I met Chandler about 6 years ago at our home mountain in Washington, Alpental. My mom and I had seen this young guy shredding around the resort skiing fast and fluid on one leg. We introduced our selves and learned he had recently lost his leg in a boating accident. I also got to ski with Chandler a few times at Alta, and I grabbed his number. To this day I have him saved in my contacts as “Chandler Kills it.” He is the most enthusiastic guy and seriously throws down on his ski! I was so impressed with how fast he was, and how confident he jumped off everything. He likes getting air more then I do! Most of all though I was impressed with his attitude. Not only is he positive, but he is a rad, down to earth guy. One day when we were skiing together, he had been following me off the cliffs I was hitting and showing me other fun drops. I asked him if he has tried skiing switch. By the end of the day he was craving switch turns on his ski… Here is Chandler’s story.

Brief summary of the boating accident. How long ago did it happen?

When I really understood that I had lost my leg, I just thought “what things can I still do?” I was 16 years old, and I loved skiing, tennis and lacrosse. It seemed like my favorite things would be unavailable to me. It was tough for those first few days.

Getting back to skiing was so good. My doctors were worried that if I fell skiing, I could re-break my pelvis, so they banned me from skiing until the spring. In February, I had an appointment with one of my surgeons, and asked him if I could ski. He gave in and said okay, and that day I skipped the last part of school and went skiing at Alpental, my home mountain. On the first ride up the chair, I was nervous that I would fall getting off the chair. To my surprise, it went okay, no falling, and I made my way slowly down the run with no big problems. On that first afternoon, I was back to skiing advanced terrain, but I was hungry for more. Later that season I made it back to skiing powder and even a little slackcountry.

After a few seasons of skiing on one leg, skiing to me is a way to experience freedom, physically. I have a prosthetic leg, but I’m unable to really run around. When I ski I don’t use it. I love not feeling like I’m hindered in any way. Skiing is a way that I can feel the rush of going fast. I love to ski in trees and figure out fun lines. It makes me happy to ski creatively. Skiing on one leg is pretty much the same as two. The mechanics are the same. I love that I can still ski hard. Skiing is one of those things which I will try to continue do until the day I die. I don’t know how long my leg will last. My body might give out a little earlier than other people, but until it does, I’ll be skiing.

As I write this, I haven’t skied for more than a year, simply because I am taking this two year break. Do I miss skiing? Oh yeah. However, I am happy right now, and I think it’s remarkable when we leave the things we love most, it’s possible to still find happiness. I am so grateful that I can still ski. I think some people just kill themselves thinking about a bunch of “what if” questions. Don’t focus on the “what if” things of the past, and focus on the present, certainly with the future in mind. I am thoroughly convinced that if we choose to be happy, we can be happy.

Chandler, My self and friends, skiing at Alta

In life sometimes we go through some difficult things, but through them we grow beautiful, strong wings so we can rise above them. As Elizabeth Ross wrote…
The most beautiful people we have known are those who have
known defeat,
known suffering,
known struggle,
known loss,
and have found their way out of the depths.
These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern…
Beautiful people do not just happen.

My first interview will be with my friend Chandler Balkman. Stay tuned to hear his story about surviving a boating accident that left him with one leg.

Thursday night I headed up to Bellingham with Rime Knits Owner, Ross Reid. We woke up at 5 am Friday morning to beat the rush of cars to Mt. Baker’s opening day. 4 ft of fresh snow awaited us as we pulled into the dark empty lot. It was an incredible day of some of the deepest snow I’ve ever skied with some wild crazy FUN ASS people including Surface team riders Eliel Hindert, brothers Mattias and Micah Evangelista.  Our shred posse also included our guide for the day, Mr. Grant Gunderson. DubSatch boys Sam Cohen and Taylor Lymam also scrambled to get the goods all the way from utah! After a full day of neck deep pow turns, countless high fives, and continuous choking and laughing we met up at Bellingham’s Casa Que Pasa for well deserved burritos! From there I stuffed into a little car between beer, wine, wet ski gear, and stinky boots with friends of friends across the boarder to Vancover. From there we dropped off some people, picked up a truck and some other people and rallied up to Whistler!! With pretty skys, new friends, and fresh snow we shreded the rest of Whistlers opening weekend till our quads were on fire. Sunday evening I jumped into another friend of a friend… of a friend’s car where we made our way back across the boarder and to my car parked at Ross’s then finally back to my house.  THEN, some how woke up this morning for my dentist appointment, then to my physical appointment and THEN I’m waking up early tomorrow morning to drive to Utah where I’ll be posting up again this winter. woooooo

1. STRENGTH and POWER

Running up Cougar Mountain.

2. STRETCHING and PATIENCE

Yoga

3. SPINACH and PROTEIN

Blueberry, Apple, Avocado, Sugar Snap Peas, Almond, Cucumber, Spinach Salad.

Tuna, Avocado, Onion, Almond, Spinach Salad.

