The Jedburgh Podcast #046: Beijing 2022: US Snowboarding - Lucas Foster
The halfpipe is the marquis event in snowboarding; launching riders 20 feet into the air while rotating up to four and half times. Or as the newest member of the US Olympic Snowboarding team explained - nailing a 1620.
In our second episode of our coverage of the 2022 winter olympics, Lucas Foster joined host Fran Racioppi just before hopping his plane to Beijing. Lucas has his eyes set on making an impact at the games and in the sport - a sport in which America has dominated since its Olympic debut in 1998.
We cover the halfpipe and how to combine amplitude, variety and execution to convince the judges of your performance. Lucas shares what it's like to stand beside snowboarding legends like Shaun White and how growing up without a halfpipe taught him to be creative, resilient and adaptable. Lucas also shares how organically growing in the sport has kept him grounded, humble and gracious to be considered one of the sport’s best.
Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website.
Highlights:
-Lucas talks about making the US Olympic Snowboard Team and what it means to represent the United States in Beijing.
-The United States has dominated Olympic snowboarding since it became a sport in 1998. Beijing 2022 will feature both the next generation of American snowboarding in Lucas, Taylor Gold & Chase Josey and legends like Shaun White.
-Fran asks Lucas to discuss the dynamics between competing with your teammates but also driving each other to perform at their best.
-Snowboarding is a judged sport. Lucas breaks down the criteria for evaluation and what tricks gain the most attention from the judges.
-Lucas talks about the importance of mind and body synergy while showing us the importance of flow state once standing atop the halfpipe.
-Growing up in the skier dominated town of Telluride, CO forced Lucas to approach training and competition for snowboarding with a sense of grit and determination.
-Lucas explains his thoughts on making an impact and how becoming too elite will prevent him from becoming a role model for kids and helping others grow to achieve their goals.
Quotes:
-”I always knew in the back of my mind that I would be able to do it.”
-”You can pull value from everyone’s career.”
-“That’s the ultimate dream. Make it to the Olympics and have the best run of your life.”
-“The criteria for judging is amplitude, variety, execution and overall impression.”
-“There is no difference between the body and the mind. The body is the mind.”
-”Your physical is always going to be feeding your mental game.”
-“The cool thing about snowboarding is that you have to be fully present. Every hit requires full stillness, full presence and full attention.”
-”You gotta have people from different walks of life to make this sport unique and to make it more of a culture rather than just some cookie cutter sport.”
-“Snowboarding has helped me really discover who I am and discover my path in life.”
Lucas’s Three Daily Foundations to Success:
-Meditate to find space and remain grounded
-Movement to train the body
-Develop meaningful connections with others
This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness and Analytix Solutions.