France!
Bonjour & welcome back! In this piece we’ll chat about heading to my first World Cup, a quick stop in Switzerland, meeting people I've looked up to for years and eating the most delicious crepes IN FRANCE!?!!
Leaving Italy I took a bus and some trains through Switzerland to arrive in Flims and meet up with one of my best friends Margaux Hackett; Fresh off the Olympic stage representing Aotearoa and doing us very proud, I hadn't seen her since Wānaka in October! Big squeezy hugs were exchanged on arrival; That warm & familiar type of embrace where you almost shed a tear. Margaux is one of those people who’s energy warms a room and smile lights up any moment. She's someone in my life I value dearly and am so thankful to have met. She feels like family, familiarity, grounding, the slight breeze on a summer's day that keeps you on your toes. Margaux is a ray of sunshine. That night we giggled like two kids at a sleepover as we caught up on life and basked in the joy of each other's presence.
The next 2 days in Flims we skied at Laax & spring was here! The snow was a treat to ski on - soft and slushy under the clear sunny skies. Laax is a resort that holds a big name in the freeski and snowboard world, renowned for their amazing parks, large facilities, breathtaking views and gorgeous weather. It’s somewhere I'd always dreamed of skiing and it felt pretty surreal to be there! Both mornings we had a focused hour and a half on the jumps with sled laps which was not only super fun, but so valuable to maximise our time and get more laps in by using the sleds. Amidst our short Swiss adventure we went out and had a boogie at the local club with some friends, Europeans sure know how to do it, the vibes were on and the music was bumping. You can’t go wrong with a lil night time shimmy on the D floor with your friends.
We made our way to France via train and our friend Bailey from over the ditch (Australia) joined the party. Chur - Zurich, Zurich - Geneva a lengthy journey across the country especially when changing platforms with all our gear, but our little team from down under managed pretty well. In Geneva we were greeted by Margaux’s lovely mum who picked us up and drove us across the border into France and to their home in Manigod; The sweetest little village surrounded by beautiful French mountains…This was pretty special for me, to be able to see where Margaux grew up is a time I will certainly cherish. Her home was built in 1860 once a farm, now a chalet filled with character. It's absolutely stunning. After the long leg of travel we sat down to delicious pumpkin soup and a local delicacy (reblochon) cheese tart made by her mum, mothers do it best and that food certainly hit the spot.
The next day we woke up from a much needed sleep in to yummy French pastries & bread from the local bakery!! Talk about dream life! We had a slow morning, a nutritious delicious lunch and then it was time for the 3 of us to make our way to Tignes for the week. Here we’d be competing in the slopestyle World Cup. A short 2 and half hour drive south on your Monday arvo, snacks, songs, scenery and sunshine - bliss. Once in Tignes we dropped Bailey to his accommodation and Margaux and I found our air bnb. A tiny little apartment, she was a cosy set up indeed & having to share a double top bunk was pretty funny too hahahaha.
For the world cup schedule we had 2 days of training on the course, then a rest day whilst men’s qualification took place, then women’s qualification followed by finals for both the next day. A big week ahead! On our training days we had gorgeous weather. I came into the world cup environment with an open and curious mind, the objective for me here was experience, put a run down and get some points under my belt. Not going to lie the first day was pretty overwhelming! Going up the chairlift for the first time we had high hopes for this course because Tignes used to be the home of Xgames Europe for quite a few years… However, as we took our first look at the course from the chair, even me with no world cup experience could see it was built a little funky, particularly the shape of the 1st jump looked more concerning than inviting. But I tried my best to keep an open mind as we skied through the course to scope out the features.
As we watched people hit the jumps and heard their thoughts it became clear that these jumps were not built right and I no longer felt safe to hit them. “These are built so bad” “the jumps are scary and sketchy” “I don't like them and they’re not safe” are a snippet of what people were saying. It’s hard to describe in writing what was wrong without seeing them for yourself, but for those in the snow community I can say that the trajectory was wrong and speed was very difficult to get right. The distance from lip to knuckle wasn't actually that large, but the trajectory shot you straight up in the air and down… They were quite kicky, visually the 1st jump actually looked very similar to an aerials shape. Yikes; And we all know the saying “speed is your friend”, well in this case - speed was not your friend… We saw people overshoot the jumps all day as they tried to figure out the flow, and the general vibe amongst the field was not super positive.
Not only was I surrounded by the best skiers in the world, people I've looked up to and admired for years who have been on top of Xgames and Olympic podiums. People I've followed on social media and am now seeing/meeting in person it was so cool and inspiring, but as much as I tried to keep an open mind - when anxiety is in the picture, to hear the feedback about the jumps from these top athletes who have years of experience became disheartening rather than valuable. It made me doubt my ability completely… my mind was saying “well if the best in the world feel unsafe on these jumps then who am I to even try”. Imposter syndrome had crept in and I suddenly felt so inadequate to be in this field.
After talking to mum on the phone we agreed that hitting the jumps today was not going to happen for me anymore, this was not an easy decision but the state I was feeling mentally plus the risk of overshooting and getting injured made it clear. Also, because pretty much everyone felt the same about the jumps, it was highly likely they’d be changed overnight. Therefore, it was ok to not hit them now cause they’ll be different tomorrow! So, I just focused on hitting the rails, enjoying meeting new people and I definitely was not the only one doing this. At the end of the training time there was a debrief with all the athletes, organisers and park crew. Feedback was given and the park shapers agreed to make changes to the course overnight. This made me feel a lot better with how my day went.
