I write right

My fifth article of an nine article series just got published today. The series will cover everything telemark. Check out the most recent one here, or read the entire series. You won't be disappointed!

Snag

With either my MCL attachment or my hamstring attachment inflamed, I'm back to stationary biking, CTI brace wearing, and anti-inflammatory. As for the latter, I get double trouble. Oral Meloxicam and topical Voltaren.

Skin fail

Today, I decided that a skin would be a good next activity since I just really don't want to use klister and the temperatures don't seem to be dropping. So, we went to do the road up to our cabin in Clark, CO. Unfortunately, even the slightest uneven trail made my knee hurt, so it was a short day. Guess the world really wants me to use klister.

Lorin returns

To activity!

I decided that the best way to fight off jet lag was to go for a nice easy (ha!), return to activity classic ski with my parents. Classic skiing is like glorified walking, so you can do it at any pace. I was planning on 'jogging' the route, but the snow was thinking otherwise. With classic, you have what is called a kick zone and if that kick zone doesn't stick, then you are struggling not to slide backwards. The snow was borderline klister (AKA bubble gum), but I wasn't in the mood to have sticky hands for the rest of the week, so I went with a bit colder of a wax. After double poling every hill because I would have slid backwards (not allowed to duckwalk with my knee yet), I think I will use klister next time. My mom, on the other hand, had scales (like skins for classic skis), so she was asking why I was struggling on every hill.

Rough patch

I just got back from Norway and I'm pretty sure that it has been the biggest roller coaster of a race.. It was fun, sad, and exciting all the same time.

I went as a chaperone for one of the steamboat juniors who I coach from time to time. With the new rule that under 18 yr-olds need chaperones for USTSA, I thought that I could bring some insight. Watching her compete and meet the great world telemark racing that I've come to love was amazing, but not being part of that world as another competitor was really tough.

For me, goals are what drive me, as they did after surgery last year to regain my 8 cm of muscle in two months. After I needed to return to the US for another surgery when I'd been so focused on this ski season was really hard, especially without the distraction of school. Thankfully, I have a great support group so the winter wasn't so agonizing, but being at the events in Norway opened up the still fresh wounds, so to speak.

No matter how hard it was, it was still a lot of fun and I think it was healing in the end. One thing is for sure, six surgeries and I still have the telemark bug!

In pursuit of excellence

In Norway, Bergans was awesome to offer a tour of their facilities. While there, I was given insight into Norway's biggest outdoor brand. For instance, did you know that the logo is an 1869 painting of the Birkebeiners who rescued baby King Haakon, who later went on to become the first King to unite the entire country? Now you do.

After that and an amusing attempt on my part to pronounce Norwegian words, we progressed to an overview of Norwegian culture. As an active member of Outdoor Nation, a nonprofit that is trying to rekindle the connection between youth and the outdoors in America, I was very curious as to how Norway's outdoor lifestyle became so ingrained.

Were there government incentives at some point in history? Was it a part of school curriculum? Whatever it was, at least one out of three people/families in the train station had cross-country, skiing, hiking, or sledding gear with them, obviously taking outdoor trips into the mountains. Jon(Left pic), my insightful Bergans guide insisted that it wasn't any of those. It is the philosophy of excellence that creates the outdoor lifestyle.

Take the kids soccer team in the US. If you are a regular American coach, you want to win. If you win, it is fun. So, you play your three or four good players a lot and bench many of the other kids, but you win. If that team were in Norway, the coach would try to play everyone equally so the whole level of the team improved. The goal is for everyone to reach their potential, not to win off of one or two players natural talent.

That philosophy transfers into everyday activity where a person would rather go on an afternoon hike then hit the elliptical for a 30 min. fat blast. Cross-country skiing is ten times more popular than skate skiing because it is more social and enjoyable to go on a few hour tour than a half-hour ass kicking skate. With 10% of the population members of the national outdoor club, DNT, Norway is one of the healthiest countries in the world.

Winning is a fleeting moment of glory, Jon reminded me, but consistent excellence is an achievement that you can enjoy forever. Luck on race day is not a big part of Norwegian culture.

GTFO

Since getting hurt, I've watched the history of Steamboat and Howelson Hill documentary a few too many times. Even though steamboat is an incredibly active town, the schools were even more outdoor oriented back in the day. It is the same story I've seen over and over. Kids who used to walk home for lunch in Switzerland are instead going to their local Mickey D's. Recess and free time is being trumped by classwork. It is as if it is a belief that without time to blow off steam, kids will somehow be smarter in today's world

Here in steamboat, every kid used to learn to ski on Howelson Hill for the last hour of the school day three times a week for free. Video recorded kids learning how to do everything from hockey stops to slalom gates and ski jumping.

Having a 'class' of an outdoor activity that is specific to a community not only makes kids healthier, but guarantees that they will always be aware of outdoor outlets in their area. If you are 23 and have lived in a town your whole life but haven't rafted down the local river, it isn't likely that rafting would be a first choice weekend activity. It would most likely be something familiar like watching TV.

I know what I'm writing is similar to what I wrote for mobilize.org last year, but unlike taking a fellow peer outside, if the activity is within school curriculum, there would be no doubt that it would reach 100% of the local population. Last year in high school, I wasn't even required to take gym class. ON top of that, the gym class that is in curriculum at the moment has nothing to do with activities in the community but, at the name infers, in a gym. Last time I checked, it didn't inspire me to discover the great mountain biking in Steamboat.

In reality, this isn't something that will change quickly in national curriculum, but if local governments championed the cause, it would be a huge step forward.

I fear the day when I don't see any kids hitting a hockey puck against their garage door, or when nobody gets scrapes and bruises from roughhousing. That is why local communities need to come together and make sure kids get the character boosting experiences they deserve.

Kodak Moment!

From left, my dad, mom, me, and Ben. Even though we are a super tight family, this is the first premeditated photo of all of us in five or so years. This will definitely be the background of my computer for some time to come!

The last

Not samurai, but the last visit to Doctor Sterett

I went down to Vail yesterday for (I hope) my last checkup. Although I didn't get cleared for skate skiing or regular skiing, but I am cleared for cross country skiing. For Norway, I can yak track and walk to my heart's desire.

This is how I do

... When packing!!I try to be as organized as possible when I leave for a ski trip. That way, the first night I can find my underwear. By the end of the trip, of course, My bag becomes more like an explosion of smelly ski socks. My favorite organizational tool is the ziplock bag.

Step one: stuff
Step two: stand onstep three: reseal

step four: voila!