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KilaTsunami
October, 2024

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Why don't I like park skiing anymore?

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Jacobthesadskier
Posts: 491 - Karma: 4,840
For background, I've been skiing park for about 2 years now, and although my skills are laughable at best, I truly truly love it. I spend most of my waking hours during the summer daydreaming about it, watching edits and attempting to get my friends interested in it, (To no avail.) Going back to last winter, I was making good progression, and I was in a really good state of mind, but since this winter began, my mind just isn't in the right place, when I'm not skiing, I still think of nothing else other than freeskiing, and what new trick I could learn, but as soon as I click into my skis and look down at the park, I feel nothing but this gnawing dread and hopelessness. I try to force myself to progress, ease up and stop being so fucking scared for no reason, but if anything I just end up feeling worse, I actually feel relieved when the lifts shut for the day and I head home. I feel terrified to do tricks I've been able to do for ages like 3's and sliding a pipe. Right now I'm so fucking miserable because I'm simply not enjoying the sport that I love. I was just wondering if anybody else on NS might have gone through something similar, and if there's anything I can do to actually start enjoying myself in the park again. Cheers NS.
Jan 19 2023 3:21AM
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Non_State_Actor
Posts: 4810 - Karma: 17,052
Are you prone to anxiety or depression?
Jan 19 2023 3:27AM
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BigmoneyMatt
Posts: 1545 - Karma: 1,185
social media ruining freestyle skiing in action^
Jan 19 2023 3:28AM
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muffMan.
Posts: 2768 - Karma: 26,060
Damn bro don’t force yourself to do anything. Just say fuck park and go chill on some side hits or hit some gnarly stuff, don’t know what else to say.

if you force it you will hate it or even hurt yourself
Jan 19 2023 3:30AM
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oldmanski
Posts: 3311 - Karma: 23,828
Take some time off from the park. Go ski some bumps, ski some trees, hang out in the pub, tell everyone you are the best skier on the mountain. I honestly took 4 seasons off in a row, I wasnt hurt or anything, just wasnt in the right mind to ski. I came back to it and fell in love again. Taking some time off is not a bad thing.
Jan 19 2023 3:41AM
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Jacobthesadskier
Posts: 491 - Karma: 4,840
mystery3Are you prone to anxiety or depression?


Up until three years ago, I was in a pretty dark place, and I did think about taking my own life and came close at one point, I'm in a much better place mentally now though for reasons I won't go into right now.
Jan 19 2023 3:55AM
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freestyler540
Posts: 13083 - Karma: 18,725
Change locations if you can. Visiting different resorts, trying urban skiing… sometimes its the monotony that comes with learning to ski. Ski switch on the mountain… ski switch in moguls, try to take your creativity out of the park and incorporate it into your style.
Jan 19 2023 5:19AM
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STEEZUS_CHRI5T
Posts: 2928 - Karma: 22,277
Serious question, do you happen to watch ski content on any social media other than YouTube/here?
Jan 19 2023 7:39AM
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hegleezy
Posts: 187 - Karma: 1,824
i Social media pressures me to intensely progress. Last night I literally couldn’t sleep because I couldn’t stop thinking about what trick I should learn or what i’m doing wrong on this and that. I feel the same dread you feel when i walk into the park. I want to get good at skiing park because I think it would help my self esteem, but I think my self esteem issues come from comparing myself to other people on social media.

Reflecting on this makes me think I should delete social media entirely. Do you think you have the same issue?
Jan 19 2023 7:57AM
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bertBertson
Posts: 256 - Karma: 4,166
It seems like by thinking about park skiing and mentally planning your progression 24/7 you may be setting some very high expectations for yourself - then you click in and realize you won't be able to do the tricks you've been dreaming about for the past week, or that the experience doesn't feel the way you imagined it The result is intense disappointment from not meeting your own expectations and of course that kind of ruins your whole experience.

