Being a photographer I and a former Pro Skier I have always been around amazing athletes. Being so competitive we learned ways of blocking everything out and focusing on what we wanted to achieve that day whether it be for competition or a new trick or faster time through the skiercross or mogul course. Not too many people realize that almost 90% of your ability to do a sport is all in your head. Yes some of it may have to do with certain muscles that you have built up but still it was the training that we pushed ourselves to do that got us those muscles. If you don't have strong focus and drive to be great then you will always be just average at your sport of choice. You see downhill skiers sitting at the top of the course with there headphones on. There eyes are closed and they are going through the course with there hands by memory just remembering every little turn. When to start turning, is there a rut there, where does the slope drop off and what parts do I need to tuck. They are going through the course mentally and actually getting extra practice runs in. You see ski aerialists at the top of the course with there eyes closed doing funny things with there arms and twisting there bodies. They are going over exactly what they have to do to complete there rotations and flips in order to land successfully. How about surfing. Surfing takes so much mental strength. Imagine being at the top of a 30 foot wave looking down through the water at sharp reef knowing that if you mess up your going right into that. Not too many people realize how crazy surfing really is. They think oh if you eat it its only water? Nope not the case. Waves are formed by the volume of water from deeper areas being pushed into shallow areas which are either reef or sand bars. This causes the wave to form and throw. So what does a pro surfer think when he is about to drop off on a wave? I was talking to my friend Hank Gaskell who has done really well with his surfing career and he was saying that when he's taking off on a wave he knows he is going to make the drop and bottom turn and he visions himself making it out. If you think you are going to eat it you most likely will. I used to compete professionally in Big Air and Slope style for skiing and I would always notice that if I visioned myself making a trick that I had never tried before I would somehow land on my feet. If I was nervous about it and thought I was going to eat it I would always crash and usually it would not tickle. So no matter what your favorite sport is always be confident. Know that you are going to land that trick or go faster through the course and push yourself to be the best.
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