Sweet Potato, Grilled Asparagus, Red/Yellow Peppers and Onions, Almonds, Feta, Spinach Salad.

Strawberry, Grape, Apple, Red Pepper Spinach Salad.

“Tree pose grows confidence”  ~Terri Guillemets

Vanessa Aadland has been vagabonding her way around New Zealand this year. Embracing being a broke ski bum to the fullest extent of the law. This week she placed 4th overall at The North Face Freeski Open in Wanaka, NZ. Wanted to congratulate her for crushing it and thank her for being an inspiration to us all.

THANKS SURFACE!!!! Honored to be in the FAMILY

www.surfaceskis.com

After a full year of winter, one huge season in Utah then straight to New Zealand, all I
longed for was some warmth. I found it in the desert of Southern Utah where I
spent 12 days sleeping out of a van. While exploring and camping in new areas
each night I spent my days watching sunsets, practicing yoga, reading and
running. The silence and vast beauty of the desert was divine and healing. It
was wonderful to be reunited with my dog Baker again. He cuddled every night
with me, I missed him soooo much! I went on some really cool hikes through the
slot canyons near Escalante. If you’ve never been there I highly recommend it!  I also spent one weekend in Moab mountain biking with my whole family. (It has been a whole year and a half since we’ve all been together!) There was an event called “Outer Bikes” where we got to try all the new 2012 bikes. It was awesome. Now I’m back in the great Pacific North West until the snow starts to fall. Until then my feet will dance with freedom from the constricted confines of my ski boots.

My head was still buzzing from the night before, my last night in New Zealand. Our car made its’ way though the bright green valley floor dotted with hundreds of sheep and sharp mountains jutting through the hills. I was on my way to catch my flight but decided to sneak a bungee jump in for kicks. I just couldn’t leave NZ without doing the classic tourist move. I sent all my NZ friends final goodbye texts, thanking them for loving me like a sister. It’s so strange to think I’ll probably never see most of them ever again. Here is a summary of my incredible trip. Incredibly amazing, incredibly difficult, incredibly beautiful… but yes, it was defiantly incredible.

Arriving in New Zealand (as I do) with next to no plans and a contact or two shoved in a pocket, I eventually settled into the stunning town of Wanaka. I moved into a little house, right on the edge of town, with 4 random girls from all over the world. We all became best friends instantly and with time became like sisters, sisters of “The Doll House.” Even in tight quarters and scary financial times, to this day, I love each of them. I shared a loft with 2 of the girls, lived off noodles and toast, used a $10 filing cabinet as a dresser, and slept in my puffy down coat, a beanie and sleeping bag to stay warm. Nothing to worry, us crazy dolls made the very best of it!

With a very late start to the season, due to an extreme lack of snow, a job was hard to come by. By the end of the season I some how managed to get fired from two, but finally landed a great job. I can say with confidence I went from the worst job of my life, to the best one. For most my trip I reckoned I’d never be able to afford a flight out of the country. At times I had over drew my bank accounts, had to borrow money and had past hospital bills digging my hole deeper then I knew was possible.

A 6 ft storm kicked off the season and Treble Cone was going off! Opening day was an epic pow day with the highest amp level I’ve ever experienced. Early in the season I did a fun competition called the Triple Comp, where I won $500 to a local ski shop!

Thanks to some wonderful souls I was able to raise the money to compete in The World Heli Challenge. I placed 2nd on free style day and toped the Big Mountain day off with one of the scariest crashes of my ski career, in the midst of it all loosing a ski to never be found. The search for my ski quickly came to an end when 2 time champion of the event, Mr. Ted Davenport, shattered both legs. (send your love his way!)

I also spent some time volunteering with a program ran through Snowdrifta, teaching pre-schoolers how to ski. It was refreshing being around such joyful, free spirits.

In September I was telling my flat mates how I was confident in my decision NOT to compete in the North Face Free Ski Open. There I was, a couple days later, competing in the event. I ended up only .23 points away from the podium but was happy as a clam about placing 4th.

I spent my last day shredding in the sunshine at Snow Park with my favorite people and partied my face off till all hours of the night. Along with a gnarly hangover on my 2 day mission home, came a stone cold $300 excess baggage fee. If I wanted to catch my flight I had a window of 10 minutes. After a flurry of frantic shuffling and tears, I had to throw away 2 pairs of poles, all my outerwear, jeans, some thermals, sweat shirts and t shirts. (luckily I had already lost the pair of skis I brought so I didn’t have to toss those into the rubbish as well)

The whirlwind of events finally settled as my plane touched down in SLC. While it’s all over in a blink of an eye, I still can’t digest everything that happened in the 4 months I lived in that beautiful, little town. It was such a crazy ride packed full of adventure, surprises, beautifully genuine people, lots of tears and even more laughs. With the bad came the good, and with the terrible came the wonderful and as always I’m thankful for every second of it!