Nothing to be ashamed or worried about my guy this is a very human problem. I agree with others that it's probably time to take a break from the park for a bit just to get your mind off it. Do you have other creative hobbies? Pursuing those in your downtime will help stop your brain from chugging along about skiing 24/7.

Social media might be part of it too, maybe try setting some app timers?

Anyways, Slumps happen, I'm sure you'll be back at it in no time!
Jan 19 2023 8:27AM
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hi_vis360
Posts: 5033 - Karma: 51,101
It’s the January slump dude. Every season a few people make this thread.

skiing in January genuinely sucks most of the time. It’s dark, cold, and the mountain is as crowded as it gets. You’re still getting your skiing legs back. By the time February and March hit, the snow gets better, days get longer, vibes are better. I get discouraged about skiing in January every year. My main focus in January is just getting out there and going skiing, that’s it. Leave the goals for later in the season when snow is good.
Jan 19 2023 8:27AM
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.nasty
Posts: 10581 - Karma: 11,151
Like others said, take some time off of park completely. I know when I met Candide years ago, I was very humbled when he told me he spends the first month of his season (regardless or where he might travel, etc) solely skiing groomers to really feel his edges again and get in the right state of mind.
Jan 19 2023 8:38AM
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BlueVillain
Posts: 405 - Karma: 2,398
This is a bit of a different answer, but what I've found really helped me get back into the fun of doing park was trying to do something new every day. And I'm not talking about trying crazy shit, maybe just try to add a shifty, do something unnatural, basically anything you feel you're able to do without consequences that you just haven't tried yet.

Sometimes we don't try those tricks cause we think it's silly to even try something so small and pointless but I swear it does make park skiing more fun in the long run because it feels like you have progressed even if its on the smallest feature on the smallest trick. I have been in your situation and I found that's what got me out of it.

As a bonus once you've done that you'll probably feel more confident on "real" features or "real" tricks. At least that's what I found.

**This post was edited on Jan 19th 2023 at 8:52:12am
Jan 19 2023 8:49AM
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TOAST.
Posts: 7482 - Karma: 36,057
instead of trying to learn new tricks every time you ski, try to focusing on making what you can do look better and flowing through the park or just carving down groomers.

**This post was edited on Jan 19th 2023 at 8:51:07am
Jan 19 2023 8:50AM
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STEEZUS_CHRI5T
Posts: 2928 - Karma: 22,277
hegleezyi Social media pressures me to intensely progress. I want to get good at skiing park because I think it would help my self esteem, but I think my self esteem issues come from comparing myself to other people on social media.

Nobody is going to lay on their deathbed wishing they spent more time on social media. Delete it all dude.

You may miss it for the first weeks but as time goes on you’ll realize how badly it was messing you up.

If you have an iPhone, you can block these apps by setting up a pin #.
Jan 19 2023 9:00AM
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olddirty
Posts: 722 - Karma: 2,797
JacobthesadskierFor background, I've been skiing park for about 2 years now, and although my skills are laughable at best, I truly truly love it. I spend most of my waking hours during the summer daydreaming about it, watching edits and attempting to get my friends interested in it, (To no avail.) Going back to last winter, I was making good progression, and I was in a really good state of mind, but since this winter began, my mind just isn't in the right place, when I'm not skiing, I still think of nothing else other than freeskiing, and what new trick I could learn, but as soon as I click into my skis and look down at the park, I feel nothing but this gnawing dread and hopelessness. I try to force myself to progress, ease up and stop being so fucking scared for no reason, but if anything I just end up feeling worse, I actually feel relieved when the lifts shut for the day and I head home. I feel terrified to do tricks I've been able to do for ages like 3's and sliding a pipe. Right now I'm so fucking miserable because I'm simply not enjoying the sport that I love. I was just wondering if anybody else on NS might have gone through something similar, and if there's anything I can do to actually start enjoying myself in the park again. Cheers NS.


