4 Things I Learned From Skiing Black Diamond

(Credit: feature image source)

Skiing black diamond (advanced) is not a big deal for a lot of people. For me, although it’s not the most challenging thing I have done, it is definitely not a piece of cake. Today I eventually got the time and courage to do the black diamond runs at Crystal Mountain. I also picked up some learning/reflection along the way.

#1: Empathy And Different Point Of View

Ski is a great opportunity to experience different point of view and empathy. The same black diamond ski slope looks and feel very differently depending on where you look at it from. When you sit on the chair lift moving up along the slope, the slope doesn’t look scary at all. The skiers stuck in the middle of the slope looks funny. When you look at the slope from the bottom of it, it looks a bit scary, but you feel like you can still manage it. However, when you stand on the top of the slope and look down. Holy cow! 🐮 Before you get to the upper edge of the slope, you don’t see the slope and it feels like a cliff. Even when you scooch to the edge and see the slope, you will sweat by its depth and steepness. Then think about the folks who fell badly and then stuck in the middle of that long and steep slope.

The above observation is relevant at work and every day life too. When we see others struggle, we should try to think from their point of view. They might be experiencing something completely different than we think. When we do this, we are developing empathy!

#2: Value Of The Intangible

We can easily justify the value of the tangible. For example, I can spend $10 on a coffee mug. The mug will be with me. I can see it, touch it, and use it. I can concretely feel its value. Sometimes we mis-judge the value of the intangible. I debated quite a bit before I registered a private ski lesson to refine my ski skills and guide me through my initial black diamond runs. The private lesson is not cheap. The reason I hesitated is because after the lesson, I will have nothing tangible left as the physical token of value I paid for. However, it’s helpful to overcome the cognitive bias and realize the intangible value, e.g., time saved, bad habits eliminated, confidence gained, and the positive experience. While I was in the middle of that long and steep slope, the instructor’s encouragement and demonstration of the next step gave me so much confidence. The ski lesson wrapped up with 4 exciting black diamond runs and several helpful discovery/correction of my bad form. The intangible value is worth what I paid for in my opinion.

#3: Nail The Fundamentals

The ski instructor I worked with is a ski veteran and has taught ski for 30 years. When I told him my goal is to nail the black diamond, he took me on a green run (beginner) multiple times. I was baffled because I am pretty comfortable on blue runs (intermediate) already and am really looking to notch up to nail the black diamond runs. However, on the green runs, he corrected several of my techniques and bad habits, until eventually he said “we are ready to get on the black if you are determined so”. The actual experience on the black diamond runs later proved that those corrected techniques indeed made a big difference in my control of the steep slope. This strengthened my understanding how important it is to nail the fundamentals before going after big goals.

#4: Be Mentally Strong

We were at the fork between a blue run and a long steep black diamond run. The instructor asked me the same question multiple times “Are you committed to do this? Once we get on this black there is no way up except for skiing all the way down.” I replied “I think I can manage it”. And he said “that’s a no and we should bail out and get on the blue run and call it a day”. Turned out whenever a student was not firmly committed and got on the black run anyway and stuck halfway, it was a big effort for the instructor to help the student slowly slide down the long slope. It was windy and snowy on the upper mountain. The visibility was not great. The run was not groomed. I looked down towards the black run and there was nothing I could see. Therefore … “I’m committed to do this” jumped out of my mouth somehow. 😱🙈🤬

After just a few careful turns to settle in, there came a big fall where I did a 360 degree somersault. Due to the steepness, one of my ski slid down almost 20 feet before its brake arm managed to stop it. Panic started to creep up inside me. The instructor explained to me that I hit a little rock (due to poor visibility and early season condition) and lost balance. Nothing wrong with the technique and form. All I need to do is to continue with what I did. I murmured I’m here to nail this bad boy. Confidence regained the ground over fear. The turns started to link again and became more and more smooth. In the middle of the slope, we can see neither the top nor the bottom. Simply focus! Focus on every turn and keep eyes open on every mogul bump. Apply every key points the instructor emphasized. Relax. Man, I made it eventually without more falls. Although this is a piece of cake for a lot of people, I’m still pretty excited about accomplishing something I wasn’t sure I could manage gracefully. The ski instructor mentioned that being mentally strong helps us stay in the game till the end of those tough runs. It struck the chord with me at that very moment.

Conclusion

It was a fun day that I have been longing for. Despite the wind and some PM snow, the mountain was gorgeous. Harvested a little milestone and a little reflection for myself. Connected one more dot. Couldn’t be happier! 😜