Risk vs Reward

#followcamfriday pushing the limit and accepting the risk with Lars Romig in scenic Sedona. Do me favor and don't do this. At least, read my ramblings below before attempting... 

How do you view risk?
By definition- Risk acceptance or risk retention means the fact of accepting the identified risk and not taking any other action in order to reduce the risk because we can accept its impact, the possible consequences - we simply risk it.

I have never fallen into the risk vs reward mentality. I have no need to justify my risk for a "reward". To me, mentally pushing past my perceived boundaries IS the reward.  I don't need a pat on the back, or a gold star. It doesn't have to be "worth it". Accomplishing a goal is all the reward I need. This is what gets me out of bed in the morning. If the internet didn't see it, I would still be doing the same thing... 

Some would categorize  this type of riding as reckless. Some would say that the risk is not worth the reward. I respectfully disagree. Admittedly, this is not everyone's cup of tea, and I completely respect that logic. However,  do not mistake calculated riding for reckless riding. Lars and I have spent years in this terrain, getting to know the nuances and limit of grip. This isn't the sort of thing that you just jump into and send. It is very calculated and mythodical. You don't just jump on a sport bike and race the Isle Of Man TT. This is a process of incremental steps, incremental experience, and above all, respect.

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The infamous "White Line" is regarded as the crown jewel of Sedona gnar. I have ridden the White Line more than 50 times. I approach it with the same mindset each time. Complacency leads to mistakes. In avalanche-safety circles,  there is much talk as of late to the "expert halo". If you become too comfortable with your surroundings and get lucky enough times, this can lead to a false sense of confidence. Approaching each line with a similar respect level is important to stay alive. Removing outside influences and factors, and seeing clearly what lies before you. Comfort leads to mistakes. When I am not scared in dangerous situations, I am falling victim to "expert halo". That very notion keeps me up at night, more than the lines themselves. Be scared, have respect.
All of that said, the White Line was the "easiest" line that we overcame this week. Perspective.

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 Lars had been wanting to ride this line for 5 years. Watching a close friend overcome fear and conquer perceived boundaries is fucking surreal. I did not ride this entire line and was scared for my life. I will ride it one day, just needing to get my head around it a bit more, and adjust my perspective. Lars is definitely the first person to ride this section of rock. Full respect for realizing his vision after looking at this ridiculous line for 5 years. I was in awe, and I am a man who has seen some shit. 

So where does this leave us? My inbox is full of requests, asking to be featured in a FollowCamFriday episode. I am not sure that you really want to be in one of my videos. If you tell me how rad you are, or how bad-ass your 10 year old is, we simply can't work together. Respect and humility are the only way forward. Lars has this in spades. We trust and understand each other. Our risk acceptance level is the same. This also applies to backcountry ski partners. No, I won't go backcountry skiing with you.... It's not because I am too cool, or that I don't like you. It's very simple, I don't trust you with my life. We haven't built rapport.  Lars and myself are on the same program. Kyle Mears, James Weingarten, same team. There are very few people in my life that I am comfortable with in life or death situations. Lars is on that short list. 

So yeah, I am not going to tell you not to try and ride these lines. To be crystal clear, none of this was done for a camera, all of this was done for passion and breaking down boundaries. My fucking bike fell off a cliff and landed in a tree this week. Perspective. Respect. I got a little too confident and got put in my place. I failed. I posted my fail to the internet because life is not all peaches and cream. The struggle actually is real. I don't live in a fantasy world, I fall down like everyone else. My farts smell and so does my dog. What seperates people is the ability to get back up and keep cracking. I have learned a lot this week. As I type this with a glass of wine, at 1am in my van, I thank you for reading.