There are so many new and cool ideas, tools, businesses opportunities, press opps, and and and…How do you decide what you are going to focus on each day?
When I was snowboarding I had one main goal or vision that was to get into the XGames. Every day it was my mission to ride better, ride with the best, and learn the route to the XGames. The year that I was ready to play, all of the qualifying events were canceled due to lack of snow. Now what?
I’d collected video clips from the last season, and summer riding, then made a video of what I could do, submitted it to the organizer of the XGames and kept on contacting them. I email photos, had people email on my behalf. If for one moment I decided to head in another direction my path would have become longer and harder to get what I wanted.
With laser focus I persisted every day until I got the invitation to the Winter XGames 2001 Big Air Competition. That was the most exciting day of my young life. My mom gave me her airline points to get to Vermont. I showed up after a long 2 days of travel through Minnesota, NY, and then a train to VT, with no place to stay and a 6ft long board bag.
On the train I met a nice young man who I gave my coach pass to, he was beyond ecstatic to be able to go to the athletes lounge and the top of the jump. His friends all made sighs to support me. My first official fans.
The first night at the athlete’s meeting I met the organizer in person and introduced myself and told him I was looking for a place to stay. He happened to have an extra bed in a room where another girl was staying. There were a couple of top pros staying in his cabin. He introduced me to every pro and took us to an amazing home for dinner with legends in the industry.
There I was at the top of my game riding against the best in the world…to be continued.