I didn't have much planned for today and we have snow on the ground, so I knew it would be a good day to start tackling my New Year's resolution to learn to snowboard. I checked Snow Creek's website to see what lessons they offered and called to reserve my spot in a 3-hour group lesson. The ski school manager said they don't take reservations and that I'd better get up there in a hurry, because they were extremely busy today and that there was no guarantee I'd get in. He said, "There's already a line!" I asked how many people they take per instructor, and he said it depended on how many showed up. I said, "I'm on my way!!" (to which he laughed), threw on some warm clothes and dashed out the door.
It takes nearly an hour to drive up to Weston, and I arrived just before 1:00, 30 minutes before the lesson. I waited in the long ticket line. The woman at the window wouldn't sell me a ticket until I found the ski school manager and confirmed that there was room available in the lesson. I found him and he gave me the same pessimistic, "You'll never make it in time!" story.
Back to the long line at the window. Buy ticket. Run to rental shop. Throw on boots. Run to the counter and get in another line to get my board and helmet. It felt like it took forever. Hurry!!! Got them. Realized I had no change for the locker. @$%&! Throw my bag on top of the lockers. Cross fingers. Run out to meet the group for my lesson.
I rented an interesting prismatic board (made by Head), but it's no Gnu Park Pickle!
I was the first one there to wait by the sign for the lesson. I'm beginning to think they left without me, though I was right on time. Finally a man with a clipboard showed up and took down my name. I'm still expecting a 30:1 ratio of students to instructors and wondered where everyone else was. A few minutes later, my instructor came up an introduced himself. Turns out I was going to get him to myself for the whole 3-hour lesson. I couldn't believe my luck!
The slopes (and especially the lift) were quite crowded, especially the beginner hill. Even the little hill looks big when you're standing tenuously at the top with your feet strapped onto a big slippery board. It's a very weird sensation when you first get started. Not unlike being caught in a bear trap, I imagine.
Since we were in a lesson, we were able to bypass the long line for the lift and cut right in at the front, so we were able to go up quickly again and again. Each time down the hill I got a bit more confident, and though I fell down plenty of times, it got progressively easier as I started to get a feel for it. After the first hour I was able to do more confident toe-side and heel-side turns, I could control my speed more easily, and I even linked a few turns. The hill was busy and full of other beginners, and I had to make quick decisions about which way to turn to avoid hitting someone who was stopped in front of me. At the end of that first hour I had the feeling that it was clicking and that this was definitely something I could learn to enjoy!
I managed to only slip and fall down the very first time on the lift, and got the hang of it after that. After a while the thought of falling off the lift in midair was almost more scary than the thought of careening uncontrollably down an icy hill. Progress!
Turns out I wasn't on my own for long. While I was waiting in line for the lift, a scrawny, frecked, red-haired kid approached me and asked if I was going up alone. I said yes, and he asked if he could ride up with me. He said his name was Justin. I would have guessed he was around 7, and was surprised when he said he was 12. I couldn't tell if his speech was funny because he was so cold (his jaw was shaking the whole time and his words were muffled) or if he had a speech impediment. But I liked him immediately. He was bright and friendly and very excited to be learning snowboarding.
This was Justin's first day, too, but he didn't take a lesson. He said his dad couldn't afford it. I asked where his dad was, and he said he was hanging out inside... he couldn't afford lift tickets and rentals for both of them. I had this weird mix of concern that this kid was out there by himself, but also admiration that his dad was doing what he could to give Justin new experiences at a young age. Justin seemed confident enough to handle it. He told me he just talked to people to see who was friendly and who would help him out.
Justin insisted that I meet his Dad, so he ran in to the lodge to get him. He came out and greeted me and thanked me for looking out for his kid. He told Justin to go a few more times, and then they had to head back home to Independence.
We rode up together a few more times. He asked me for tips but wasn't quite ready to listen attentively and actually try it out, so he flew down the hill in a straight line as I practiced linking turns, occasionally falling hard on my hip or knees and working hard to get it. By the time I got to the bottom, Justin was already waiting in line for the lift, so the wait was short for me!
When I got to the point where I was pretty much exhausted and ready to call it a day (5 hours is a long time to struggle with learning to snowboard!), we rode up one last time together. The whole time, he was begging me to keep going, but I was physically finished for the day and had to get home to feed and walk the dogs. I turned in my gear and headed out, thankful that I had such a great experience with the lesson and glad that I helped a kid have fun out there.
I can't wait to go back and practice some more, but am going to have to scrap the idea of returning on MLK day. I think my banged-up knees deserve a break, don't you? Ouch! And if you think this is bad, you should see my a... uh, never mind!
Day of:
Next day:
To quote MST3K, snowboarding is a "fun way to blow a Saturday... or a knee!" Snow Thrills, indeed.
HOLY COW! Ouch. :) Looks like you had a blast, though!
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