Value of a Life in pursuit of Mastering the Mountains

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Most people treat life as an effort to stay alive. Second to that, they gather wealth to support their
interests: faith, possessions, adornments, titillations and love. But for skiers, the act of riding powder
and exploring mountains can serve as the primary purpose, with everything else done merely to create
time and resources necessary to pursue more mountain time and rides.
The compulsion sometimes turns normal societal values upside down, converting what to most seems
merely a form of play or a hobby into a semi quasi-religious devotion. The reason is rather primal. Track
storms back to their finite source and you’ll find it’s the sun, an orb of vast cosmic energy. The sun
emanates heat that radiates across space and warms our atmosphere which becomes currents that flow
around our globe. The currents repeat in various patterns shifting and changing as directed by the
forces of nature.

Becoming intimate with the Mountain storm cycle phenomenon – by repeatedly playing within its
sphere of habits and aberrations – creates a relationship with its natural energy. None of this is on a
skier’s mind when in the act, but as the years pass, it can increasingly underlie his or her persona.
Accordingly, many skiers don’t seek answers, they just go skiing. But real skiers see mountain time as a
non-productive, non- depletive art form done purely for the reward derived from the aesthetic value
and feeling. While becoming deeply engrossed over a period of time, the immersion in natural forces
becomes instructional even inspirational, as metaphors for existence. It provides hints of what you can
do and can’t do, or what you might be able to do but maybe shouldn’t. This energy guides us to age
appropriate decisions and choices. Living in the rhythms of nature refreshes and recharges.
Mainstream Society is often absorbed in politics, commerce, wealth and worship and is therefore naïve
to the foundational values that skiers learn. Thus, the question becomes: Which if either is a more valid
course. See you on the slopes soon.

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Value of a Life in pursuit of Mastering the Wind & Foil

Most people treat life as an effort to stay alive. Second to that, they gather wealth to support their
interests: faith, possessions, adornments, titillations and love. But for Foilers, the act of riding the Foil
and playing in the wind can serve as the primary purpose, with everything else done merely to create
time and resources necessary to pursue more water time and rides.
The compulsion sometimes turns normal societal values upside down, converting what to most seems
merely a form of play or a hobby into a semi quasi-religious devotion. The reason is rather primal. Track
storms back to their finite source and you’ll find it’s the sun, an orb of vast cosmic energy. The sun
emanates heat that radiates across space and warms our atmosphere which becomes currents that flow
around our globe. The currents repeat in various patterns shifting and changing as directed by the
forces of nature.

Becoming intimate with nature and the weather – by repeatedly playing within its sphere of habits and
aberrations – creates a relationship with its natural energy. None of this is on a Foiler’s mind when in
the act, but as the years pass, it can increasingly underlie his or her persona. Accordingly, many Foilers
don’t seek answers, they just go Foiling. But real Foil junkies see water time as a non-productive, non-

depletive art form done purely for the reward derived from the aesthetic value and feeling. While
becoming deeply engrossed over a period of time, the immersion in natural forces becomes
instructional even inspirational, as metaphors for existence. It provides hints of what you can do and
can’t do, or what you might be able to do but maybe shouldn’t. This energy guides us to age
appropriate decisions and choices. Living in the rhythms of nature refreshes and recharges.
Mainstream Society is often absorbed in politics, commerce, wealth and worship and is therefore naïve
to the foundational values that Foilers learn. Thus, the question becomes: Which if either is a more valid
course. See you on the water soon.

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