I know how you feel. It helps to have a crew around with similar abilities. I moved back to NY and mostly ski by myself now and the park doesn't feel the same or really skiing in general. I've been taking mushrooms before I go ski to feel any kind of enjoyment these days.
Jan 19 2023 9:07AM
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olddirty
Posts: 722 - Karma: 2,797
And for those that are pressured by social media: You're weak
Jan 19 2023 9:08AM
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STEEZUS_CHRI5T
Posts: 2928 - Karma: 22,277
olddirtyAnd for those that are pressured by social media: You're weak

U serious?
Jan 19 2023 9:18AM
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hegleezy
Posts: 187 - Karma: 1,824
Oldhead:
olddirtyAnd for those that are pressured by social media: You're weak
Jan 19 2023 9:25AM
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Schoess
Posts: 2080 - Karma: 24,877
Skiing is about having fun, you don't need to learn shit constantly by any means. Just ski when you want to ski and only ski what you want to ski
Jan 19 2023 9:30AM
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skierman
Posts: 8334 - Karma: 7,756
LOL put down your smartphone, you stupid fuck
Jan 19 2023 9:43AM
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bogust
Posts: 688 - Karma: 7,078
olddirtyI know how you feel. It helps to have a crew around with similar abilities. I moved back to NY and mostly ski by myself now and the park doesn't feel the same or really skiing in general. I've been taking mushrooms before I go ski to feel any kind of enjoyment these days.


How does microdosing affect your skiing I've thought about this for a while but never got around to trying it.
Jan 19 2023 9:44AM
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weastcoat
Posts: 6419 - Karma: 74,057
My best advice would be to do what’s fun. That straight slide to forward you did felt nice? Do it again. Delayed 180 off a jump? Do it again. Side hit to trannyfind? Run it back. Mellow carves down your favorite trail? Lap it again.


Try these things, play some music you like. I guarantee you’ll be having more fun skiing and get yourself in the “just one more run” cycle by the end of the day. Where you won’t wanna leave, because you’re out there enjoying yourself so much.
Jan 19 2023 9:47AM
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ajbski
Posts: 1308 - Karma: 5,311
just go and ski. i knew a guy that could do double and triple tre flips standing still first try, but couldnt even ollie down a small stair set.

while your technical abilities might be there, committing to new bigger tricks on bigger features requires a level of comfort on skis. ski harder on steeper terrain, get cliffed out, ski some moguls, ski some trees, just go and bomb some runs continuously
(not around kids). i promise when you get back to the park, youll feel right as rain again.
Jan 19 2023 10:01AM
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TwoPlanks12
Posts: 9 - Karma: 116
as someone who has literal ski dreams where I can do all the tricks I think about progressing toward, I completely feel this. The few times I've gone this season so far have been fun, but I've also been waiting in the lift line wondering what the hell I'm doing spending so much time thinking about park skiing when it can be so hard to make progress.

It's a weird feeling. I love skiing and getting into park so much, but it is admittedly tough not being where I want to be year in and year out.

A lot of the comments in this thread are really encouraging, though. Gonna try to spend more time focusing on little things I can add on or switch up on the hill to make every day fun and not some pressured thing where I just disappoint myself.

**This post was edited on Jan 19th 2023 at 10:25:05am
Jan 19 2023 10:23AM
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IsaacNW82
Posts: 769 - Karma: 6,693
Sounds like you are burning out. Burn out sucks. The best thing I can recommend is to do something else for a while, whether that's as simple as skiing in the park a different way, with new people, outside the park, or even not skiing at all. Personally, the best thing that helps me is to take time to do something else outside of skiing that I can get obsessed with, like mountain biking, hiking, or kiteboarding. A change of scenery could help too, if you can explore some other ski areas you haven't been to.

I would avoid forcing yourself to ski, the passion is clearly there it just seems like you need a breather and it will come back in earnest.
Jan 19 2023 10:30AM
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Farmville420
Posts: 4698 - Karma: 60,421
I was in an identical spot last winter, wanted to progress, conditions were always shitty, none of my friends wanted to ski, no one would film, and the mountains were just too far away but it never snowed enough to hit street.


