Kai Jones Gets Vulnerable About Skiing

Kai Jones is a teenager, but he's had enough experiences to last most people a lifetime: appearances in 5 Teton Gravity Research films. Taking first at the North American Junior Freeride series when he was 11 years old.

So why is he just rediscovering his love for skiing?

He wrote in a confessional caption accompanied by an Instagram video full of clips of Kai doing Kai things, "I have been finding my love for skiing again!"

With progress comes setbacks. In skiing, that usually looks like getting injured.

Kai admits that "this has been a tough winter for me. Some days I just feel bad and some days I feel good. It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions with new adversities at every milestone."

It's hard to be physically injured, but to be honest, it's even harder to discuss emotional hardships.

Sometimes, the two are intertwined. Kai admitted he "found it hard to love skiing and strive to ski everyday when [his] body doesn’t feel good."

At the end of the 2023 season (in March) in Wyoming's backcountry, Jones suffered season-ending injuries.

Earlier, Kai Jones reported, "I had a ski accident. After dropping a natural cliff feature and having a hard landing, my tibia tubercles broke and pulled off at the growth plate."

Watch Teton Gravity Research's recap of Kai's amazing season before he broke both his legs in a landing gone wrong below. (Warning: it's heavy.)

Kai was hauled out of the backcountry by helicopter and taken to the nearest waiting ambulance.

That kind of pain would be tough on anyone, but seeing your season end early due to such a heavy injury--as a teenager--is almost unimaginable.

Related: 16 Year Old Phenom Skier Kai Jones Provides Update On Season-Ending Injuries

Luckily, Kai seems to be thriving so far this season, writing, "This past week I have been riding with great friends and finding the childlike joy in the turns, jumps, and camaraderie."

He hit the nail on the head: the best part of skiing is doing it with friends!

"I have been going back to the basics and simply skiing. In professional sports there are high expectations to perform well, day in and day out."

He ends the post with an uplifting message to all of us regular--but still super stoked and hardcore--skiers out there. "If you read this far, don’t forget the WHY. I ski because I love it and it puts a smile on my face. When you have a bad day get up and keep moving forward. You will find your way, it’s all apart of the adventure."

"My uncle Jeremy has always told us 'The journey is the reward.'"

He's talking about the iconic Jeremy Jones, of course. Let's end with another Jeremy Jones quote, because he's an inspirational guy.

Jeremy Jones talking about snowboarding (but it applies to skiing, too): "You can do anything and go anywhere. This is not just for pro riders. It is for everyone." Amen.

Related: Skier Forgets One Of The Golden Rules Of Powder Skiing

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