Overcoming mental blocks skiing park

L

ljackstar

Member
Hey everyone,

Over the last 4 years I've advanced my skiing more than I could ever have imagined. I now find myself perfectly in control while charging hard on some of the steepest terrain out there, and there often is no run I'm afraid to go down. In the last 3 years I have skied every black or black diamond run at lake louise.

But this confidence does not extend it self to the park. I can slide sideways on boxes, and can get the confidence to go off most small and medium jumps, but once the jumps get larger, or if the box gets skinnier, or if it's a rail, i really psych myself out. Spins have been an especially big problem for me, i normally end up going 90 degrees and finishing the 180 once i land on snow, and when i try 360s i either freeze up right before take off or again after 90 degrees. Even the flat rails I find myself riding off the lip beside the rail instead of jumping on.

Does anyone have tips for getting past these mental blocks? It's a little embarrassing for myself to be so confident on something super steep, but totally freeze up when i try and do a 180 on a 2 foot jump.
 
Do it more. When people learn to ski they sometimes freak out and scream when they're going .5 mph on flat ground because "they're going too fast".

At a certain point skiing becomes second nature. You don't think about your turns you just make them. Same with in the park. Keep hitting features until you don't have to think about it. Instead of how to I slide this box, what do I want to do on it? etc. Get to the point where the wide boxes and small jumps you could stomp in your sleep. Starting to learn more tricks Keep hitting the skinny ones, the rails, the slightly bigger jumps.

If you're feeling confident and having a good day maybe try a new trick, try that longer down rail etc. IF you're having a shitty day move on to different parts of the mountain, or try some of your stock tricks to get the feels back.
 
13981946:theabortionator said:
Do it more. When people learn to ski they sometimes freak out and scream when they're going .5 mph on flat ground because "they're going too fast".

At a certain point skiing becomes second nature. You don't think about your turns you just make them. Same with in the park. Keep hitting features until you don't have to think about it. Instead of how to I slide this box, what do I want to do on it? etc. Get to the point where the wide boxes and small jumps you could stomp in your sleep. Starting to learn more tricks Keep hitting the skinny ones, the rails, the slightly bigger jumps.

If you're feeling confident and having a good day maybe try a new trick, try that longer down rail etc. IF you're having a shitty day move on to different parts of the mountain, or try some of your stock tricks to get the feels back.
Click to expand...

Ngl I’m always having a shitty day rollerblading in the skatepark. Been doing frontside grinds for weeks (same motion as rail/box slide but that felt easier on skis) and every time i do it I’m scared of putting my back foot too far forward and banging my hip (happened before multiple times). Coping still scares me and I struggle with turning around on steep quarterpipes. I have progressed since I started but I still feel like I’m way too scared.

what do
 
topic:ljackstar said:
Hey everyone,

Over the last 4 years I've advanced my skiing more than I could ever have imagined. I now find myself perfectly in control while charging hard on some of the steepest terrain out there, and there often is no run I'm afraid to go down. In the last 3 years I have skied every black or black diamond run at lake louise.

But this confidence does not extend it self to the park. I can slide sideways on boxes, and can get the confidence to go off most small and medium jumps, but once the jumps get larger, or if the box gets skinnier, or if it's a rail, i really psych myself out. Spins have been an especially big problem for me, i normally end up going 90 degrees and finishing the 180 once i land on snow, and when i try 360s i either freeze up right before take off or again after 90 degrees. Even the flat rails I find myself riding off the lip beside the rail instead of jumping on.

Does anyone have tips for getting past these mental blocks? It's a little embarrassing for myself to be so confident on something super steep, but totally freeze up when i try and do a 180 on a 2 foot jump.
Click to expand...

Get you some buddies to hype you up in the terrain park. Nothing to make you send it harder than the boys cheering you on.
 
I was doing the same thing with rails - get close and then bail at last second. I was told that you can start by approaching at an angle, pop, and just contact a little bit of it on the way over. Each time adjust approach angle and the jump to contact a little bit more of the rail to eventually work your way to actually sliding on it for a short time. And then of course work towards sliding the whole thing. Ive been trying this - so far its helped. I can only slide a flat rail for like 6 inches but hey Its a tiny bit of progress. As for jumps I today I did 180s for the first time on a roller. That point where you feel weightless is when I would do the spin. I only got to 90 at first but just kept at it and would go faster push higher and was able to get the whole rotation after about 5 of them. I figured I would get the feeling of it like this before going off the lip of the jump.

