RIDGE Coaches constantly think about mountain sports- it's in their blood. As we edge closer to the winter we've all got snow on our minds. In this two part series titled: 'How Do You Prepare For Winter?', two RIDGE coaches share their thoughts about how to best prepare for winter.
In Part II of 'How Do You Prepare For Winter?', RIDGE Coach Cat Jenks discusses her approach to preparing for ski season...
THE TOP 7 WAYS TO GET STOKED FOR WINTER!
BY: CAT JENKS
So, it is fall, which is awesome. The leaves are turning, the air is crisp and eating pumpkin pie is now socially acceptable. People are mountain biking, climbing, running throughout town and soaking up every last drop of sunshine they can get before the days start to shorten and the weather turns...
Here in Whitefish, MT the change of seasons is our annual reminder that snow is on the way! Don’t get me wrong, fall is wonderful and the sports we have been enjoying all summer long become less sweaty which is always a plus, if you ask me.
The other day I woke up to frost on my windshield. As I sat in my driveway waiting for it to melt I decided that it is time for the official countdown till winter to begin. It is time to take training up a notch, figure out gear needs for the upcoming season and really start to build the stoke and anticipation for snow!
It is hard to explain the joy experienced by sliding on snow.
If you are reading this post and you can relate to any of the following:
- Your heartbeat starts to quicken
- You smile thinking of your favorite run at your home resort
- You immediately remember that amazing pow day from last season
Then, no explanation is necessary - you love winter and all the sports that become possible during those cold months.
But, until it is officially ski season, heed this advice to help you get stoked and ready to shred:
Watch ski / snowboard movies - Sometimes it is torture when you can’t be out there yourself but watching ski movies does get us all excited and daydreaming of pow days.
RIDGE Student athlete Zack following Cat's advice by watching J.P. Auclair's street segment from All.I.Can.
Get in shape - No matter what you do in the pre season you will always feel the burn on your first day back on snow but if you work a little extra this fall then the burn MAY not last as long. Maybe you just do 1,000 lunges and squats while you watch your favorite ski movie if you can’t find time to mountain bike, run, or head to a gym but do something!
Stare longingly at your skis or snowboard - After a nice long stare go take your skis to your local shop and get a tune up. If you put this off you will be kicking yourself when opening day sneaks up on you.
It's almost splitboard season...
Talk about skiing and riding non stop- It is super important to get the right lingo down before you embarrass yourself trying to chat it up on the chair lift so start practicing now. This will be easy if you are thinking about winter non-stop anyway.
Go to a yoga class - a little stretching and namaste-ing never hurts.
Make a good playlist - I suggest making a playlist of songs that you would ski or snowboard to in a movie segment when you become a pro athlete…….. whether that day will ever come good music will motivate you to train. Play it loud and proud and I bet you will want to go on a run or something.
Get ahead of your life stuff - Go to the doctors, register your car, fix your windshield that’s been cracked for ages (I am guilty of this), buy your christmas presents, and call your mom. This one may be the most important because we all know that every spare moment in the winter will be filled with time spent outside on the snow.
Mom, I'm calling now. I'll be shredding all winter...