In the evening I did some processing, reflecting and planning with my mentor which helped me feel secure in my ability again and go into day 2 of training prepared. Overall, I had a much better day. I hit both jumps on my 2nd run through the course thanks to following Bailey for speed, and continued to hit them all of training. I didn't quite get my run together but even just being able to feel comfortable on the course was a huge win, the tricks would come.
Margaux introduced me to all the girls and although you feel like you already know them from following their social medias, it was so nice to be able to meet them in person. Everyone I met was super kind and genuine. On our rest day we had a sleep in & walked into town in search of crepes for brunch. We found a cute little creperie and had the restaurant to ourselves, starting with a savory galette followed by a sweet crepe, two very happy girls with full tummies walked out of there that day! Hard to put into words just how delectable it was but trust me when I say 10 out of 10 highly recommend!! In the arvo we hung out with Darian and enjoyed a relaxing spa, sauna & steam room where she was staying. Much needed down time after a full 2 days of skiing.
Back at our apartment in the evening Bailey kindly cooked us dinner, we all shared a yum meal and then monopoly deal was on, (my favourite card game you know I had to bring it with me!) Margaux gets very competitive playing this game or any for that matter hahaha. The 3 of us make for a solid and highly entertaining match. Before bed Margaux and I wound down with a relaxing yoga session and breathing exercises. I furthered the practice with my own meditation & journaling to help ease my pre comp nerves.
As we got on snow for our qualifications, we could see that the weather was questionable. Temps were cold and the wind was blowing. The flags next to the jumps were going crazy and we could see by watching them that the wind kept changing direction… A difficult course alone without challenging weather I began to feel nervous for my safety. But I still wanted to go out and give it a try. We had an hour of training and on my first run through I hit the rails and as I approached the 1st jump I took the same speed as I did on practice day 2, but as I went up the takeoff the wind became head strong and it obviously cut my speed significantly, but by this point it was too late to stop so I proceeded to go off the lip (I knew it wasn’t good & said “oh f*ck”) and landed flat on the table taking my knees straight to my face and then bouncing off onto the landing, I did not hit the second jump after that and just skied to the bottom of the course. Back at the top it was evident the wind was affecting everyone's speed, some girls not hitting the jumps at all. I went through the course a couple more times, but couldn't bring myself to go over the jumps again in those conditions. Eventually, everyone kind of stopped and gathered at the top of the course for a chat. The decision was made to cancel qualifications and put all of us through to finals tomorrow in hopes the weather would improve. Well then… My first world cup turned into my first world cup finals! Hahaha lucky me!
We headed down from the competition venue and made our way to a different part of the valley with some friends to Val-d’Isère, up the gondola and into La Folie Douce. An iconic part of the French ski scene, La Folie Douce is an apres party like no other. Costumes, dancers, dj’s, and Mc’s this was party central!! And dancing on the tables was HIGHLY encouraged. In fact, if you did not comply with the Mc when being told to “Get on the table and shake your ass!” - you were asked to leave hahaha. We boogied the afternoon away on top of those tables and had the best time. This was exactly what we needed to lift our spirits after a challenging morning. I loved every minute of being there and honestly was the highlight of my time in France. We wrapped up our dance party with some well deserved Nutella crepes on the way back to our apartment. !YUM!
The next morning it was time for World Cup finals! And that better weather we hoped for; Yeah…Nah :( .When we got to the chairlift it was already on hold due to high winds, which were faaar worse than yesterday! I didn't even make it up to the course before they made the call to delay practice starting by an hour. All the athletes chilled in the cafe at the bottom, and then it was delayed by an hour again, and then another hour and then unfortunately; Cancelled. Tough outcome for us, but good for my family back home who waited eagerly on the live feed to watch us ski, they could finally get some sleep! But hey, sometimes that’s just the way the cookie crumbles. A sad reality for sports like this that are dependent on weather conditions. Of course I found it disappointing that we couldn't compete in the end. However, cancellations aside this was a successful trip for me, a week in Tignes meeting new people, skiing a world cup course and learning heaps are valuable experiences you can not replace.
Margaux, Bailey and I made our way back to Margaux’s house for the night, this time joined by Darian. Monopoly deal was on at the dinner table, delicious food and good chat was shared by all and it felt like a warm fuzzy movie style perfect ending to my time in France. In the morning we all headed to Geneva airport, Margaux and Darian were flying to Munich and heading to Austria for Spring Battle at Absolut Park, whilst Bailey and I were going back to Laax on the trains. Hugs all round and “see you later”s were in store. How good are friends?! It’s weeks like these that make me so thankful to be alive on this earth. Sounds cheesy but truly, you can’t beat adventures, new places, good people, challenges, shared experiences and laughter. It’s pure, it’s beautiful, it’s human.
Next on the cards I’m in Switzerland for a while! More training, competitions, dancing, fun with friends and maybe even catching covid? Stay tuned!
Hei konā mai - goodbye for now,
LMJW xx
