After riding casually at best all season, Chad got screwed out of all the tricks he totally would have stomped had the season kept going. Sure Chad didn't throw down too hard opening weekend, or really any day all season, but this spring he was going to go ham. All the tricks he loosely talked about throwing but never tried, would have been getting thrown on the regular this spring.

He would have 3 swapped that 40' down rail, even though he only made it to the end of the 15'er a few times. He was going to cork 9 jump 3 in the big line, even though he barely 3'd the second jump in the small line. Chad was locked and loaded, ready to descend on the scene, and the early end to the season killed his progression.

The abrupt end to the season sucks pretty hard. A lot of us had goals or even just wanted to get out there and flow through the parks with some sunshine and the pack of hooligans we call friends. The important thing is that there will be other seasons, other chances, other sunny park laps. The angst and drive to ski now makes sense, but we should hold onto some of that fire and save it for next season. Those days where our friends are riding but we're too tired, have too much work, just aren't feeling it. When there's a trick we want to try, know we can do, but chicken out time after time.

It's easy to appreciate, and sometimes get angry about the days we didn't have, but what about the days we did have? Not everyone can ski every day, not everyone wants to. Honestly trying too hard to take advantage of every second of every day sounds friggin exhausting. That said we need to take advantage of the days we have, appreciate the good days, and the good in the "bad" days. The days with friends hiking rails, lapping the park, working on new tricks, getting some pow turns.

Sure the season ended early, suddenly, and sort of painfully, but we had a season. I don't want to preach, even though I'm preaching. I just want you to think of the best times you had this season, rather than the days ahead, what wasn't and might have been. Stop sweating what you missed as much and focus on what you got. Maybe you hit your first side entry rail, learned a front 2, had a killer day in waist deep, got a tan or even a sunburn lapping with the squad. These are the reasons we ski, and sometimes the reasons we live.

Maybe Chad would have gotten some new tricks. Maybe those sunny spring laps would have been stellar. The thing is that the season is done now, it is unfortunately finished, but your last day wasn't your last day. Whether you're getting laps on your summer setup, or even building one, working on tricks on the trampoline, or playing skate and shredsauce. There will be another season, you will have another chance, what will you do with it? Will you sweat the small things? Get caught up in the bullshit? Or will you float around and enjoy each hit in the park, deep g's on the groomers, face shots in the pow, or sunny squad laps.

The season may be finished, but your skiing is far from the end. I wish you the best this summer, and I'll see you next season!!!

https://www.newschoolers.com/forum/1453/Build-A-Jib-101

https://www.newschoolers.com/news/read/Build-rail-Andy-Parry