Welcome back!!
A few days ago, I returned from a month-long camp in Zermatt, Switzerland!
Despite the fact that we had tons of weather days — meaning we couldn’t ski due to wind or excessive amounts of snow up on the glacier — I had a productive and enjoyable camp!! We ended up training 13 days on snow (despite initially planning for 20). While it wasn’t always easy to take days off when we wanted to be shredding bumps on the glacier, my teammates and I soaked in the amazing qualities Zermatt has to offer: decadent food, gorgeous landscapes, and fun hikes to explore. Beyond adventuring outside, I also worked through a good chunk of the online course I began in September and finished several books. (If anyone’s looking for a fresh read, Just Mercy and Invisible Man were some of my favorites from the past month!)
The training venue at Zermatt is the first full course I’ve skied in several months, so I largely focused on ironing out the creases in my competition run throughout camp. This year, my trick package will be the same as last year’s: back full to cork 7. After officially completing my second preparation season of training this run, I’m excited to say that it’s steadily becoming more consistent and refined as a whole. Not only do I believe in my potential to execute my tricks, but also in the consistency and cleanliness of my skiing. When my new improvements in ski technique survived the test of the tougher conditions Zermatt has to offer, I felt liberated. Though I haven’t put my improvements under the scope of competition just yet (that’ll be the real test of the work I’ve put in!), I feel as though it’s all falling into place! With another preparation season under my belt, I feel more confident and ready than ever.
Right now, I have two weeks at home in Park City with my family. As I’ve spent time hitting the reset button by watching Frankie play soccer, doing yoga, and climbing with friends, I’m reminded of how lucky I am to live where I do, surrounded by people I love!
These treasured moments will allow me to appreciate what’s to come in November and December: final preparations in Sweden, the World Cup season kickoff in Ruka, Finland, and a competition double-header in Thaiwoo, China. More than anything, I feel a sense of calm enveloping me when it comes to competition and training. I know what it takes to ski my best, and I feel up to fulfilling that challenge this upcoming competition season! Most importantly, though, I plan to take things day by day and value each moment as I live it!
For more glorious photos featuring the Matterhorn, scroll down…
All the best,
OG
