How to fuck up in your first comp - A Redmountain Junior freesking TR (F-up-R)

Like everybody said, you showed up and did it. That is the first step. Don't overanalyze it too much or else you will get in a mental rut. Take it as a lesson and remember it next time you are going for a competition.

Everybody is nervous before competition. Everybody. If they say that they are not nervous, they are lying. I found that before competitions I would focus those jitters and get myself ready: I would sit down by myself somewhere and visualize the entire race in real time. Your brain will try and speed the process up but I would force everything to slow down. This make me less ADD when I was actually on course. I would also force my mind to accept that this was just another day in the office, nothing special. I had done the course before, I will do it again, just stick to the game plan. Just another day in the office.....etc etc. Once I was sure of myself I could rejoin the real world but it seemed that people, music, crowd noise etc would just slip past and be tuned out since all of my attention was on the job that had to be done. Ice cold execution, don't let the emotions take control over the brain.

It sounds easy to do but it takes focus and discipline. Other people need to be fired up and shaking, that did not work for me. Find what works for you and stick to it.

You *will* be better next comp, maybe not perfect, but better for sure.

Nice job Philbert...wished I'd have sacked up and did comps at your age.

Try again Phill. Sounds like you got the worst out. It takes most people quite a few tries to get their heads under control in competition situations. Its not like shredding 4k of pow at Rogers with your bros.

Sounds almost like a classic anxiety attack. But next time, you'l know not to over analyze the situation. At least you didn't have a complete mental break down and assume the fetal position at the start gate.

I've had some similar experiences in almost every sport i've competed in. Sometimes you don't even realize how worked up you are til you've blown it, I tried everything I could think of to calm myself before comps but nothign worked until i just stopped caring how i did and thought of competitions as a bunch of friends just screwing around.

and like everyone has said, you got the first one out of the way, its easier each time.

phil - I don't think you had an "panic attack" from your description. I think you just got a really bad case of nerves.

Anybody who has performed live in front of an audience probably knows the same feeling. I used to play in bands and in the beginning years I would feel like I had frozen fingers at the beginning of a set. They wouldn't do what I wanted - so I began playing an hour before the show backstage. I would just play and play until the fluidity was back... and I would be okay as we started playing.

It's so frustrating to know what to do, see that it's wrong and still not be able to fix it.

Along the lines of mentioning our own shortcomings to comfort Phil, I just thought I would throw in there that before my first college hockey game, I puked on the floor during the coaches pre-game speech.

Didn't exactly play into the "savvy freshman defenseman" persona I was trying to establish.

Don't let it eat you up man. You sacked up despite being completely freaked at the top of the venue. At least you are starting early.

I have never done a ski comp, but have played live music in front of fairly large crowds.


My experience of my first big show was similar back stage, but once out there playing I was on top of the world, and despite not being a great musician at the time it didn't matter to me. Just sacking up and getting on the stage was a huge accomplishment for me at the time (maybe 14 or 15 years old).

Looks like you achieved step one. Time to rip it up next year.

Great post, Phill. Sincere, honest, and interesting.

I've always felt okay before big sporting matches (e.g., wrestling, soccer, football, etc.), but most of what you wrote is a lot like how I feel before public speaking (i.e., making an argument before court). My stomach gets tweeked, I get severe ADD and can't focus on anything, and, worst of all, I get super self-conscious--one part of me is doing the act (speaking/arguing) but another part is constantly and harshly critiqueing myself.

Anyhow, I'm sure your next event will be better now that you've got the first one out of the way. It sounds like you put too much pressure on yourself. Next time go out and have some fun. Good luck.

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Originally Posted by Phill

I had a problem that was not really skiing related so much as psychologically related. I now feel like I have no idea what to do differently next time to keep me from freezing up again.

Well thats my story....

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Take this experience (the key word here) and run with it. You stepped up, out of your comfort zone and learned something valuable about yourself. Will you have an idea by the next time? I'm guessing you will if you keep your determination and courage. Mental discipline is what you need and what you will find if you persist. Every great competitor has it, and just like the skiing skills you worked so hard to master, these skills will serve you in all areas of your life. You're on to something important here, and doing a good job with it, keep searching for the answers.

atleast your good at keeping me interested in your story...and for the skiing, best of luck at your next one :)

Phil! While the idea of you doing jumping jacks and push-up at the top of a mountain is really funny, in all reality you need to chill the fuck out, dude, and stop smoking that lung busting Mexicali brick weed.

He he, nothing like your first comp to get a big ass old serving of humble pie. I have now sucessfully blacked my first out holy cow.

A tiny piece of advice: keeping your personal throttle pinned will hurt all of your other scores more than it will help your aggro score. By a lot.

LINESCORE, LINESCORE, LINESCORE = you also need to keep that in mind, without that one thing you are done. Losing a point or three on fluidity etc… is not as bad as giving up 2 or 3 on line.

Just gotta get back on the horse and giver another go.

Nice first run at it Phil.

As everybody has said you did great just getting there and skiing it. Firsts are rarely break out performances so don't sweat it, you done good. Don't look at it as a fuck up, look at it as your first try. Just like anything you get better with repetition.

In regards to your jitters. Comps are just as much a mental game as they are physical skill. Years of racing, training and a little coaching really hammered this home. Every individual has different needs to get their head in the right place to compete well. Some fire it up and some need to calm it down. The trick is finding out what works best for you.

The world needs ditch diggers too.

Why didn't you take I90 to Spokane? That's where everything went wrong.

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Originally Posted by BC-FLOW

The trick is finding out what works best for you.

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And that is going to take a few comps to figure out. In the meantime, don't beat yourself up. I never really had a good big mountain comp experience. I wouldn't sleep, would party too hard the night before, not spend enough time inspecting. And I would get pissed with how, during inspection, I would slay my line but as soon as all eyes were on me, I flailed. HARD. But skier cross was a different story and I never figure out why.

The problem with reacting as you did is that competing stops being fun...and pretty soon freeskiing isn't much fun either. BC-Flow's gives good advise- the mental shit is different for everyone and some are better at it then others. The next time, travel with other people to relax a little. Or get there a few days in advance to ski the terrain and feel more at home. You have the first one out of the way, so you know the flow. Now adapt.

I saw you, bloody and all, and you did fine, especially for a first time.

Dont worry about it, live and learn. Next time you know a what to expect, can be a little more focused etc. Plus, the conditions were tough, I wouldn't have wanted to compete in that light/fog.

Props for showing up and sacking up to do it.

well that's over with, now you can get on with the rest of them!!

I have always been nervy...always. I've found, for me, that the best thing is to keep putting yourself in that situation until you're not so nervy.

It's a weird feeling, and a hard one to describe to people who haven't felt it. It's not good.

adrenaline overdose

do it a few more times and you'll get the hang of it

best part is that you got out there and did it the first time

well phill, you sacked up and did it, and you survived. just use it as a learning experience. next comp just chill, listen to some music, something to calm your nerves. don't get your heartrate up right before you drop in, that will happen naturally.

Oh, forgot to mention the pre-game / pre-show shits... typically gets worse when the available crappers are horrific or non-existant.

Its impressive that somebody your age would follow through with the whole process. That in and of itself is something to be proud of.

Anxiety/nervousness=learn meditation techniques and keep exposing yourself to similar circumstances. You'll get over it.

you must not have been high hu...