These days, ego mostly refers to someone’s sense of self-esteem and need for attention.
In moderate doses, this version of the ego is great.
Saying Bill has a healthy ego translates to Bill loves himself just the right amount.
Your brain software needs some ego; otherwise, you might feel depressed or insecure.
Jabronis like this give the ego a bad rap.
In describing them, you might say, that guys ego iswayoutta control.
Dont be self-obsessed and focus on the love of the sport instead.
Doing otherwise might get you killed in an avalanche.
Similarly, I remember a conversation I had during my brief years on the junior freeride circuit.
It went like this.
We were discussing another skier, and someone pointed out that he only likes to ski under the lift.
If it isnt clear, this observation was an insult, not a compliment.
These instances point toward a backlash against taking an egocentric approach to skiing.
To openly admit that your ego has involvement with your skiing can invite criticism.
Collectively, weve made ego synonymous with bad.
(While writing this article, Grammarly suggested that I replaceegocentricwithselfish.)
Yet, we dont need to resurrect Freud to notice that ego is the lifeblood of skiing.
In the 3rd quarter of 2022, GoPro made $305 million in revenue.
What is GoPro selling?
An easy way toshow offyour skiing.
Take edits and movies as another example.
No ones schlepping out urban segments and BC flicks on just passion.
Getting the attention of finally dropping an edit or movie is part of the deal.
Humans, after all, have the desire not only to create but to display.
Ski movies dont have a point without an audience.
I know Im running the risk of sounding jaded here, but I dont mean to be.
My point is this: ego is the mother of endless innovations and jaw-dropping movie moments.
It leads to amazing content and products that we, as ski consumers, get to enjoy.
If none of us cared for the roar of the crowd, skiing would be cold and lifeless.
Shit, without ego, I probably wouldnt have taken the time to sit down and write this article.
Another side of the coin needs to be addressed, too.
I cant soapbox about how were all skiing for attention.
Were skiing, at least in part, because it feels good.
This is especially true for those of us headed toward an advanced age.
Still, Im obsessed with skiing, just scoring fewer points for the ego and more for the soul.
That quiet desire for affirmation stems from this truth: unless youre the Buddha, youve got an ego.
Its a natural part of being human.
Dont feel bad about it, and dont run from it.
Just dont forget to point the camera if your friends ask you to.
Indulging your ego a bit isnt a free pass to being a dick.
