Jerry or Genius?

Hola and welcome to The Summit, my weekly newsletter where I share my unfiltered thoughts on navigating the peaks and valleys of adulthood. From health and relationships to productivity and purpose, consider this newsletter a collection of naive wisdom from a 20-something year old summiting the mountain of life.

Today: Jerry or Genius?

For those of you who don’t know what a 'Jerry' is, this is what I found on Urban Dictionary: 

• Someone who is just so awfully terrible at skiing. 

• Someone who has no idea how to ski/snowboard and is annoying in the mountain. 

• Jerrys are often found with zero ski drip, sporting dorky attire such as a neon ski suit. 

• "Why did the lift stop? Oh some Jerrys are struggling to get off the lift." 

• "Jerrys belong at home on the bunny hill." 

• Ellian 

So, when people keep yelling out, "Watch out Jerry", or, "Get out of the way Jerry", they generally aren't mistaking you for their good friend Jerry (or so I've heard).  And people think Canadians are lovely... 

Although I now take some offence to the term, I want to share five life-lessons that I learnt from my time as a Jerry on the Canadian slopes: 

1. There will always be hidden obstacles

There are not many things more frustrating than cruising down the mountain, having the time of your life, only to stack it, scorpion style, over a root that was hidden under the snow. You didn’t even do anything wrong, you couldn’t have seen it coming, and now there you are lying face first in the cold.

Here you generally have three options, get up and brush it off, call over a friend to come help you, or call in the cavalry - ski patrol. Of course, your decision depends on the severity of the situation and your experience.

Sound familiar? Every day you face trials and tribulations completely beyond your control. You get a flat tire, your mental health takes a turn, or you face a challenge in a relationship. It is up to you to have the courage to move forward, whether that is brushing it off yourself, leaning on a friend, or calling a professional.

2. You can still have fun in crap conditions

Some days are just crap. The snow is icy/crusty, the weather is cold and windy, and no one wants to go out - vibes are low. But they don’t have to be, because there is always another side to the coin (I have also written an article on this).

On days like these, we would try new things. Skiers would try boarding and boarders would try skiing. We would sneak some beers up the chair lift and find a nice watering hole for the day. Or if the snow REALLY wasn’t on, we’d go for a hike in the area. Nothing could stop my group of Jerrys.

I believe this principle applies to many areas of our lives. No matter the conditions, we can always pivot and find ways to score on a curveball.

3. Pow days only come a few times a season  

Powder days - heaven on earth. I really cannot describe the feeling of gliding through fresh powder. I mean, there is a reason people dedicate much of their lives to chasing powder across the world. The only catch is that these days - where snow has DUMPED overnight - are few and far between. Only a handful of a times year does mother nature bless us with perfect powder days. So, when she does, you gotta capitalise - first chair, last chair and no lunch breaks. Enjoy it.

Although we don’t catch many powder days in Australia, we all have days like these in our lives. Where everything seems to be going our way. We get a surprise promotion at work, our crypto doubles overnight (surely), or we even just experience a stroke of good luck. Like pow days, they don’t come around often, so celebrate and enjoy them!

4. It’s always more fun in a group  

When I think of the highlights from my time in the mountains, they are always in a group. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my solo time and definitely needed it to work on my ability, but nothing beats ripping down the mountain with your mates. Plus, you gotta have someone to share the memories with.

So, my takeaway from this, spend time with your mates. Don’t just wait for it to happen, organise it, prioritise it, and enjoy it. Life is always more fun in a group.

5. Learn from the people ahead of you, and teach those behind you

By the end of the ski season, I thought I was pretty cool because I landed my first backflip. But then the next day I saw an 8-year-old do the same thing effortlessly, first try. I wasn’t jealous, but I was humbled.

In the pursuit of graduating from Jerry status, I would constantly look out for other boarders, like the 8-year-old, that were way better than me. I would watch what they did, talk to them, and try copy them. Most of the time, they were really happy to help. As an example, I would never have been able to land 180’s if I hadn’t listened to the advice I was given and practiced riding switch. Similarly, I knew another Jerry who would always ask me for advice, and I was always happy to share (Ellian).

The moral of this story is that there are always going to be people ahead of you in every endeavour. So, if they are where you are wanting to go, learn from them! Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for advice, because I am sure you would be happy to do the same thing for someone else trying to get to where you are. Again, life is just like snowboarding.

So, what do you think, Jerry or Genius?

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