A Tale of Two Skis

Identity is a hot topic universally in the present and ski media has always been obsessed with categorizing and labeling the different “types” of skiers and snowboarders. There are a multitude of ways to classify; age, skill level, area of origin, clothing style, riding style, terrain preference, and the list goes on. All skiers and snowboards however, seem to fall into one of two distinct philosophical ideologies surrounding the pastime. There are those who believe that the best thing about skiing is that it doesn’t matter and there are those who know, without any shred of doubt that it matters more than almost everything else.

Unlike the diametric opposites in politics, religion, and pretty much every other arena of life, on a mountain you’re likely to encounter these two kinds of people interacting politely and happily within any or even every group. Superficially, there are only subtle differences in the manifested attitudes that result from these contradictory ideological pillars. At the expert end of the ability spectrum, both can be incredibly talented line chooses and riders that can teach you to ride better. Both are likely to promote misleading reports of the snow conditions from their favorite spots. Both can make a day of riding the most incredible and fun experience you’ve ever had. At the end of the day, the distinction mimics a famous quote from Albert Einstein, “There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

The rider who believes that it doesn’t matter is invested in the vision of the ideal ski experience that the modern ski industry promotes and sells. This rider will pay special tribute to this year’s equipment and gear; from dropping the extra dough to get the new ride with the freshest top-sheet graphics, to only sporting the most fashionable and contemporary goggle styles, and best not forget that dope matching high dollar Heli Hanson fit with complimenting accessory accents. A distinguishable trail of oozing steez follows in the wake of wherever this rider goes and drips onto everything they touch, corrupting race team kids to send it and offending stiff fogeys with the timeless bravado of divine bliss that comes from simply being and having nothing to prove.

Wake up. Shots. Designer layers. Arcteryx bibs. Padagucci. Dangle that IKON pass from a gold chain. Freshie goggles. Fresh stix in the back of the Range Rover. Bamboo poles. Champagne in the lot, attracts a lot. Steezy beezies smoking spleazies of the finest treesies swinging from trapezies, teethies cheezy. Fresh powder. Lift lines are times for sipping shines. Send it. Drop it. Shred it. Thread it. Bend it. Bop it. Get it. Burn it. Got it and go again. Dope beats and bright lights. Silly treats and late nights. Big guns. Big trucks. Fireworks. Glitter. Glam. Sugar. Pop rocks and coke. Adrenaline, serotonin, and dopamines. These are few of my favorite things. Want to check out my yacht on the Mediterranean? Make it sound sexy again. My present stimulus is falling from the cumuli-nimbus and I’m but a slave to the positive mind-state and the best thing about skiing is that it doesn’t matter.

You’ll find this rider lapping the terrain park or lodge deck or wherever the scene is happening. They’re high royalty of Apres and frequent the tour bus and backstage parties of whatever big name traveling act is coming through town at the time. These riders are the epitome of cool, as is the natural condition of those who embody chill indifference in social interactions. Sponsored pro riders fit nicely into this characterization as they exude coolness and desirability around featured products while abstaining from complicating and potentially brand damaging social and political viewpoints.

The experience of falling in love is accompanied by a unique euphoria and mind state best characterized as reckless abandon. The path to discovering the passion that elevates a simple act of sliding down snow into a liberating spiritual experience is not short or straight. Right around the edge of madness, there is the moment when a mind acknowledges that the search for ‘that ride’ is a core lifetime priority, if not ‘the’. It is as much an awakening as it is a relinquishment of desire to prescribe to more conventional ideas and priorities. In the past, it may have been easier to be this type of person. One could fall in love with the snow and the slide, move to a mountain community, build a full and happy life and raise a family on the modest living one could earn with a good attitude, average skills, and a hardy work ethic. With the proliferation of the corporate ski resort and the modern industry model, that life has all but disappeared. To be a modern searcher is a commitment to a near monastic lifestyle, exchanging every ounce of bodily comfort, financial security, and human dignity to afford the tools, opportunities, and access needed for the unwavering search of the sacred ride. Duct tape on stained and torn Gore-Tex, self-prescribed base welds, DIY gear modifications, unkempt hair, funky B.O, the beater with a heater that double as storage locker and triples as lodging, and a firm commitment to avoid traditional commitments are hallmarks of the character.

The staunch rejection of societal expectation could be interpreted as a tribute to the classical Greek cynic Diogenes, but this is only superficially accurate. It’s the shabby and worn aesthetic that accompanies those souls who balance a visceral need to spend every waking moment possible in pursuit of powder and the very real need to earn income to survive. Sacrifices are made.

Throughout all human cultures are traditions, rituals, and practices that offer people social esteem. The pursuit of art, sport, and play satisfies no physical need for survival and yet are components of human communities universally. Most of these activities are modestly based around an objective competitive goal but the rules are defined, arbitrated, and/or expressed by subjective human participants. Simply put, most of the games that humans make and play to satisfy our psychological esteem needs are abstractions of reality tailored to promote that feeling of empowerment. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that. For searchers, however, the authenticity of an experience is one of the most critical aspects necessary to obtain that feeling. This is achieved fundamentally by meeting (and ideally overcoming) challenge in a raw real world arena equipped with only the earned tools and skills at present disposal.

Despite the close proximity to danger, the mindset of a searcher is stoic and confident while perpetually engaged in risk management. Evaluating their own abilities/limitations as well as the objective conditions and challenges at hand in the moment, and executing a plan or vision to navigate their body on a line they see through space and time. Standing face to face with a dragon emphasizes the sharp contrast between life and death. After confronting absolution the monotony of daily life as a mere cog in the vast modern machine is affirmed, but also further as the absolute blessing for just being alive that we should always know it to be. Pepper in the individual’s approach to style and the resulting grace is a unique display of sheer physical prowess, dexterity, and creative expression. A raw experience of flow state and presence. An ancient and primitive human condition where that feeling of strength is so quintessential beyond the actual achievement of any quantifiable objective. Competition does not motivate or drive the searcher, rather it is the prerogative to embrace and overcome challenge, a prerogative to find joy, happiness, and beauty within the struggle at hand. Mountains possess an inherent life force of their own and the lessons they teach and inspire impart a body of purer knowledge and high wisdom that empowers, invigorates, and enlightens the human spirit.

Aspects of both these ideologies are undoubtedly always present within each of us and we undoubtedly associate more strongly with one or the other during different stages of life. The seasonal nature of skiing lends to the half-hearted and opportunistic rider just looking for a fun way to pass the winter hours, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But true searchers are rare and they are incredibly brilliant gems of people on and off the snow. The ski and ride community that calls the Chugach-Richardson corridor of South-Central Alaska home hosts one of the highest densities of true searchers on the planet, and for good reason. With endless incredible terrain, a long and heavy snow season, and access limitations defined only by a person’s DIY capacity, this region is a veritable paradise for those who slide smoothly and confidently back and forth across the line of madness.