Alex Vinatzer First WC GS Podium Beaver Creek / @meredithguinan
Each racer reaches some extent of their snowboarding the place enchancment stalls. You practice laborious. You ski properly. You are feeling such as you’re doing every little thing proper. But the outcomes keep flat — or generally even slip. You are feeling caught, and the boldness that when got here simply begins to shake. Coaches say you’re shut, however nothing appears to alter, leaving you questioning what’s actually holding you again.
That is the efficiency plateau.
Plateaus aren’t an indication of lack of expertise or failure. They’re usually pure developmental thresholds — moments when the thoughts and physique want time to consolidate new expertise. Typically your present plan, mindset, coaching, or habits merely aren’t sufficient to achieve the subsequent degree. What separates profitable racers from everybody else isn’t whether or not they plateau, however how they reply when it occurs.
After many years of working with racers from U12 to the World Cup, I’ve discovered that the majority plateaus come from 4 major psychological and emotional causes.
The Good-Snowboarding Lure: Consolation Over Progress
Younger athletes are taught to ski properly: clear arcs, sturdy stability, stable ways. They develop technical competence — then get caught dwelling there. They execute their snowboarding, however they don’t problem it or push into discomfort.
The result’s consistency with out development.
Some athletes at all times look lovely in coaching however by no means threaten podiums. They’re afraid to get messy. Chaos and pace create discomfort, in order that they again away from it and prioritize perfection as a substitute of efficiency.
Methods to break by:• Cease equating clear with quick.• Practice uncomfortably, particularly at pace.• Settle for errors and DNFs as a part of pushing your ceiling.• Set course of objectives like “assault the autumn line” as a substitute of “ski clear.”
Take a look at Marco Odermatt. His snowboarding isn’t textbook excellent, however he embraces the sting of management as a result of that’s the place profitable lives.
Concern of Failure — The Hidden Killer of Velocity
Many athletes plateau when concern sneaks in: concern of crashing, concern of letting coaches down, concern of seeing a DNF subsequent to their title, concern that enchancment has stalled, or concern of confirming they’re inferior to they hoped.
This concern is refined. Racers hardly ever discuss it, usually telling themselves they’re snowboarding good or situations have been difficult. Beneath these explanations is often self-protection.
Concern restricts the thoughts and physique. It holds skis out of the autumn line, creates micro-braking, reduces stress on the downhill ski, and produces conservative strains.
Prime racers know they need to threat dropping to have an opportunity to win. Sofia Goggia has stated it clearly: she would slightly ski out going for the win than end fifth by holding again. That mindset isn’t reckless — it’s a strategic acceptance of threat.
Methods to break by:• Reframe DNFs as knowledge, not id.• Follow deliberate threat in coaching.• Set objectives primarily based on pace, not survival.• Change “don’t crash” with “decide to the road.”
Identification Plateaus — When Outcomes Outline Your Value
This is without doubt one of the most damaging plateaus and is commonest in youngsters and faculty racers.
A racer begins to consider their value comes from outcomes:If I carry out properly, I’m worthy. If I don’t, I’m a failure.
That mindset creates risk mode — nervousness, rigidity, stress. It’s like carrying a 25-pound vest within the begin gate: every little thing feels heavier. The result is tentative snowboarding since you’re unconsciously defending the id tied to outcomes.
Clément Noël has spoken brazenly about this section. When expectations started to outline him, his slalom grew to become tight and reactive. Breaking by required separating who he’s from what he scores.
Methods to break by:• Construct id round development, effort, and execution — not podiums.• Strategy coaching with curiosity: “What occurs if I push right here?”• Search environments the place errors are regular.• Perceive that wrestle and threat are developmental instruments, not character flaws.
The “Nearly There” Mentality
Many athletes plateau as a result of they’re adequate to be aggressive however not daring sufficient to interrupt free.
As a substitute of pushing the restrict, they race inside the boundaries of their present capacity. They race to qualify, defend, or keep away from messing up — progressively changing into skilled risk-avoiders.
Methods to break by:• Continually search for methods to ski sooner.• Make your default within the gate full ship.• Race to win — even when you gained’t win.
Petra Vlhová is an instance. She doesn’t handle her approach by slalom. She assaults with drive and dedication. The aggression you see is a deliberate alternative.
Breaking By a Plateau: The System
1. Establish the barrier.Bodily, technical, tactical, psychological, emotional, or non-sport associated — however you should title it.
2. Practice above your present ceiling.If each coaching run is “stable,” you’re coaching consolation, not development.
3. Redefine errors as steppingstones.A DNF whereas pushing pace is extra worthwhile than a conservative end.
4. Commit.Profitable requires the deliberate option to go all-in each time you get within the gate till it turns into automated.
5. Construct belief in your preparation.Race-day depth comes from follow: reps that push pace, publicity to adversity, and time spent snowboarding on the sting.
In Closing
Plateaus aren’t partitions. They’re alerts — and invites.
They sign that your present degree of snowboarding gained’t carry you additional. Progress doesn’t come from extra drills or extra laps alone. The breakthrough comes from altering your relationship with failure, consolation, id, and threat.
Racers who transfer past a plateau settle for that invitation to evolve. And that willingness nearly at all times results in a breakthrough.
