I use this expression a lot when driving. I believe driving through a green light is something ALL OF US should be able to do without hesitation. Recently, while expressing my frustration, I came to a greater realization. Us action sports, adventure lovers know shit or get off the pot never applies to us. We are movers. We add activity on to activity. Road warriors on the weekend, snow or shine! At times it causes us to be less patient with those who cannot manage everyday life. Because it boils over in to more that our action lives, it’s the way we operate at work, school and within the family. When looking for a job, I can see that it’s hard for potential employers to understand this mentality. Yes I’m in school, yes I run my own internet company and yes, I can work for you full time and do a damn good job at it! We push ourselves past the brink, recover and get out of bed to do it all over again. On a larger scale we saw this play out at the latest X-Games event in Colorado. Rider Torstein Horgmo crushed the competition with a big-air triple cork. The mentality is to go beyond what you know regardless of the consequences.

Football, basketball and soccer have ten times the life spam of the action sports industry, but they’ve tapped out on the freshness they are able to bring to the sport. Their long tradition keeps them going even when the content is stagnant. Venues like the X-Games, Dew Tour and Maloof Money Cup allow anyone with the skills to compete, constantly changing the dynamic of the sport.

And for those not interested in pro start-um? They hike peaks for fresh powder, hit up street spots in the middle of the night and do what it takes to fuel the next level. These sports aren’t easy. The independent and ballsy attitude is in our blood and ingrained in our brains. We see the world ten moves ahead and act accordingly. So next time you’re driving and have to yell “Come on man, shit or get off the pot!” you’ll know why...

****Just a quick note: Don't Google "shit or get off the pot" images just to get something funny for your blog, you're not going to like what you find-lesson learned!

Last week Lake Tahoe saw an impressive amount of snow. I, in hopes that Kirkwood’s backside would open, decided to embrace the holiday crowds on Saturday. I rode the Wall most of the day in hopes that I would be one of the first to see the lift to backside turn. But avalanche blasting kept that from happening. In fact, Kirkwood put people on top of The Cirque to monitor anyone trying to cross over. Something I had never seen before.

During my first run, I wanted to make my own line in the powder and sadly, let the front of my snowboard dig in. I flipped over and within a second my mouth was full of snow, made face was buried and I had no idea how far down I had sunk. I used my arms to push myself up, all that did was make the situation worse. I sunk deeper and the snow continued to pile on my face. I panicked.

I knew better. I knew to keep my mouth and nose covered so I would have an air pocket, but it happened so fast. I took a minute to clam down, closed my mouth so the snow inside would melt and slowly moved the snow from my face. I wasn’t far from the surface but it felt like I was 5 feet down. After 10 minutes of pushing myself up and taking breaks to rest, I finally was back on my feet. I was very upset with myself. I knew better and instead I panicked. And I never panic. That was the worst feeling in the world.

Kirkwood is boosting 12 feet of snow from this past storm so the fear of drowning in powder is all together possible.

Avalanches aren’t the only danger, riding in trees, off cliffs and falling in to tree wells are also huge factors in snow sports. You may think you’re a good enough rider to claim what’s untouched in the trees but once you fall you may not have the stamina to pull yourself out. So while you may not think you are in immediate avalanche danger there are some tactics to take in to consideration with every day riding.

According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, the best thing to do when trapped in an avalanche is to cover your mouth with your hands or arms. That way you create a pocket so you can breathe. Punching the snow in front of you can give you more room to breathe as well. ”Many avalanche deaths are caused by suffocation, so creating an air space is one of the most critical things you can do. Also, take a deep breath to expand your chest and hold it; otherwise, you may not be able to breathe after the snow sets.” Now there are many other things that go into avalanche awareness. If you’re an avid backcountry person you should take a class to better prepare yourself of the dangers. The point of my post is to help you if you’re snowboarding at a resort, possibly alone and get stuck. After Saturday I am making every effort to snowboard in the trees with someone else. Even though they may not be next to you at all times, they do know you’re in there and that could mean all the difference.

For more information about avalanches and courses:

Avalanche Awareness

Avalanche Classes/Courses

Sierra Avalanche Center

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