Learning to Leave Your Comfort Zone

Written by the Wildchild

Over the years, having worked and participated in the action sports industry I've had an opportunity to meet a lot of great athletes both Professional and Amateur. I've learned so much in terms of the mindset behind how these athletes become so successful in such a variety of very difficult sports to master in the way that they have. What’s even more interesting is what we all can learn from these athletes by applying some very similar concepts in our own lives regardless of our endeavors.

It all starts with stepping outside of your comfort zone and trying to accomplish something that was initially intimidating or scary for you or maybe even seemed impossible at one point in time. By testing those limits you are able to push yourself to a new level and in many cases discover talents and abilities that you never thought possible.

You must also have a passion for that pursuit of progression in an effort to move towards mastering your skills or reaching your goals. Without that passion it would be nearly impossible to ever have the courage to step out of your comfort zone and even more difficult to step out again and again if you encounter failure. But remember that failure is feedback and strength can be drawn from that source as well.

Lastly, remember that whether or not you succeed or fail, the only way to go forward is by taking that next step. Thomas Edison summarized this concept perfectly. I quote, “Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

So the next time that you are faced with a situation requiring you to step outside of your comfort zone, what kind of outlook and attitude will you have? Will you try to apply these concepts in an effort to have the strength to take that step forward and possibly enter into a new world of opportunities that you had previously never thought possible? Or will the fear of the unknown or the path less traveled be too overwhelming for you to see what could have been? As always, I wish you the best of luck with your passions, goals and endeavors but most importantly the strength to continue to move forward in a positive way in whatever you do!

Image courtesy of: seodesignpictures.blogspot.com/2012/05/action-sports-icons.html
Quote courtesy of: www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/thomasaed109004.html

Dew Tour Announces its 2013 Dates and Locations

DEW TOUR ANNOUNCES 2013 DATES AND LOCATIONS Alli Sports, a division of the NBC Sports Group, today announced the dates and locations for the 2013 Dew Tour. Following a successful 2012 season, Dew Tour continues with three large-scale, premium events that will reach consumers across broadcast, digital and consumer activation platforms.

“The Dew Tour is about celebrating action sports and providing athletes and the industry with a world-class platform for progression and creativity,” said Kenny Mitchell, General Manager of the Dew Tour. “We want all of our fans – whether tuning in through broadcast, online, or on-site at the events – to celebrate with us and be inspired by the sports, the music and the action sports culture.”

The Dew Tour remains committed to working with athletes and industry leaders to drive progressive disciplines and formats while creating groundbreaking courses. This season, Dew Tour will debut The Dew Tour Showcases, a series of events that will recognize key lifestyle elements of action sports, such as art, photography and film, and celebrating progressive and transcendent work in each field. In addition, the Dew Tour’s exclusive Streetstyle discipline for Skate, BMX and Snow will continue in 2013, delivering an unprecedented platform for originality and innovation.

In 2012, the Dew Tour enjoyed the highest per event attendance in its history, while connecting consumers and action sports in an unprecedented way through the Dew Tour Experience. Dew Tour’s best in class brand activation platform will continue to host the event’s roster of blue chip partners and bring their engaging and relevant experiences directly to the fans.

For the 2013 season, The Dew Tour will return to its distinct Beach – City – Mountain format. The Dew Tour kicks off June 20-23, drawing inspiration from the East Coast beach destination of Ocean City, Md. October 10-13, The Dew Tour will return to the urban action sports heritage of San Francisco, Calif. for the second event of the year. The Dew Tour will wrap up 2013 from Breckenridge Ski Resort, in Breckenridge, Colo., December 12-15. Check out the complete details of the 2013 Dew Tour schedule courtesy of Alli Sports at: http://www.allisports.com/dew-tour/event/ocean-city-beach-championships-2013/news/dew-tour-announces-2013-dates-and-locations

TOP INFLUENCERS IN ACTION SPORTS - WHO DO YOU THINK IS #1

After much debate, the No. 1 spot was awarded to surfer Kelly Slater, the youngest and oldest world champion in ASP history. Though he fell just short of winning a 12th ASP World Tour title when Australian Joel Parkinson earned the coveted award in the second-to-last heat of the season at the Billabong Pipeline Masters in December, Slater still has 11 world titles to his name, which is a full seven more than the next-closest surfer, Mark Richards. Slater has the most event wins in ASP history (51), and in 2012 alone, he notched three tour stop victories. The ASP lists his career winnings at $3,425,705. Not bad for an action sports athlete.

On top of that, Slater is involved with international efforts to conserve ocean ecosystems, and he's donated time and money to help poverty-stricken communities around the world. Slater's list of competitive accolades is innumerable, but perhaps most poignant, at one month shy of his 41st birthday, he shows zero signs of slowing down. He continues to dominate at the highest level of surfing and proves year in and year out that age really is just a couple of digits

Slater may not be world champ this year, and even amid rumors that he's retiring, his influence over surfing and the broader action sports industry is undeniable. Visit a beach, a surf shop or a high school in Southern California, Florida or Brazil, and you'll see hints of Slater's reach. Long after he's done competing -- if that ever happens -- Slater will still be the one people are talking about, the one setting the benchmark for others to follow.

You may not agree with everyone on this list. And certainly, there are names we are missing. But hopefully, we can all agree on this: Action sports would not be the same without the presence of these 50 talented and inspiring people. (Huge shout out to ESPN X Games for creating this list) To check out the full list of action sports athletes visit: http://xgames.espn.go.com/article/8793102/50-most-influential-people-action-sports