Euphoria = term is often colloquially used to define emotion as an intense state of transcendent happiness combined with an overwhelming sense of contentment. (wikipedia)
Standing at the bottom of the SuperPipe with an athlete/industry VIP pass. In the front of 41,000 people. Alongside athlete Gretchen Bleiler's family and friends. Euphoria. 100% perfect satisfaction was felt. The X Games have been on my bucket list for a long time.
History was being made in every event. Kelly Clark's 1080 landed for gold in the Superpipe Finals (first woman to land one in competition) Tucker Hibbert blew away the competition in the SnoCross (snowmobiling races) for the 5th time. Those guys were launching snowmobiles over a 125ft kicker. Then there was Shaun White's second run during the mens SuperPipe final.....watching it, no still thinking about it gives goose bumps.
Here there are people pushing the limits.....a LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS.
The best tho, were the moments that were about character and not necessarily winning. Gretchen Bleiler fell during all 3 of her Superpipe snowboarding runs. Yet, every time she came up to her friends and family. Smile on her face. Still life, in her eyes. Happy to be there, competing in on of the worlds most prestigious events. That is ingrained in my memory forever.
Then there were the adaptive races for SnoCross (men with injured bodies) throwing the 500lb machines around like they're tricycles. As they took off, the announcer said "people, last year, we had prosthetics flying around the course, this race gets interesting."
A glance up on the Skier X course sees a MonoSkier (adaptive skiier, riding on a chair with one ski below) coming down, hitting the bottom 80ft jump, flying through the air only then to SMASH himself on the landing and sliding down to the crowd.
Life, my friends, is about living. Not dying. Have you LIVED lately?
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