ndiggity

I'm just wondering if any other boarders out here have to deal with a fear of heights. I started skiing around age 3 and am almost 19 now. I didn't use to be scared of heights as a kid, but as a got older, it developed. It's not a matter of facing my fears as I go boarding in the mountains probably 6 times a year. It holds me back when there is a chairlift right to the top of the mountain thats wide open, or t-bars on the top of the mountain, steep runs and i'm also usually pretty nervous on the chairlifts. My only remedy is to try and take my mind off of it. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get over this?

romesaz

I have a friend that now is back on the west coast. She is terrified of heights, and wouldn't even step out onto her balcony of her condo when she was on the east coast for school.
She says that after enough times riding the lifts and gondolas at whistler, she can manage the chairlifts.
So I guess it's just a matter of reinforcing it?
try to go more than 6 times a year maybe and see if you feel better by the end of the season.

Minger

My vote goes for a speedrun - it should shatter any fears as long as you don't wipe out/hurt yourself too mucyh.

I mean...at some point thrill > fear, or at least it is for me.

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Board: Directional
Bindings: Burton Missions 07
Boots: Burton Freestyle 07

BiggerThanYours

i have a really bad fear of heights. I'm usually ok on the lifts as long as they are moving. I try to focus on whatever is eye level with the chair (trees, rocks) and try not to look down. If I get really nervous, i just crank the volume on my ipod and bury my head in someones shoulder.

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ndiggity

I usually try and rip er down the mountain but as I go up again i still get nervous.

ndiggity

Ya, when they stop is usually when I'm the most nervous, especially when you end up stopping on the part thats really high above the runs. I also focus on whatever is eye level, I guess it must be a pretty common way of coping with it

AlexK56

If you want to cope with it, accept the height you're at, don't try to say it's something else by looking at eye level, look down even though it will scare you. And then just try to get a good rush going when you're flying down the hill. That's how I am doing it, by the way, I'm deathly afraid of heights or was, I was too afraid to go on the lift to the highest hill we had at my local mountain.

BoardJunkie

Go skydiving or find an acro pilot to take ya up in something like a Pitts S2C and spin ya for about 30 minutes. I gaurantee that'll core your $hit up and you'll be fine. If you're in the Pac Northwest, I could arrange for the plane ride but I'm not a jumpmaster/instructor.