Chad Sayers on finding the balance in life.
Canadian skier Chad Sayers is in many ways the archetype of a globetrotter. A ceaseless wanderer, he’s been travelling between mountains and surf spots all over the world for the better part of the last two decades, always bringing his camera along. In his new book “Overexposure: A Story about a Skier” he describes the intense joy and adrenaline of a life lived fully but also opens up about his struggles with mental wellness and injuries.
“Many skiers get both emotionally and physically worn out by their way of life – the yearning to always make the most out of every day. There’s this constant pressure that you put on yourself. I had some really bad injuries in my early twenties, and I never really took the time to heal properly. I kept pushing through for nearly 15 years without ever really stepping away. A few years ago, I felt broken, but I wasn’t ready to give up on it. I just needed to find a new way to do what I do”, says Chad
A pivotal moment described in the book is when Chad is half way down the instep of a blue-frozen couloir in La Grave, feeling his skis losing their grip, but how he still chooses to continue down. He ends up dangling from one finger over a cliff of 300 meters, suddenly realizing that he is about to throw everything away.
“I felt that I needed to come really close to death to even care, that was a big turning point for me. After that I took some time off from skiing and focused on surfing and photography for a while. I think that whatever the future holds I will try to be more mindful. I’ll keep traveling and skiing, but not compulsively – only when I really want to.”
