Veronica Paulsen is a professional skier based in Jackson, WY who loves to spend time on the mountains, skiing off big cliffs and famously landing a backflip into Corbet's Couloir. Here are some tips from Veronica on how she spends her fall getting ready for the ski season:
Winter is coming and while we’re all excited to run out onto the slopes and get our first pow shots of the season, there’s a few things I do every fall to prepare myself before I step out onto the hill.
First: train, train, train!
Weightlifting and physical training is the most effective injury prevention there is. All summer and fall I work on building my strength, on quickening my feet with plyometric training and improving my cardio for the hike up. At every visit to the gym, I bring a PROBAR PROTEIN Bar to make sure I can start my recovery as soon as I finish a workout.
Here are some of my favorite exercises: Power Clean - this exercise is great for improving your power and quickness under a significant load. I think it’s one of the best ways to simulate the impact you get when you land a big cliff drop.
Any balance exercise on the bosu ball or slackline - training balance really strengthens all of the little stabilizer muscles in your knees and your core that are going to keep your ligaments safe while speeding down the hill.
Box jumps and ladder drills. Training your feet quickness will help you react quickly on the hill. There are always unexpected sharks and snow snakes on the way down, and being able to recover quickly when things go wrong could be the difference between staying on your feet or going for a tumble.
Second: go through all your equipment and make sure it is in good condition.
If every year you forget to put summer wax on your skis before you store them away (like me), you’re going to want to quench your bases before you get out on the hill so you don’t start the year off slowing down your crew.
Check for core shots that you might have gotten from those late spring laps, and check your edges for any rust if some moisture could have gotten into where you store your skis.
When you do finally get out on the hill for the first time, TAKE IT SLOW.
Remember that you have all season ahead of you, and taking the first couple of days to warm up the muscles will help you stay healthy for the rest of the season, not to mention the sharks that are lurking under the surface in early season.
I always make myself keep my skis on the ground for the first day out there, and while it’s hard to resist a good jump, I always feel better prepared mentally and physically, if I have taken the time to properly warm up.
