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Angel Collinson, one of the greatest skiers of all time and the first female to win Powder’s coveted ‘Line of the Year’ award, yesterday announced she is leaving skiing behind.
To leave skiing behind is terrifying and it’s terrifyingly exciting. What lays ahead stirs my bones and I’m humbled, I’m grateful. I’ll be posting throwback content for a while to come to just honor the people and the places that have shaped me and moved me.
– Angel Collinson
In an impassioned recording on her Instagram channel, the Salt Lake City, UT native opened up her soul with an honest appraisal of her life; past, present, and future.
So, I just wrote this piece and it’s a really important one for my life so I’m just gonna read it.
I’m calling it “Inquest of What Excites You; Announcements and Confessions From the Other Side”.
Sometimes things break us. Sometimes we break open. Sometimes we break down. Sometimes we break free. Sometimes it’s all three.
I feel stuck. How do I get free? I don’t trust myself, I’m scared. Do you see yourself in me? Am I doing enough? What is my part and when I’m lost how do I listen to my heart? Is my life meaningful? Is life meaningful? How do I be of service when I’m trying to find my way and I remember the answer is only to have them drift away again and again.
Life is a spiral and not a straight line. My skiing has taught me it’s an imperfect science. To find our way down life’s metaphorical mountains requires bravery, ingenuity, humility, creativity, play, dad jokes.
I know what it is to be intimate with fear and I’m still scared all the time.
I know what it is to be intimate with loss and I still have a hard time grieving.
I know what it is to reach mastery and I still feel like an impostor.
I know sacrifice. I know joy and accomplishment. I’m still awfully hard on myself.
I’m proud of myself. I’ve reached the highest mountains. I’ve flown down the most beautiful of Earth’s snowy faces and also I know sometimes the things that free us can also cage us. Sometimes we outgrow our boxes.
So, now, back to breaking open. It’s time to say; skiing––it’s been real, it’s been a hell of a ride. And new and more expansive horizons await the other side. Thank you to all my teachers, to my sponsors, to my mentors, to my fellow comrades the ones here, and the ones that are now beyond. Our lives and careers are built on the ones that have come before us and to all of you, thank you. I’ve been incredibly lucky and supported beyond measure.
So what’s next? For now, exploring the oceans and other people’s fresh perspectives, writings, other facets of my being. A life of adventure, of following curiosities, play, joy, freedom, the unknown. As Mary Oliver says, “keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.” And that’s my mantra.
To leave skiing behind is terrifying and it’s terrifyingly exciting. What lays ahead stirs my bones and I’m humbled, I’m grateful. I’ll be posting throwback content for a while to come to just honor the people and the places that have shaped me and moved me.
And so now I ask you – is there a skin that you’re aching to shed and are you afraid to let go of something? Is there something that you’re longing to move towards but don’t know where to start? And if so I really get it. And, I’m in your corner, for whenever you’re ready, to take the leap… you’ll know.
– Angel Collinson, 10/28/21
In celebration of a woman that changed skiing forever, here’s her award-winning Alaska segment. All the best for the future, Angel.
