Visualize Your Line with Tonje Kvivik

My first Academy day showed its rough side: diffuse visibility, the onset of snowfall and that typical wet and cold feeling that penetrates even through several layers. Friday's Freeride Techniques for Women course focussed on technique. There I also got to know the mountain guide Yvon, who would be guiding with Tonje and therefore also with me the next day. The prospect of spending a day skiing on the Arlberg with the "Female Skier of the Year" and a female local mountain guide was already giving me great anticipation - and the fresh snowfall did the rest.

The next morning, as hoped, shone with a bright blue sky and a fresh, glistening dress of fresh snow. The amounts are manageable, but with a bit of luck you should be able to find something on the Arlberg this Saturday. We, three other girls taking part in the course, have just got to know each other and shared our excitement for the day when Tonje comes round the corner. She radiates a relaxed atmosphere that makes you feel immediately welcome, and my initial excitement is soon dispelled.

The first surprise awaits us before the first descent. Tonje's new sponsor, Giro, provides us with helmets and goggles to test for the day.

We make our way to the gondola and the lift to the top offers the first opportunity to get an overview of St. Anton and the surrounding mountains. Tonje is also visibly impressed and immediately finds a line that she would like to ski (if only there was a bit more snow ...). Even the overnight snowfall can't make up for the snowless winter).

And now we can also enjoy feeling our lines. Yvon, who knows the area like the back of her hand, leads us to an untracked north-facing slope that is surprisingly fun.

After our run, we stop at a spot with a perfect "barbe-angle" - the place where the photographers roast in the sun for hours until the athletes have climbed their gully and it's time to take the perfect shot. So we stand there and look at a face full of possibilities. Together with Tonje, we start planning possible lines. She encourages us to simply dream. Imagine more snow, a perfect day with safe conditions - and leave the skills out of it. It's all about imagination: Which line looks like fun? Where would we put our turns? Which drop would we jump? Tonje encourages us in such a way that it's fun to plan the lines and you get the feeling that it's not that impossible after all.

When you watch her ride, you realise: the woman is in her element. It looks so light and playful. When asked how she does it, her answer is very clear: "You feel it". She tells us that she used to always look for the biggest yips, the riskiest and most exciting line when contest riding. And often crashed or simply didn't feel comfortable. Time and time again, the others whose line was somehow "flowier", somehow suited them better, won without taking the biggest risks.
Today, Tonje knows what that means. She visualises her line, every drop and every element in the terrain and asks herself: “Does it fill me with joy to ride this? Am I scared or does it feel good? What would it be like to put a turn in there?” If the feeling is right, she knows it's the right line. Her motto: "Don't be afraid of your line! - Minimise unnecessary risks, especially those that a spectator wouldn't see anyway. Landings must be safe.”

She gives us a few life hacks:

1. always take a photo of what you want to ride (ok, I already knew that),

2. draw your line (so far, so good) and

3. when you are at the beginning, turn the picture upside down, then you will find it much easier (it's such a simple, but sooo great tip!).

Another tip she gives us with a twinkle in her eye is: "Always imagine the drop is much bigger than it actually is. If you then decide to ride it, you'll be happy to realise that it's actually much smaller than you thought."

After a little avalanche lesson with Yvon, we set off again. As the conditions are rather modest and we prefer to leave our imagined line in our heads, we ski the Arlberg classic Hintere Rendl. Here we have a short bootpack session, during which Yvon shows us how to carry our skis quickly and easily without strapping them to our backpacks - a trick that I won't forget in a hurry and which is also a novelty for Tonje.

On our descent, we discover a small, untracked gully. The photo we took of the face beforehand pays off immediately: We all find a few more deep, perfect turns.