The Mentor Effect
Words by Sean Horner, FOW
We stand atop the shoulders of those who came before us. In work, in hobbies, in sport, and in our families. But how we transition from being mentored to being the mentor is arguably the most important part of our lives.
It was 3pm on a Friday in June. I had just finished work, and had recently finished my ski racing season. My good friend Bucky texted me asking if I want to join on a backcountry ski mission. I said yes within seconds.
A handful of days using basic backcountry gear in spring conditions was the extent of my experience. In no sense had I stepped out into any kind of steep, committing mountain adventure. But it turns out that we all have people in our lives that in a moment's notice can have us stoked for an outdoor adventure that takes us out of our comfort zone and changes us forever. For me, Bucky was the catalyst of my backcountry skiing addiction.
Eventually, it led to places like this. Alaska Range, AK. Photo: Sean Horner (@seanbhorner)
We set out on what was for me a slog. This was of course a function of my 150 flex race boots, Marker Duke frame touring bindings, a backpack too small to fit my most helpful outerwear (which was instead tied around my body), and an old pair of Nordica Enforcers that indeed had way too much metal in them to comfortably walk 16 miles and over 4,000 vertical feet in a day.
But that’s what we do when we’re young, strong, and a little dumb — we slog because we don’t know any better.
Hindsight 20/20. I later realized that Bucky slogged along with me because he wanted to share his passion for the mountains with me. If that meant waiting for me to drag a bunch of heavy gear up the mountain, then so be it.
In a day of many firsts, we started in the wobbling glow of our headlamps — first time walking with skis on my pack, first time doing a tour greater than two miles, first time in the Gore Range of Colorado, and first time moving “quickly” for more than two hours. As the first light broke over the ridge, we hit the snow line and I dropped my heavy pack to the snow, knowing all too well that we had just done the easy part.
Lucky for me, Bucky had an affinity for the backcountry at a young age — in addition to his ski racing and park skiing prowess. Traveling through the high alpine terrain was simple and smooth, thus we arrived at the top of Demmings Drop in a timely manner.
Fear is Healthy; Panic is Deadly
Safe to say I had never stood atop a 3,000 vertical foot couloir. I was a nervous wreck. I had watched nearly every ski movie made to date and visualized lines like this without a true understanding of the effort and experience necessary to ski them.
Mentorship can present itself in many ways. Our elders can mentor youth or vice versa, our heroes can mentor our skill and passion within a sport, and our friends can mentor us in an activity in which we are less familiar with. Across this spectrum, I’ve come to find that it is important to embrace mentorship in all forms.
“If you’re lucky enough to live in the mountains, then you’re lucky enough. They will give you everything you need in life.”
Chugach Range, AK. Photo: Sean Horner (@seanbhorner)
The Next Phase
Ten years later, while standing atop the upper ridge at Taos Ski Valley, my friend said to me, “I’ve never been to AK. Let’s plan a trip.”
Enter the next phase of mentorship — a phase of remembering what it’s like to be scared standing on a blind roll over, to embark on a day in unfamiliar mountains and unfamiliar amounts of boot packing up 50 degree faces of powder, to communicate effectively with your friends and family in the biggest mountains we have ever seen. It was at that point I realized what a profound impact Bucky has had on my life trajectory and my ability to pass down the knowledge of going on a dream Alaskan ski trip.
What's next? Pay it forward. Chugach Range, AK. Photo: Avi Farber (@avi.farber.studio)
Reflections on Mentorship
So what impact do you want to have on your community, your family, your sports?
Mentorship enables us to improve, grow, learn, and reflect in ways that we don’t realize we need to, thus I came up with some personal guidelines:
- Being a mentor is equally as important as being mentored.
- Be patient.
- Be available.
- Remember the refinement it took and the people who aided you along the path to becoming the person or athlete you are today.
Sean Horner is a former ski racer, freerider, and steep skiing connoisseur based out of Sante Fe, New Mexico. Since hanging up his heavy metal skis, he's embraced the joys of stable, damp, and biobased construction inbounds and in the backcountry.