Under-estimating or over-estimating your skiing ability can have undesirable consequences. Jumping over-confidently off the edge of The Cliff, a double black diamond run at Big White Ski Resort, for the first time can be risky. But, on the flip side, having very little belief in your ability can allow fear to take over with equally disastrous results. Fear puts us in panic mode and we become incapable of using the skills we have at our disposal. Basic technique crumbles and when this happens we are at risk of injury.
No skier who skis something as steep as The Cliff for the first time feels completely confident that they will make it down in one piece. How can we have total confidence when we have never done it before? At this point it’s not only confidence that we need, but also courage. Courage helps us to overcome fear and enables us to be assertive. And once you’ve made it down The Cliff for the first time all the courage that you had to scrape together will be transformed into glorious confidence because then you will have proof that you can do it!
Have you ever faced a ski-run that is more difficult than you have ever been down before hoping that you will somehow be able to find the confidence to step into the unknown? But then you turn away from the challenge, promising yourself that you will return another day when you will have more confidence? Chances are that you have not done the necessary preparation. Confidence will not magically appear at your door step but it is much easier to get than you might think.
It really is a very good thing that confidence is not readily available to us. We are forced to follow a rational approach of gradually pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone, bit by bit, as we become better skiers so that we build confidence that is based on good experiences. This is clearly the safest way to progress.
I’m going to give you some tips on how to continually top up your confidence as you improve so that when you arrive at the top of The Cliff you will be able to draw on past experiences to find the confidence and courage to drop in and be assertive.
As yet I have been too afraid to try bungee jumping but I’ve always thought that if I could start with a 4 meter drop and work my way up little by little I would eventually be able to do a 100m jump. Unfortunately, for me, this is not a very practical way to bungee jump. Fortunately in skiing it is possible and also necessary to take this approach if you want to increase your confidence and your ability while staying safe. Sometimes, though, because of the available terrain it is necessary to take a little leap of faith. And the very first bit of the Cliff is an example of that. But only once you have progressed through the following steps.
Let’s assume you are already skiing single black runs comfortably. Make your way up the Bullet Express Chair and traverse into the Cliff area through Camel’s Back. Familiarise yourself with the environment and look up to the top of The Cliff. The view from here isn’t nearly as intimidating. From this vantage point you will also be able to start planning where you will drop in from the top and which route you will take on your way down. Now at least you’ve been on The Cliff and you have some experience of it. This is a confidence top up. Yes! Continue to traverse to the other side of the Cliff Chair lift line and make your way to the chair and travel back up. Do this a few times and feel your confidence and excitement grow. You are making great progress.
Now it’s time to ski down from the top of Camel’s Back. You can get there from the Alpine T-bar or the Cliff Chair. It is a lower starting point than from the top of The Cliff and not as steep. You’ll also find that since you traversed into the bowl just a little below this run it will seem quite manageable. The difference this time is that you will make some turns on your way down! It is important to remember the basics of good ski technique. Acceleration will be quicker than you are used to through the part of the turn where your skis are pointing straight down so make firm contact with your shin on the front of the boot to stay on top of your feet. Use a strong pole plant just before every turn. This serves the dual purpose of stabilizing your upper body and helping you to stay balanced on your downhill ski. You can also start your turn in a snow plough and bring your skis parallel as you come across the slope. This is your second confidence top up. Yes!
After having done this successfully as many times as it takes to have complete confidence it is now time for you to make the next little leap of faith! This time you are going to ski from the top of The Cliff. Now when you are standing at the top overlooking the glorious bowl below you will feel confidence, courage and exhilaration. Be decisive, make assertive pole plants and ski your way to the bottom. And once you’ve done it you will probably utter exactly the same words as many skiers before you: “It wasn’t that bad! Let’s do it again!” Major confidence boost. Yes, yes, yes!
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