The danger zone? a rant.

ladies and gentlemen of the ns community, i just got my ass bitched out by my dad at dinner tonight. this wasn't ur typical college freshman versus dad bickering, this is quite different, and challenges who I am as a skier and a person.

I announced to my dad at the dinner table tonight (btw, i leave for whistler tomorrow, that is important to the topic), that i did something like 10 backflips 2 days ago at winter park and a couple 720's. i felt pretty proud of myself, considering they were on decent sized "dark territiory" jumps (about 55 feet step ups.) I thought my dad would applaud my ability and encourage me to continue my exploits. instead, i was met with a soap-box lecture that belittled me and made me feel like an insolent child. My dad preached that i had exceeded my ability as a skier and that the injury factor was quite higher than the reward and (much to the dismay of my ego), my ability. He told me to stop because my ability (without formal coaching) cannot hope to be able to control myself from landing on my head and dieing. he thinks im going to die because i am not good enough to handle "the danger zone." literally.

i think that is bullshit! call me chiche and brainwashed, but i believe impossible is nothing. there is no limit to human abilty and accomplishment, and that applies to skiing in every sense of it. I believe that if i push myself hard enough, i will ALWAYS continue to progress. yes, the injury factor gets higher and higher, but i dont care. i see progression as becoming a more learned individual, and more confident individual, a better skier, and a better man. to hear my own dad preach that insolent indocrination that you should stay within your supposed "ability" is a limit on my potential as a human being. You have to take big risks to get big rewards, and if you sit there and think about the consequences all day, you'll never grow. in fact, if you sit there and question everything all day, your comfort zone will shrink and eventually dissapear. He said that my brain hasn't fully developed yet as an 18 year old and that i cant asses risk quite right yet. i think hes scared that i can accomplish something very few people can do.

so this is for all you kiddies out there who are hitting those jumps and your parents are worrying: you will never know how good you are until you try it. be calculated, don't be stupid, but know that the fruits of life are for those who risk to climb and get them. so prove to your worrying parents that you can stmp that 10, backflip, 360, or whatever, and that ur willing to take that risk. don't fuck around. just do it. thats for skiing and life in general. you'll be sitting there on the sidelines or outside the park regretting your life away if you dont.