My solution was to just move to Colorado and tbh it worked. Within two months I found a circle of kids my age who were always getting after it and I’ve been progressing more than I ever have and it’s all on film because the friends I met also like filming and making videos. Shit on denver all you want but you can’t deny how easy and omnipresent action sports are here, and they got plenty of good jobs to fund them.

**This post was edited on Jan 19th 2023 at 11:37:47am
Jan 19 2023 11:36AM
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skierman
Posts: 8334 - Karma: 7,756
Farmville420I was in an identical spot last winter, wanted to progress, conditions were always shitty, none of my friends wanted to ski, no one would film, and the mountains were just too far away but it never snowed enough to hit street.


My solution was to just move to Colorado and tbh it worked. Within two months I found a circle of kids my age who were always getting after it and I’ve been progressing more than I ever have and it’s all on film because the friends I met also like filming and making videos. Shit on denver all you want but you can’t deny how easy and omnipresent action sports are here, and they got plenty of good jobs to fund them.

**This post was edited on Jan 19th 2023 at 11:37:47am


LOL imagine being so pathetic you can't ski unless you're with others who are filming you.
Jan 19 2023 11:46AM
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Farmville420
Posts: 4698 - Karma: 60,421
skiermanLOL imagine being so pathetic you can't ski unless you're with others who are filming you.


It was moreso that skiing alone sucks but yeah having film is really nice
Jan 19 2023 11:48AM
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MaimHelp
Posts: 1721 - Karma: 13,583
Skiing an extremely less amount of park this season was the best thing I ever did
Jan 19 2023 12:04PM
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skierman
Posts: 8334 - Karma: 7,756
Farmville420It was moreso that skiing alone sucks but yeah having film is really nice


You're pathetic.
Jan 19 2023 12:17PM
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olddirty
Posts: 722 - Karma: 2,797
STEEZUS_CHRI5TU serious?


Dead serious, all you kids are brainwashed watching kids on TW pros doing 5 swaps and getting depressed
Jan 19 2023 12:24PM
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olddirty
Posts: 722 - Karma: 2,797
bogustHow does microdosing affect your skiing I've thought about this for a while but never got around to trying it.


I go a little stronger than a Micro but overall its a great time. Makes the lift lines enjoyable I lol at all the funny people
Jan 19 2023 12:27PM
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olddirty
Posts: 722 - Karma: 2,797
hegleezyOldhead:


I'm 25 but take pride in not being apart of the new generation, I see kids in the park now and cringe. It used to be skullcandy icons bumping Nas and mobb deep, fur hoods on the 4xl, Fulltilts with the shoelace tongues holding up the sagged out pants riding out like a G no1 gave a fuck. Now its basically a circus with all the tiktok clowns out there.
Jan 19 2023 12:34PM
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KilaTsunami
Posts: 3042 - Karma: 28,861
TOAST.instead of trying to learn new tricks every time you ski, try to focusing on making what you can do look better and flowing through the park or just carving down groomers.

**This post was edited on Jan 19th 2023 at 8:51:07am


This. I feel like the most eager park skiers (like yourself) Learn a new trick, and never really take the time to truly bond with it. It’s always on to the next one. Just go ski, do ur favorite tricks over and over again until they’re effortless. That’ll put some pep back in ya!
Jan 19 2023 12:51PM
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hegleezy
Posts: 187 - Karma: 1,824
Your saying this like it’s controversial, the entirety of NS agrees with this.
olddirtyI'm 25 but take pride in not being apart of the new generation, I see kids in the park now and cringe. It used to be skullcandy icons bumping Nas and mobb deep, fur hoods on the 4xl, Fulltilts with the shoelace tongues holding up the sagged out pants riding out like a G no1 gave a fuck. Now its basically a circus with all the tiktok clowns out there.
Jan 19 2023 1:08PM
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mountaindewgirl
Posts: 2285 - Karma: 20,798
Imo it's a piece of a larger puzzle that people, especially young people, nowadays are under so much weird pressure to go pro.

