proprioception (pressures and tensions in the joints and muscles) and balance. We need to become aware of “the potential for aesthetic experiences” within our own bodies as we generate and sense movements.

 As we ski, it is important to let our whole being be absorbed in the movement created by ourselves (with the help of gravity), and feel / experience its curves and its rythms, its pressures and its releases, its intensities and its calms, its fluidity and smoothness. Some aesthetic moments can be found in constant rhythms of dynamically carved turns of varied shapes on slopes of differing gradients and at diverse speeds. It could be that aesthetic situations happen most readily when we meet and match the effort put into the movement with the steepness of the slope. In other words, on steep slopes we might experience pressures and releases by early and deep carving, and completion of the turns in order to sustain steady rhythm and speed. On shallower slopes we might yet increase the lateral extension in the mid-section of the turn to create strong sensations and “being on the edge”. On flatter terrain, playing with sustained very rapid swivels, or dynamic skated 1000 steps, or Charleston dancing can also bring about some form of aesthetic experiences.

As we generate movement and playfully enter into it, its vitality will regenerate us. For the skier, it is an added experience-enhancing factor to develop an aesthetic attitude: “to be aware of the potential for aesthetic experiences” in each situation. Knowing that the main aesthetic elements are unity, diversity and intensity, it is up to each one of us to incorporate these elements into our skiing and, with an aesthetic attitude, be ready to experience beauty within our bodies, for ourselves.

The play attitude

As we have become grown-ups, many of us have lost our innate sense of play and have developed a highly trained sense of self-criticism. We get stuck in ruts and start looking like clones of each other. Our skiing then, lacks diversity and vitality, and often we replace these just by higher speeds or plain aggressiveness. We might also have lost our sense of imagination and have difficulty visualizing ourselves as great skiers.

 In skiing, play has to do mostly with terrain and gravity, as well as with experimenting with movement. The mountains offer us a great variety of terrain and snow conditions. We need to accept what the mountain has to offer right now, to take it as it comes: smooth, soft, hard packed, icy spots, bumps, lumps or powder and just play with it. The attitude would then be: “don’t fight it, accept and play with it”. Gravity and possible movements within its boundaries can add great fun to the skiing experience. Too few of us instructors dare to go beyond our own perceived limits and see how far “on the edge” we can get, and actually get out of our comfort zone, change our typical styles, and become different skiers.

 So the challenge for all of us is to put aside our fear of looking different (or “bad”) and to dare to experiment with different movements, different styles, techniques, even radii and snow conditions. It is when we dare to play with all snow conditions that we learn best; not when we stay on the same slopes doing the same turns day after day. So what if we fall once in a while?

The assertive attitude

An third attitude very important in skiing, is what could be called assertiveness. Aggressiveness and defensiveness are both mentally tiring and are detrimental to playfulness and to aesthetic experiences in skiing. Assertiveness in this realm has to do with accepting high challenges and being mentally (and therefore physically) in complete control of the situation. It is a mental attitude of knowing exactly what to do in the immediately present and ever changing situation. It involves trust; trust in the efficiency of the movement to be done and belief in our ability to accomplish such a movement.

 In some cases, what is needed is an intense mental focus within a relaxed bodily attitude. A good example of this is when we ski bumps. To help that intense mental focus, if we tighten the abdominal and shoulder muscles (without being stiff whatsoever) the legs will be better able to move freely under a stable upper body. (This is a ballet technique) . For this I often use two mental images. One is the image of a cougar chasing a rabbit; powerful, supple and agile. The other is that of a marionette: instead of standing on a moving base of support (the legs), the legs need to “dangle down” from a stable frame (the trunk). Only then can the legs be free to move efficiently. So good skiing means knowing what to do and doing it masterfully. Vivaciousness is desirable while aggressiveness might just be a way of hiding a lack of proficiency, or bluff.

 In conclusion, an aesthetic attitude when combined with the play and assertive attitudes could drastically heighten one’s skiing experience. Just like the main three elements of aesthetics need to be used in balance with each other in order to enhance the experience, these three attitudes somehow intermesh. It is in their blending that perhaps the greatest value for the “performer” can be found. The idea might be that without being thrill seekers, we might discover other dimensions of skiing by being willing to go “to the edge” and enjoy the beauty of challenges offered by mountains and movements. With all this said, let us all ski with vitality and emotion. And let our souls express and deeply experience life.