I really like abortionaters reply . the keep doing it until you dont have to think about it is great and the advice about good and bad days.
 
something that really helped me commit to rails was learning to step on. Its not good technique, but ride up to the rail hella slow, perfectly parallel with the rail(wide tubes are the best to learn on) then lift up your back foot and turn it 90 to get in on the rail. From here just pick up your front foot and move it 90 so that youre on the rail and sliding slowly. This just helps you get the feel for sliding sideways and simultaneously eliminates the risk of slipping out from a misplaced back foot. also booze+social encouragement works wonders
 
13981948:TheVictator said:
Ngl I’m always having a shitty day rollerblading in the skatepark. Been doing frontside grinds for weeks (same motion as rail/box slide but that felt easier on skis) and every time i do it I’m scared of putting my back foot too far forward and banging my hip (happened before multiple times). Coping still scares me and I struggle with turning around on steep quarterpipes. I have progressed since I started but I still feel like I’m way too scared.

what do
Click to expand...

learn soul grinds, theyre basically a more stable frontside. practice bending your knees in and getting your frames onto their sides for frontsides as well, youll slide faster and its way way easier to lock in. you cant really do h block grinds standing up in skates, you have to lay your shins down and squat. like abortionator said it just becomes second nature. once you can do good frontsides and souls practice just sprinting in to the ledge and doing it as fast as you dare, if youre comfortable at speed on skates you can do anything. learning good, boot down royales will really help with the slip back fear.

qps just take time and practice. there are no shortcuts for blading in transition u just gotta slam a few times till you can do it
 
In all honesty I sometime go up to people and ask if they wanna see me eat shit

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t

Sometimes I lie in threads on ns

Do cocaine
 
park is scary in the beginning but watch people better than you and look how easy it is for them and tell yourself that it must be easy, cause most of the time it is. takes some practice, and some falls, but facing your fears is just part of skiing and like any other skill, you get better at it.
 
Backyard rails are where park skiers are born. being able to slide the 15ft one foot high pvc rail in your backyard and then begin to progress on it will more then cure this problem. For me I felt very uncomfortable in the park to try skiing rails or anything besides small jumps for the first time. I went home built some small rails and started small with an on the snow tube so if I fell it was just like falling standing not a tangled up ball crunching disaster. I built up and gained a lot of confidence to the point where I felt comfortable that I could begin to progress in the park and not my backyard.If you are willing to fall a few times and spend a few bucks I guarantee it will help you get comfortable on your own and be able to help. being able to not look like a fool will really put you in a spot where you will feel comfortable and ready to progress. It can be pretty intimidating being in the park when everyone is throwing down huge tricks with 4xl tall tees but remember they were all right where you were at one point. I gained lots of knowledge and tips by going up to experienced park skiers that were older and I looked up to and asking them how to do simple tricks which really helped. 99% of the people there want to see you progress just as much as you do and will be more then willing to give you a tip or two.
 
I was the same way earning to slide rails and learning 360s back in the day. Granted it was almost 15 years ago, but the learning process was long. Learning 3's was hard, I had been doing strictly doing 180's for a season and my body just didn't want to spin any further, same with eventually learning 5's. I waited for a super soft day and just went huge and bailed a bunch of times. Having some buddies around definitely helps.

Did white a few hip smashes learning to slide a down rail. Find a small rail and just keep trying!
 
topic:ljackstar said:
Hey everyone,

Over the last 4 years I've advanced my skiing more than I could ever have imagined. I now find myself perfectly in control while charging hard on some of the steepest terrain out there, and there often is no run I'm afraid to go down. In the last 3 years I have skied every black or black diamond run at lake louise.

But this confidence does not extend it self to the park. I can slide sideways on boxes, and can get the confidence to go off most small and medium jumps, but once the jumps get larger, or if the box gets skinnier, or if it's a rail, i really psych myself out. Spins have been an especially big problem for me, i normally end up going 90 degrees and finishing the 180 once i land on snow, and when i try 360s i either freeze up right before take off or again after 90 degrees. Even the flat rails I find myself riding off the lip beside the rail instead of jumping on.