It's easy to say, "just let people do sports/their hobbies to enjoy themselves"... until someone shows a glimmer of talent and promise.

Then it's like, social media, friends, family, and acquaintances just can't seem to get off your back about "you got sponsors yet? You getting paid yet? You pro yet?" And it just sucks all the fun out of the experience because you feel anxious and insecure when you go out to ride.
Jan 19 2023 1:28PM
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McDanielsprite
Posts: 210 - Karma: 991
JacobthesadskierFor background, I've been skiing park for about 2 years now, and although my skills are laughable at best, I truly truly love it. I spend most of my waking hours during the summer daydreaming about it, watching edits and attempting to get my friends interested in it, (To no avail.) Going back to last winter, I was making good progression, and I was in a really good state of mind, but since this winter began, my mind just isn't in the right place, when I'm not skiing, I still think of nothing else other than freeskiing, and what new trick I could learn, but as soon as I click into my skis and look down at the park, I feel nothing but this gnawing dread and hopelessness. I try to force myself to progress, ease up and stop being so fucking scared for no reason, but if anything I just end up feeling worse, I actually feel relieved when the lifts shut for the day and I head home. I feel terrified to do tricks I've been able to do for ages like 3's and sliding a pipe. Right now I'm so fucking miserable because I'm simply not enjoying the sport that I love. I was just wondering if anybody else on NS might have gone through something similar, and if there's anything I can do to actually start enjoying myself in the park again. Cheers NS.


Maybe instead of thinking about tricks to land and such, try going out to the mountain with nothing on your mind and just try to have fun. Instead of learning new tricks and falling just jib around and find a flow.
Jan 19 2023 1:32PM
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0n98b56dv7
Posts: 83 - Karma: 751
dont let this thread become another rant about how social media is bad for skiing lmao
there's already like 100 of those
Jan 19 2023 1:34PM
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mountaindewgirl
Posts: 2285 - Karma: 20,798
OP, I struggle with this too... I think a lot of people do. More success only made that mental hole bigger and more impossible to fill.

What helped was finally slowing down the anxious ruminating enough to have a moment of serenity - accepting that "pro" is an abstract idea with a range of meanings, and 99% of it is just a smoke and mirror state of mind. At this point, I'm not even convinced that it's a real thing.

Being "sponsored" is a ruthless exploitative machine by nature, and it usually costs you more money than if you were just chillin, throwing down underground.

Fuck what everyone else might think about your skiing or progression or potential to go "pro".

The only things that are real are the number of hours you spend riding with a giant smile on your face and points that you score at a competition.

You can dismiss the rest as fake bullshit.

And next time someone who's totally out of touch for what it means to be "pro" asks you about the fake bullshit, you can just be like, "Oh yeah, I TOTALLY wanna get 'sponsored' so I can buy someone's stuff for more than the public gets at clearance".

Be proud to be underground.
Jan 19 2023 1:50PM
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LamSobinsky
Posts: 366 - Karma: 4,294
Just ski whatever you want to ski. Progression is good but can become very toxic. Just go out to have fun instead of setting goals for the day. If you start feeling good on something consider trying a new trick but there is no reason to force it.
Jan 19 2023 1:51PM
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DominatorJacques
Posts: 11232 - Karma: 76,337
JacobthesadskierFor background, I've been skiing park for about 2 years now, and although my skills are laughable at best, I truly truly love it. I spend most of my waking hours during the summer daydreaming about it, watching edits and attempting to get my friends interested in it, (To no avail.) Going back to last winter, I was making good progression, and I was in a really good state of mind, but since this winter began, my mind just isn't in the right place, when I'm not skiing, I still think of nothing else other than freeskiing, and what new trick I could learn, but as soon as I click into my skis and look down at the park, I feel nothing but this gnawing dread and hopelessness. I try to force myself to progress, ease up and stop being so fucking scared for no reason, but if anything I just end up feeling worse, I actually feel relieved when the lifts shut for the day and I head home. I feel terrified to do tricks I've been able to do for ages like 3's and sliding a pipe. Right now I'm so fucking miserable because I'm simply not enjoying the sport that I love. I was just wondering if anybody else on NS might have gone through something similar, and if there's anything I can do to actually start enjoying myself in the park again. Cheers NS.


