Cross-country skiing today, I watched my son show off his ever-expanding nordic skills. In addition to skiing faster and stronger, those skills now include jumping, attempting tricks, and skiing down a hard-packed sledding hill on his skinny skis.

Watching my kid attempt 360s on the trail brought to mind the video below, "The Ultimate Skiing Showdown" by xczone.tv.

"The Ultimate Skiing Showdown" was a finalist at the Banff Mountain Film Festival. Consider it a fun and potentially inspiring start to your week.

There's also a stunts reel version:

Now I have to wonder. Does showing these videos to a grade schooler count as positive motivation toward a lifetime of active outdoor pursuits and challenges? Or did I just suggest he try jumping off more stuff, including trees?