Does anyone have tips for getting past these mental blocks? It's a little embarrassing for myself to be so confident on something super steep, but totally freeze up when i try and do a 180 on a 2 foot jump.
Click to expand...

This is going to sound obnoxious but just let it sit. You can't crash in the air.
 
topic:ljackstar said:
Hey everyone,

Over the last 4 years I've advanced my skiing more than I could ever have imagined. I now find myself perfectly in control while charging hard on some of the steepest terrain out there, and there often is no run I'm afraid to go down. In the last 3 years I have skied every black or black diamond run at lake louise.

But this confidence does not extend it self to the park. I can slide sideways on boxes, and can get the confidence to go off most small and medium jumps, but once the jumps get larger, or if the box gets skinnier, or if it's a rail, i really psych myself out. Spins have been an especially big problem for me, i normally end up going 90 degrees and finishing the 180 once i land on snow, and when i try 360s i either freeze up right before take off or again after 90 degrees. Even the flat rails I find myself riding off the lip beside the rail instead of jumping on.

Does anyone have tips for getting past these mental blocks? It's a little embarrassing for myself to be so confident on something super steep, but totally freeze up when i try and do a 180 on a 2 foot jump.
Click to expand...

I had this for a while. Find something that you can do that's pretty cool, for me it was a 15 foot spine with a pretty decent case pad. It probably took me a hour to clear it, but I was so hype once I got it. I decided to go try a rail and of course I slid out, but I wasn't even mad. You got to get used to falling also. Just remember if you take it slow, go ski with knowledgeable people, and get used to falling you will be alright
 
Practice is the answer

When it comes to doing your first spins, there is a block that you need to find. For most people, you see the jump at the 180 mark and your eyes lock onto it. This stops your rotation. When you spin your threes look the whole way around. If you can't see where you are about to land you aren't doing the three properly.

Same thing for 270 on. I get so used to doing 1s and 3s that stopping at the 90 mark takes a bit of getting used to. My first 270 after not practicing them for a while is usually just a 180 (practice these on boxs first so you dont nut yourself) Hit it again and be like nah I don't want 180 I want more and then BOOM its a 270
 
visualize yourself doing the trick, that way you know exactly what you have to do. And then you just have to commit, you will hurt yourself if you don't. Bailing out in the middle of a backflip for example gets you hurt a lot more often then landing smooth on your feet
 
13989263:JT9D said:
Bailing out in the middle of a backflip for example gets you hurt a lot more often then landing smooth on your feet
Click to expand...

Nail a backflip is less fun than bail a backflip
 
Take baby steps to build up to doing a new trick.

For example on my first 5 i did a few 180s and 360s then it was pretty natural to just throw a 360 and

Spin an extra 180. The smaller the steps you take the more leverage you have
 
Try skiing with friends or a group and if you cant just send it who cares what happens is kinda my metallity and it works i landed a backflip a couple days ago first try when i just sent it
 
Visualization is important. Then just count down 3 2 1 and go full send. If you give yourself the mental option to pussy out, you will.

You gotta commit, especially on tricks you know you can do. If you can slide a box sideways you *CAN* do a rail no sweat, they’re just a little scarier. If you can ski switch and do a 180 on flat ground, you CAN do it on skis. I would recommend learning 1s maybe on flat ground before on a park jump cause they’re very easily doable without a jump.
 
13981948:TheVictator said:
Ngl I’m always having a shitty day rollerblading in the skatepark. Been doing frontside grinds for weeks (same motion as rail/box slide but that felt easier on skis) and every time i do it I’m scared of putting my back foot too far forward and banging my hip (happened before multiple times). Coping still scares me and I struggle with turning around on steep quarterpipes. I have progressed since I started but I still feel like I’m way too scared.

what do
Click to expand...

Message boards won’t grow you a pair

Rollerblading is the funnest thing on wheels
 
I can slide rails pretty easily but does anyone ever have a fear of catching your tips on taller rails? Idk how to get over it
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top