As was said a few times, maybe get some sharp carving skis and work on the art of the carve.
Much fun can be had, and the rush is just as intense when you have to say to yourself going mach 7, "if I munch it now I'm going to be F'ed"
Don't mach close to anyone, though. Find a clean run, then let it all hang out!

There is much more to skiing than terrain parks. Besides, most can't ride park forever anyway. Eventually one needs to "move on".
Jan 19 2023 2:08PM
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Newsheepers
Posts: 2160 - Karma: 4,134
I didn't have time to read any of this because I'm too busy with your mom, but you should just try to huck a double cork 10 then hope for the best, if you land it you'll have bitches if you don't you'll prolly die.
Jan 19 2023 2:12PM
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BradFiAusNzCoCa
Posts: 6985 - Karma: 61,023
I get it. Park skiing is such a mental battle. I don’t have any friends into park here and I’ll be too hard on myself when I ski park alone. So I tend to just take little laps through and hit some tubes and mailboxes nowadays. I’ve focused more on natural hits and Sidehits.

Honestly, like @.nasty said about Candide - I find immense joy in slowing it down and doing “instructor turns” to relax and connect with my skis. From there, my brain chemistry kind of resets and I am more flowy and having fun



Also, it’s called age lol I am way more conscious of potential injuries now than when I was 20

**This post was edited on Jan 19th 2023 at 2:27:28pm
Jan 19 2023 2:26PM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 37393 - Karma: 120,172
hegleezyYour saying this like it’s controversial, the entirety of NS agrees with this.


25 is not that old either lmao. Guy sounds like he grew up in the C Crew era when he was 5 years old
Jan 19 2023 2:39PM
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BradFiAusNzCoCa
Posts: 6985 - Karma: 61,023
Wallisch burst onto the scene when he was like 19, iirc. He is 5 1/2 years older than me so I was 13. That would have made that commenter 7 at that time lmao
CoolChillGuy42025 is not that old either lmao. Guy sounds like he grew up in the C Crew era when he was 5 years old
Jan 19 2023 2:50PM
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STEEZUS_CHRI5T
Posts: 2928 - Karma: 22,277
olddirtyDead serious, all you kids are brainwashed watching kids on TW pros doing 5 swaps and getting depressed

That I’m all about but what you might not realize is that most younger kids are basically raised into social media. Not hooked on it because they’re “weak”.
Jan 19 2023 3:25PM
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olddirty
Posts: 722 - Karma: 2,797
STEEZUS_CHRI5TThat I’m all about but what you might not realize is that most younger kids are basically raised into social media. Not hooked on it because they’re “weak”.


Im saying they are weak because of it.
Jan 19 2023 3:28PM
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STEEZUS_CHRI5T
Posts: 2928 - Karma: 22,277
olddirtyIm saying they are weak because of it.

Gotcha, guess we can agree to disagree there.

Can’t blame a child for growing up around social media and getting “brainwashed” as you put it
Jan 19 2023 3:34PM
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GrapeHunter
Posts: 2399 - Karma: 8,637
sounds like a skill issue
Jan 19 2023 4:47PM
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Chunderface
Posts: 2515 - Karma: 9,869
This is 100% a recipe for injury bro. Stay outa the park for a bit. If you can find some intrinsic enjoyment just skiing the mountain, do that for a bit. If not, just take some time away from skiing. How many days a week do you ski?
Jan 19 2023 7:00PM
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