This is one of my favorite parables… (slightly modified as I love both of these guys very much)
High in the alpine of WB lived two gents who were hired to cut wood in some of our amazing, glided trails. Let’s call them Eric and Wayne. They were given the same tools, the same number of trees, and the same amount of daylight (BTW – they were both very competitive).
Eric worked without pause. From the moment the sun rose, his axe swung hard and fast. He took pride in never stopping, never sitting down, never wasting a minute. In fact, and I may get this wrong he always said “The faster you swing the axe the more wood you take down…” or something like that…persistence was his driving force – just ask the locals. 😉
Wayne, on the other hand, worked steadily, but every few hours he would disappear into the trees. For nearly an hour, sometimes longer, and no one could see him. Eric scoffed, knowing he was always the more skilled woodcutter.
“Pendant que je suis ici à travailler” he muttered, “he’s off, probably relaxing”
By Whistler sunset, the woods grew quiet and both men returned to their ‘happy place’. When WB accountants (and they were merciless) counted the logs, everyone was surprised: Wayne always had cut more wood…wwhhaatt?
Eric, exhausted and frustrated, finally hooked up with Wanye at Merlins and asked…“How is this possible? Every day you disappear (he actually used a different phrase) for an hour. I giver-er like there’s no tomorrow and never stop.” Wayne smiled… as he only could… and replied… “Mate…while I was gone, I was sharpening my axe.”
A Lesson for Snow School
At Whistler Blackcomb, we face a season much like that forest. Long days. Cold starts. Tired legs. Endless laps. It’s easy to believe that pushing harder, skiing faster, and saying yes to all extracurricular activities mark of a great instructor…but does it?
The strongest instructors, the ones still smiling and ripping in late April, are often the ones who disappear for an hour (+).
They stretch.
They refuel.
They sleep instead of partying every night.
They take rest days seriously and ask for extra ones (but not during Xmas and Prez week) They listen to their bodies… sore knees, tired backs, and foggy minds.
To some, it may look like they’re working less, but all season long, their edges stay sharp.
They teach better.
They ski & snowboard stronger.
They stay patient with guests.
They avoid injury – this is a big one!
They last the season by making the right decisions and enjoy it.
Moral…as if I really must tell you…
You don’t fall behind by taking care of your body.
You fall behind by dulling the axe you depend on.
A long winter isn’t won by those who swing nonstop, but by those who know when to sharpen and recover. “Let’s make this the best season EVER!”
Bartosz Barczynski
