It didn't take me long after coming back home to Riga to realize I have something very important to get done this spring! I had that now or never feeling that I must not miss this course and wait for the next year.
It had been about two days since I came home that we planned the departure date to Austria with my brother and for the first time my mum was coming with to visit us there.
Easter week and English school group week went by fast and in no time the Landes ski instructor part 2 had begun. With 5 days of snowboard instructor level 1 it started off as a big laugh. Day to day all we did was fooling around, learning flat tricks, being taught the right sequence of snowboard basics step by step, loads of lunch entertainment, warm up games and so on. Don't get me wrong, it's a serious course, but with all my wakeboard and snowboard experience I had no doubt about passing it, so along with learning those were the most fun days in the course because I was so relaxed!
Now to skiing. First day first run off-piste in quite a fast manner for me. Second run: still off-piste! It was really tricky as the snow was a mix between soft, hard and crust, so I never knew what to expect. It for sure took a lot of energy, but it was well worth it as I would have chose way easier lines to ski down from. Good push! Then my group was going for the box and jump section, that too was great fun and I learnt some new tricks, yay!
After lunch no more fooling around, had to ski rhythm change so they can split us into the right groups. With a bit of luck I got into Klaus's group just as in Landes ski part 1 and I was stoked! I knew it was going to be hard work until the very end of the course, but with this little skiing as I had done in the season, he was probably the only one who could get me through the course with success.
From there on it was lots of technique training and teaching methods. Comparing to part 1 this course was 10 times more intense, because the requirements are much higher and along with the three terrain skiing exams we also had to prepare for the giant slalom and 'school' runs. And all that in the same amount of time. Every day was really hard work and I felt how much I've missed out on skiing by travelling back and forth instead of doing a whole season.
For example going down the X1 route in Kitzsteinhorn with race carving??? Since I had barely done any terrain skiing this season, I was satisfied with getting down in a controlled manner with no falls. What Klaus said about it? 'Technically good, but 10x too slow. I didn't say 5x. I said 10x!!!' All I could think at that moment was 'Somebody kill me please, before skiing does!'
In the little time we went into moguls I couldn't do them as I had strained my wrist the day before. Trying going there without the poles was even worse. With tons of tape and bandage we managed to block the movement that hurts, so I got the poles back in my hands. Not for long though as on the giant slalom training I crashed. On the same wrist. I think that was the worst breaking point. For a moment I had that 200% feeling that there's no way I can make it.
Then I found a way to motivate myself. I was thinking 'dude, you tried a Railey behind the boat in Autumn and you're still alive. Railey!!! Your worst fear in the whole world! Why are you having mental trouble with skiing? It's the easiest thing!' This thought really helped and got me going again!
On my teaching exam I got to do build up powder skiing. Soooo stoked! The only hard thing about it was the fog! We couldn't see anything further than 20 meters. I was so dizzy and dislocated I had no idea if I can even show the exercises without falling over, hahaha! Luckily I somehow managed!
Skiing exams? First day was terrain. My worst nightmare. Honestly I had a really bad feeling about it the whole morning. And this time none of the motivating phrases worked.
Happy that it started off with rhythm change, where I had some confidence left. Next up terrain. Good start and feeling ended up with me smacking and rolling down after the 3rd turn. I think I lost my ski before I fell, but I'm not even sure. So try skiing just as fast after that! Anyway, somehow I made it to the bottom, extremely frustrated, but in one piece. Next up moguls. We had a little break in between so I practiced down the course once. And ended up landing on my other wrist. So my mogul exam run after that was a disaster. Quite embarrassing knowing that I got the best mark in Autumn.
Next day? School runs. A completely different feeling than on terrain. Confidence. Hadn't had that much in the week. Basic carving turns, long turns and short turns. More or less, they all felt good.
Now only the giant slalom left. I was happy we had some fresh snow during the night! I really wanted the slope to be soft! Again with that Railey motivation I stood on the start and gave it a go. Usually as I go down the beginning is really good and I start doing mistakes from the middle. This time I did the worst on the top part and actually got into the rhythm as I was in the bottom. It was really strange having a good feeling at the end of the slope. After a long wait for the results I had made it!
And in the afternoon they let us know the other results! I had made it all! So excited! The hardest 10 days in a long time, but the result was well worth it! Next season? Of course I'm going to be out there in the mountains at least good 4 months to catch up what I missed this year! Starting off with the Alpine course that I still need to do to be a full Landes instructor. Where to then? Still deciding!
BIG SHOUT OUT AND THANKS TO: my amazing snowboard and ski group! FRITZ for such a wicked time on board! KLAUS for the huge effort to improve my skiing and gaining my confidence about it back! CONNY for taping my wrist together! SVETA for the bandage, because the damn Chemists was closed! My DAD for servicing my skis and board! BENJI and GÜNTHER for giving me the best teaching exam topics! FRANZ adjusting the bindings on my new skis when I was still sleeping in the morning, haha! Camera guys and girls! And of course everyone for a great apres-ski!
Live your passion!
Lauma