This season, I jumped to the dark side of skiing.
Judging contests is an interesting challenge, pressure-filled and fun all at once.
Ive visited top-tier resorts, met my idols, and learned a lot about the state of skiing.
Judging is not easy.
Every skier thinks they deserve to win, and we dont give out participation trophies.
Being at these events as a judge is an empowering feeling.
Everyone you meet gives out a high level of respect.
It was different when I was competing.
When judging, none of this really matters.
Ive met former pros/idols turned coaches; actual legends of freeskiing.
It is amazing to see that these guys are still so invested in the sport.
They inspired me when I watched them on screen at Level 1 movie premieres or winning X Games medals.
Imagine if you got to ski with and learn from someone like TJ Schiller or Liam Downey every day.
I felt lucky just to meet them.
It can get heated in the booth.
Every judge wants the best run to win, and sometimes well disagree.
When this happens, strong opinions and big egos will clash.
Judging contests is hard.
Every detail of the run is examined, from landings to amplitude to length of grabs.
Even with five sets of eyes on the run, details can be missed.
It sucks, but damn it if we arent doing our best.
At the end of the day, we hold our heads high knowing that we picked the right ranking.
If you dont like it, come talk to us.
More often than not, coaches do come talk to the judges after an event.
Sorry though, your run really did suck.
