Love to Ski - Introduction

7/27/2019 Love to Ski - Introduction

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By Palmer J. Hoyt



THE LOVE TO SKI STORY | FINDING OPPORTUNITY THROUGH CHALLENGE

x

Introduction

The Love to Ski StoryA note from the author.

Finding opportunity through challenge.

Necessity is the mother of

invention.

Palmer Hoyt writes:

“Love to Ski was born out of need: my own.

Te challenge that inspired Love to Ski was loss.

I lost myself.

A head injury caused me to lose my way. Love to

ski helped me find it again.”

Challenge

“I’ve always been passionate about skiing. I chasedafter skiing as a child, immersed myself in it as a teen-ager, and chose to attend college where I could pursueskiing on a higher level.

I was a competitivefreestyle skier at the Uni-versity of Colorado whenan accident turned mylife upside down.

raveling alone onmy way to ski-team train-ing on a cold, dark winternight, I drove into amonumental blizzard andbecame stuck on an omi-

nous mountain pass. I found myself marooned in thefreezing dead-of-night on a treacherous alpine road in

the middle of the Rocky Mountains. In the blindingclutches of a snowy abyss, a giant, highway snowblow-er collided with my stranded vehicle. Te menacingauger blades of the snow-spewing monster tore my carto shreds on impact. Te collision knocked me awayfrom the wreckage, unconscious. Te accident left me

with a traumatic brain injury that ended my competi-tive skiing career.

In the wake of the head injury, I struggled withcognitive challenges. I labored with speech and learn-

ing, and while I maintained adequate physical capa-bilities, the mental aspects of movement were suddenlyvery difficult. For me, the hardest part of the head-injury challenge was how unfamiliar skiing became.Because of my extensive training, I was still able to ski;the movements remained locked in my muscle memo-ry. However, skiing didn’t make sense to me anymore.

Skiing became confusingand my connection withthe experience was gone.

I was lost.

I was desperate tofind a way to once againmake sense of skiing formyself. Conventionalinstruction and themethods with which Ihad been trained didnot provide me with the



P h o t o : J a c k A f e c k

| Love to Ski™ | FINDING OPPORTUNITY THROUGH CHALLENGE

xii

connection I needed to the sport I loved. I needed a way to break it down and un-complicate the confusion.I needed a way to simplify skiing.

During the same period of time, I struggled withaspects of normal life. I was having trouble with exec-utive functioning: planning, setting goals, and stayingorganized. I found my personal growth stunted andfelt stuck not being able to improve as an individual. Ineeded guidance to help with life.

I required a system that could help me simplify theprocess required to improve at both life and skiing.”

Opportunity

“Skiing became the metaphor that helped me findmyself once again.

I began breaking skiing down. I wrote feverishnotes to myself when I encountered an aspect of skiingI had trouble with. Te writing allowed me to explainto myself how to understand the elusive nature of ski-ing. After a period of time, and hundreds of pages ofhand-written notes, I began to see skiing in a new way.

As the skiing-improvement principles began work-ing, I applied them to the challenges of my daily life.Te same principles I used to regain a connection withthe skiing experience helped me expand my capacityfor personal growth. Skiing became a metaphor forlife. By simplifying the process of skiing improvement,I began improving again in life.

I became head coach of the University of Colo-rado Freestyle Ski eam and introduced the Love to

Ski system as the program curriculum and basis forthe value-based leadership. Te ideology has becomethe standard for hundreds of successful skiing athletes,and the inspiring force that helped the team win five

National Collegiate Freestyle Skiing Championships.

Love to Ski

Overcoming the adversity of injury and disabilityhas given me a chance to learn new ways to conquerobstacles. Sustaining a head injury ultimately helpedme develop my love for skiing and establish produc-tive methods to overcome adversity. Working throughthe challenges offered me the opportunity to find my

purpose of sharing the skiing experience with others.

I believe what helped me can help you. Life pres-ents adversity. Love to Ski explains overcoming adver-sity through the metaphor of skiing. I have come tolearn that everyone can benefit from working throughthe challenges of both life and skiing by relying on asystem to simplify the process. When the process issimplified, you can focus on having fun and enjoyingthe incredible experience.

Tank you for reading.”

PALMER J. HOY



BELIEVE

xi

Introduction

Believe

Before you begin, make an agreement withyourself: you are willing to improve at ski-

ing.

You must want to learn before you can expand yourlove for skiing. Learning is a basic, primal ability. Youhave the capacity to learn. Whether or not you willallow yourself to be taught is something entirely differ-

ent.

Once you want to learn and you have agreed youare willing to improve, you are free to believe in your-self while loving to ski.

Loving to ski is an integral component of improv-ing at skiing. Every time you ski, it is possible to learnsomething new. Reading this curriculum will helpyou improve at skiing and expand the fulfillment fromyour experience.

Choose to take the recommendations throughoutthis book to heart and put them into practice. Chooseto improve at skiing. Choose to believe you can be agreat skier.

eveelieve you can be a great skier.hoto: Patrick Orton | Skier: Palmer Hoyt



PART I | SIMPLIFY

1

Part I

SimplifyHumans inevitably look for complexity when it is absent.

