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Skiing Without Fear

This is a blog for www.kristenulmer.com and the Ski to Live clinics.


People ask me all the time, "How did you do it? How did you ski without fear all those years as a pro?"

They want to get rid of their own fear, so they can ski better, of course.

I always answer: "You're asking the wrong question."

The question should be: "How do you embrace fear?"

Much like a whining child, the harder we ignore fear the louder it whines. It simply will not stop yowling until we listen to it. If we listen, instead of being our enemy, it becomes our friend- our warning bell. The one who has our back.

Take it a step further now, and embrace fear not like a friend, but like a lover, and you'll see that it is fear, actually, which creates our passionate for this sport. Without fear there is no challenge, no adrenaline. Without fear, skiing would have little appeal, no fire.

I love fear like I want to love Brad Pitt.

Now THAT makes for good skiing...