Some 20 years ago, skiing was considered the elitist sport and mountain resorts did not welcome the “nuisance” crazy sport called snowboarding. But that has all changed when adventurous men and women of the 80’s craving for an exhilarating downhill ride wanted more. By 1998 and due to its global popularity, snowboarding was officially welcomed into the Winter Olympics.
Getting On Board
Last week, I, along with my husband, youngest daughter, and some relatives checked in to North America’s #1 mountain resort, Whistler BlackComb for a 10-day winter vacation. We are fortunate members of Club Intrawest, a premier resort club in Canada with network of resorts located in Whistler, Las Vegas, Honolulu, Florida and Mexico. (I suggest you sit for a briefing to know more about Club Intrawest‘ privileges which are great for you and your family. And oh, you may want to mention my name so we can share a glass of my favorite pina colada as a referral token.)
I know how to ski, but snowboarding is a complete stranger to me. What I do know however, is that it was often considered more dangerous than skiing. Nevertheless, I mustered up the strength to learn something new – after all, that is typically Jhet. In my mind, I listed the reasons why I should get my feet on the board:
- My goal is to learn a new sport. Not just to try, but to learn.
- I see a lot of snowboarders jumping off the mountain and that looks like fun.
- My two daughters are into snowboarding, so why shouldn’t I?
- My family is with me and we are cheerleading each other, nothing beats a greater environment than that.
First things first, the gears. Snowboarding outfit and equipment are quite costly. A complete set which include the board, gloves, wrist protector, and boots for starters would cost anywhere from $600-1000++. So better take this new sports to heart. Once I invested on these, I knew I have to be committed. There are variety of shops up the resort to buy your gears from, you also have the option to rent while you are in Whistler.
My lessons were set the second day. I am both excited and apprehensive, already convinced that with fun comes bruises, and body aches. A friend wrote “snowboarding is difficult to learn but once you get the hang of it, you’ll never go back skiing again.” Avid skiers, on the other hand, say, “Skiing is better than snowboarding. If you want to get hurt, go snowboarding. Snowboarders are a nuisance in the mountain, it’s for the crazy people.”
That sounds pretty controversial doesn’t it? But up there, everyone was friendly and was willing to share the slopes whether on snowboard or ski. For me, it’s all about preference and what gives me more fun. Stick to whichever sport suits you. But hey, there’s no harm in learning both.
My instructor, Leif, a young Australian snowboarder, taught me the basics: how to ride the board, balance my body, and observe safety precautions. For beginners, hiring an instructor is highly recommended because statistics show that four to six per thousand persons get seriously injured each day. Don’t be scared, just watch your speed. Whistler happens to have the best variety of instructors from the world over – Australian, Japanese, Koreans, Canadians, French, German – pick yours.
After my snowboarding lecture and actual lessons on the snow, my body was already aching. The negative 24 degrees made it worst, my first time in 23 years living in Canada! I thought, why am I switching from ski to the board when I was able to do the green, the blue runs, and even the black diamond? These are the easiest, intermediate, and advanced level of difficulty of skiing, respectively.
Putting on the gears was a challenge in itself. My brand new board took forever to lock in my feet. The instructor had to always give me a hand. He gave me a word of encouragement that as I used it over and over again, it will loosen up and will be easier to put them on. I can hardly reach them sitting down. My thick gloves made it more difficult to strap it onto my feet. Walking on them up and down the hill was even more tiring. Imagine walking with one foot strapped to a 140 centimeter snowboard?
So how do I make this learning experience fun? The more the day progress, the more I have to think of a better way to motivate myself. I was even thinking way ahead and pretending to tell people “Oh yes snowboarding is fun! It’s difficult to learn at first but it’s all worth it.” Part of my mind will counter and say, “Oh yes, that is if you are going to live with no broken bones by the time you learn. What are you talking about? What’s fun in snowboarding, can’t you feel it all over your body now?”
The day went fast. At the end of the lesson, I asked Leif if I could go on my own to the base of the mountain. He said it’s doable but he doesn’t recommend it. As soon as he disappeared from the view, a little voice told me ,“Jhet you should go up and see if you can remember the lessons he taught you. He said you passed level one so you need to practice before you go to level II”.
So off I went – 20 minutes left before the chair lifts are to close. I got to the first Gondola station, put my snowboard on, and went down the hill. I could not tell you how many times I fell. More than enough that I failed to count. Up, down, got up, ride a bit, fell down. I wanted to quit, give up, and just ask for help. I actually tried to flag down mountain rangers on skeedos but they did not notice me. So I muster all my courage and all the energy I could possibly have left within me. I hummed my favorite song, breathed, tried to relax. I tried to coach myself!
The majestic view of the mountain and the sky gave me some welcome relief. I marveled at its beauty and off I tried again. By the time I reach the Whistler village it was almost about 5pm already. What would take me less than 5 minutes on my ski took me near two hours! I thanked God I survived the first day!
So why do I want to switch to snowboarding? It’s harder, it’s painful. Is it fun? Well I am not really sure at this point. Should I give up just yet? Do I regret it? A bit I guess. Now I invested on the equipment, I have to learn how to snowboard. Thinking that I have few more falls before I learn doesn’t motivate me at all. What does, however, is the excitement of seeing myself succeeding in something new again.
A snowboarder passes by. I feel hopeful when I saw him carve and ride downhill with ease and sure fun. I asked some of the pros if they have always been a snowboarder. Those that learned the sport gave me positive feedbacks – I am inspired again.
“Pain” Points to Ponder
As in everything else in life, it takes a few falls before we can actually enjoy the ride.
Perseverance is the key. Never give up.
If I give up now, I know that I didn’t give snowboarding the time and learning steps it needs.
That will be a waste of time, money and effort.
As they say, no pain, no gain.
On my next lesson, I say “Hello again bodyache and butt sore! Bring it on!”
What about you? What’s a sport or skill you tried to do and succeeded doing?
Did you give up easily? What kept you moving forward?
Love to share it with me?
Check out more photos of snowboarding adventure here.