Skiing does not need to be complicated.

It is easy to get hung up on the skiing pro-

cess. Skiing is intense. It is not self-evident.

You can not simply pick up a pair of skis, strap

them to your feet, put yourself on a snow covered

mountain slope, and hope to immediately master

everything about skiing.

Skiing is a lifetime achievement. Getting re-

ally good at skiing means dedicating yourself to

learning as much about skiing as possible. When

you can break down the magnitude of what it

takes to improve at skiing into manageable parts,

it is easier to progress quickly and eficiently.

By learning separately about the most impor-

tant pieces that make skiing work, you can better

understand each one individually. You are bet-

ter able to put the parts together as a whole andimplement the knowledge in order to progress.

Truth is unbiased

Skiing progression is always a lot easier to

love when you know more about it. Anything you

do in life is made more eficient when you know

what you are doing. Skiing progress does not

need to be complicated. The amount going on is

inite. If you allow it, there CAN be a lot more to

jumble up the process. But, there is no reason to.

You do not need to concern yourself with ALL

of the conceivable possibilities or plausible ways

that you can get better at skiing. There is a sim-

ple way to improve. It applies whether you wantto hit terrain park jumps, stomp massive cliffs, rip

huge lines at supersonic speed, or just ski luidly

and in control in any situation or condition. The

truth of skiing technique does not discriminate if

you are an aspiring athlete or a decorated pro-

fessional. We all must deal with the same set of

tools, we all must account for gravity, and it all

works the same way.

Making skiing work for you is just a matter of

simplifying it. Simplifying skiing means under-standing skiing.

plifySkiing does not need to be complicated.Photo: Cody Downard | Skier: Palmer Hoyt



3

Section 1

Fundamentals

Fundamental are the most important component to

achieving your skiing goals.

Skiing is a metaphor for life.By improving at skiing you can improve your whole life.

The process is challenging

The skiing process is full of challenges. It is ex-

pensive. It requires travel. It takes place where the

air is scarce and thin. The conditions are variable.

The weather is unpredictable. The temperature is

low. The equipment is heavy, awkward, and over-

whelming. The technique is counterintuitive. The

places you can do it are limited. Terminology is

confusing and good instruction is hard to ind.

The experience is amazing

The skiing experience is awesome. Making

turns down high-alpine slopes is exhilarating. Feel-

ing the cold, crisp air on a winter morning while

riding up a serene chair lift reminds you: you are

alive. The view from snowy resort tops sitting

above the rest of the world can take your breath

away. The feeling of being intimately acquainted

with the mysterious power of the mountains isinspiring. Laughing and sharing moments with

friends and family inside cozy mountain lodges and

cobblestone village streets is priceless. The sound

of skis carving on frozen runs softly mufled by

trees laden with snow is unlike any other auditory

event. Skiing is an adventure. Skiing is an achieve-

ment. Skiing is an opportunity to embrace the

possibilities of your all-to-quick existence. Skiing

is a means by which to grab hold of the enraptured

nature of your human spirit. Skiing is a way to dis-

cover who you are. Skiing is incredible.

By simplifying the skiing process, you can focus on enjoying the skiingexperience.

experienceSkiing is awesome.Photo: Chris McLennan | Skier: Palmer Hoyt



VI SI ON BO DY

CORE

SKIINGTH E

TRIAD

E Q

U I P M

E N T

S K I

SLOPE SPEED

TERRAIN

COMPLICATED

ENVIRONMENT

SKIING

TRIADBODY

POSITION VISION

CORE

VISION BODY

CORE

SKIINGTHE

TRIAD

S LO PE S PE ED

TERRAIN

COMPLICATED

ENVIRONMENT

E Q U I P M

E N T

S K I

SPEED SLOPE TERRAINBODY POSITION

PROPER MOVE FROM YOUR

CORE VISION

AGGRESS IVE

FUNDAMENTALS

TECHNIQUE EQUIPMENT

BOOTS SKIS BINDINGS

MECHANICS

| Love to Ski™ |

4

Simplifying the skiing process is possible by

focusing on fundamentals.

You are willing to pursue skiing and go through

the challenge presented by the skiing process be-

cause you love the skiing experience.

Better understanding the process by its essen-tial, fundamental elements will allow you to sim-

plify your pursuit of enjoying the skiing experience.

The essential elements of skiing are:

♦ Technique:

Skiing, simplifed.

■ Proper body position, moving from your core,

and aggressive vision are the essential elements

of solid skiing fundamentals.

♦ Equipment:The tools required.

■ Understanding skis, boots, and the other

necessary equipment will simplify the skiing

process.

♦ Mechanics:

Maintaining good technique through a complex skiing

environment.

■ How to maintain fundamental skiing mechanics

when the slope, speed, and terrain become more

complex.

You will improve indeinitely at enjoying the

experience of skiing by simplifying the technique,

equipment, and environment.

Documents

Love to Ski - Introduction