Is there a performance sweet spot?

[Bluewing]

Is there a sweet spot in the performance envelope of anything, like skiboards, let’s say from 90-98% of the capability, where magic happens? Is it more fun, pure joy at times, to be riding in this sweet spot, more so than riding at a lesser percentage of the capability of a higher performing set of boards?

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. Reflecting back on last season, which was my best season ever on the snow, I had this nagging feeling of slight negativity. That surprised me because I had so much fun and my riding improved tremendously. Plus, I skied for the first time ever out West at Shredfest and met a lot of great people.

What could be better? I realized that any negative feelings were coming from: 1) I seem to be focusing on the few things the 120s I ride are not great at (e.g., ice); and 2) I started using a Ski Tracker app right before Shredfest every time I went out and was “quantifying” my time on the mountain. By doing this I was also focused on maximizing performance – speed, number of runs, vertical skied – and was often right on the ragged edge of the 120s’ performance capability. The 120s handled it well, but it was a constant push to get right to that performance edge and hold it there.

I was actually thinking about selling my 120s. I got them out of the monkey bag the other day and laid them out on the rug in my basement. I stood there looking at them. Then I realized it wasn’t the boards, it was me.

For me I think it is a lot more fun to dial it back just slightly and hit that sweet spot where you are using the boards to their fullest, but aren’t quite at their limit. Everything just melds into a nice flow and balance at that point. Mentally it is a mellow and peaceful place as well – focused, concentrating, fun but not that sharp edged thinking required to avoid breaking through the performance envelope’s boundary.

This season I am going to:

1. Not use my Ski Tracker. It really doesn’t matter how fast I have gone, how many runs made or how much vertical.
2. Ride my 120s in that 90-98% performance sweet spot.
3. Love the 120s for what they do well and work on my skills to make them better at the few things the boards don’t excel at. I suspect it is more the rider who is falling short rather than the boards.

[valmorel]

Sadly it's human nature to always want more. Satisfaction takes a great deal of maturity to reach. We are trained from birth to be consumers, always wanting the next great thing. Tricky.
I was talking with a great and wasted ski buddy of mine last weekend, and as we do, we were reminiscing. It was the runs we were remembering though, not the kit, and apart from a couple of mad moments, the runs we had enjoyed the most together were not high speed on the edge ones. It seemed to be the conditions or the scenery that made them special, like skiing down through the trees with Jack on Mt Rose, or skiing back in moonlight with the lifties in Courchevel.
These moments just come unplanned out of the blue but are a joy forever.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

[Bluewing]

Sadly it's human nature to always want more. Satisfaction takes a great deal of maturity to reach. We are trained from birth to be consumers, always wanting the next great thing. Tricky.
I was talking with a great and wasted ski buddy of mine last weekend, and as we do, we were reminiscing. It was the runs we were remembering though, not the kit, and apart from a couple of mad moments, the runs we had enjoyed the most together were not high speed on the edge ones. It seemed to be the conditions or the scenery that made them special, like skiing down through the trees with Jack on Mt Rose, or skiing back in moonlight with the lifties in Courchevel.
These moments just come unplanned out of the blue but are a joy forever.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

Satisfaction takes a great deal of maturity to reach - yes it does. I am generally pretty good at not wanting more but every once in a while I go astray. One of the most difficult things in life I believe is defining what you personally want out of life and living that way.

There are some great lines of social commentary in the movie "The Matrix" where the Agent Smith is interrogating Morpheus - good bits start around 2:12 in

It was the runs we were remembering though, not the kit....It seemed to be the conditions or the scenery that made them special, like skiing down through the trees with Jack on Mt Rose, or skiing back in moonlight with the lifties in Courchevel - amen - moonlight on the slopes in Courchevel must have been a once in a lifetime type deal.

[valmorel]

It was. Not a cloud in the sky, no wind, about minus ten. Stars behind us and the lights in the valley below. Only possible in Dec and Jan as the days are so short. Just Russ and I and the lifties. Total trust in everyone around us. I will never forget it.

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[Bad Wolf]

I think Valmorel makes an excellent point; it's all about the experience.

When I ride with skiers or snowboarders on the lift, the most common comment I get is "those look like fun". And I smile and say they are. For a moment you can sense their confusion as I have obviously chosen a different approach to enjoying the mountain. There is no right or wrong here, I just prefer the freedom that skiboards provide over the culture of skiing.

[Wookie]

Is there a sweet spot in the performance envelope of anything.......

Short answer ... YES.

Long answer ... I am a firm believer of finding the "IN THE ZONE" moments. These moments are when everything is working together to create a feeling that you can do no wrong. I have experienced it many times while playing ice hockey as a goalie. Those games where the ice was perfect, my gear seemed to be an extension of my body, and no one could get the puck past me. The puck seemed to be the size of beach ball and my reactions cat like.

In skiboarding I have experienced the same thing. Perfect snow, perfect tune, beautiful weather, great friends and you feel as though your boards are a part of your body not some contraption strapped to your feet. You cease to think about body position and edges and just flow down the mountain.

The key to getting more of these moments is improving whatever skills you need to bring to your activity of choice so you depend less on perfect conditions and perfect gear. With snowsports, particularly on the East Coast, sometimes all the skills in the world can't get you into the zone when the mountain is packed and the snow is a sheet of ice. However a bad day of skiboarding is like sex .... Bad sex is better than no sex. Enjoy every day on the mountain in anticipation of the next time you find the zone.

[krillinakw]

... I am a firm believer of finding the "in the zone" moments. These moments are when everything is working together to create a feeling that you can do no wrong. I have experienced it many times while playing ice hockey as a goalie. Those games where the ice was perfect, my gear seemed to be an extension of my body, and no one could get the puck past me. The puck seemed to be the size of beach ball and my reactions cat like.

In skiboarding i have experienced the same thing. Perfect snow, perfect tune, beautiful weather, great friends and you feel as though your boards are a part of your body not some contraption strapped to your feet. You cease to think about body position and edges and just flow down the mountain.

The key to getting more of these moments is improving whatever skills you need to bring to your activity of choice so you depend less on perfect conditions and perfect gear. With snowsports, particularly on the east coast, sometimes all the skills in the world can't get you into the zone when the mountain is packed and the snow is a sheet of ice. However a bad day of skiboarding is like sex .... bad sex is better than no sex. Enjoy every day on the mountain in anticipation of the next time you find the zone.

amen!