Team Summer Adventures: Kevin Jordan
Catch up with PSIA-AASI National Team members as they share their summer adventures and how it keeps them on their game for winter. Here’s how PSIA Alpine Team member Kevin Jordan spent his summer.
What did you do this summer?
Biking – lots of it, and still doing it!
My summer job is working with the Bike School in Snowmass and I try to shred as much dirt as possible. This summer I took and achieved my Level 3 Certification from the Professional Mountain Bike Instructors Association (PMBIA).
Why is this one of your favorite activities in the offseason?
Mountain biking is one of my favorite offseason activities because I love the freedom and challenge that it offers. I am always focusing on improving, so when the opportunity to take the PMBIA Level 3 presented itself I jumped at it.
What did you learn?
In the technical course (sometimes called trail course), I locked in on my manuals. A manual is a maneuver when the front wheel is lifted and the rider balances over the rear wheel without pedaling. My manuals were fleeting. Sometimes I could do them and other times I couldn’t.
My coach/course conductor, Duncan Mainland, was amazing! He held me up in a static position so I could “feel” the balance point. Next, he let go and I was balancing off my rear tire while holding the front tire up. I thought, “Hey, I can do this.” It opened new possibilities for me and I keep getting better at performing a manual. It was that “a-ha” moment for me that we talk about. It finally clicked, and all of sudden I could perform a manual at will and on demand.
How does this keep you physically and mentally engaged in the offseason?
Physically, I am always looking for traction and grip when I’m riding mountain bikes. The more I trust my tires (which takes time throughout the season for me to develop), the more I feel like I am trusting my edges when skiing (which also takes time for me to develop throughout a season).
Mentally, coaching another sport where the risk factor is higher (e.g. friction – there is a lot more of it in the summer than the winter), is a great challenge and opportunity for me to present information simply and clearly.
Also, I got to watch my kids get the biking bug too!
