Anniversary

   I was reading Self magazine today, the anniversary of the day that I fractured the top of my humerus while riding at Steamboat Springs. My accident happened on my last run before I stopped for lunch and a much-needed break. Unfortunately, I was really too tired to keep going, and ended up with a break of a different kind!

  In the magazine I ran across these two quotes from Olympians, and found both to be true and inspiring. 

   Here's to one more snowboarding trip in 2014, and here's to not breaking anything this time around!!! Can't wait to get to Winter Park in a couple weeks… forward!!!!!

Kick@**!

   I made it to illustration circle for the second week (in a row!!!) and was planning to sketch, but Mirna kindly offered to share her gouache, brushes, and postcard-sized watercolor paper, so I painted! Today's theme was to create an Olympics poster. And here's the trouble I caused:

   It's not great and it's not even finished but I love it. I plan to keep going... and plan to do what the painting says soon again. Just booked my next snowboarding trip.

Skiers vs. Boarders

    Jack sent me this side-by-side image and I have to admit, she does have my smile. But... she's a skier and I'm a snowboarder... we're from different worlds!

   The thing about skiers and snowboarders, I've learned, is that when you are on the mountain together, you can ride side-by-side in harmony, regardless of your mixed modes of travel. Except that the skiers get all pissy when they glide right off the lift and are ready to take off immediately. Their friends the snowboarders ride the lift with only their front leg strapped in, and have to dismount and simultaneously land their back foot in the middle of their board next to their back binding, hold their balance and not fall down like an amateur, causing the lift operator to stop the lift--which would embarrassingly leave all those people hanging in midair. And not only that, then the snowboarder has to pull over to a spot where they can stand or sit to strap in. As for me, I'm quick at that, but I have an additional pause at the top of every run for starting up my iPod so I have the proper riding music. Critically important. By then the skiers are either getting impatient, or they've already left without you.

   But the advantage of snowboarding over skiing (other than it just looking a helluva lot cooler, let's be honest) is that when you're tearing down the slopes and hit a bump or patch of ice or just pick up too much speed, and happen to crash? Well, the snowboard ain't goin' anywhere... It's strapped to your feets. When skiers crash it's a "yard sale" because all their wares (poles, skis) are strewn out along the mountain.
   I will say, though, that when I'm out riding I get a little jealous of the cute little snowbunny skier girls in their color-coordinated tight snow pants and tiny fitted jackets. They look super-cute and feminine... like I try to look in my street clothes.

   Snowboarders play a little rougher and have their own style, with longer jackets and baggier snow pants and thicker boots... and certainly all in louder colors.

   I also happen to look three times larger when dressed for snowboarding that I am in real life. ;)

When I'm out there, I'd rather look kick@** than cute anyway.

Snowbird, day 1

Los Tres Amigos!

   Snowbird proved to not be as difficult of a mountain as everything I've read... Either that, or I'm becoming a better rider! Spent all day on the blues and some greens. Great day to ride, with the sun and even a little blue sky peeking out at times, near white out at others.

   Met up with Brad & his family briefly and then went back up to kill it some more.

   Traveling with five dudes + others met along the way = awesome

Dinner in Draper

   "Live underwater"?! Of course I'd find the scuba cart at the grocery store on a snowboarding trip to Utah!

   Extensive beer selection at the condo. Thinking of Trish!

   Putting Brett to work. Shopping & cooking for 5 is harder than for 1, it turns out.

Buckeye and Luckyboy

   Greetings from on high #jenandrafael #snowboarding #buckeye #luckyboy

I feel right at home here in Park City. In fact, I love it!!!!!!

Power to the Pow-Pow!!!

   I've already packed my lucky Snow Patrol T-shirt, to ensure we get dumped on. And the forecast is looking good so far… Fingers, toes, and eyes crossed!!!

   Update: 10" of fresh pow waiting for us at Park on Thursday, and it snowed all day long. Friday promises to be epic.

Giddyup!!!!!

   Heavy snow as we touched down... Double-digit fresh pow overnight! Pow all day long. Power to the Pow-Pow! Yesssssssssssssssssssssssss

Double entendre

   Question: Someone asked me if, because my snowboard bag is bigger than me, it doubles as a sleeping bag when I arrive at my destination. Answer: if I had thought of that, I could have saved some major bucks on a condo!!! No indoor plumbing in the bag, though.

   However, it will be a moot point if I'm disallowed from departing...

DM vs. SM

   I finally did my two favorite sports on the same day!!! Now I just have to add eight more crazy things and I'll have my own personal decathlon!

   That's me in the lower center, demonstrating mask-clearing and regulator-recovery techniques with the group. Both very important for a fun and safe dive. The students--and the Divemasters--today were great!

   The only photos I took on the "mountain" are these delightful mascots that someone created for the children ski area. I wish I knew who it was, but Snowcreek's website doesn't give any information… props to you, whomever you are!

I can almost taste the pow-pow

   Got the condo, the lift tickets, the new helmet, & the fellow riders. Countdown to Utah. It can't come soon enough!

   Sitzmark had some sweet used boards for sale. Too many toys with cool graphics. I should have chosen a less-tempting hobby. :)

Letter to my Ankle

Dear ankle,
I am writing to request that you hurry up and heal. Just received my awesome 3L hydration pack in the mail, and my season pass is good 'til June. Surely you could stand up to a little carving and shredding on the mountain; those snowboard boots are tighter than this orthopedic boot!

Additionally, I have my rock climbing gear all picked out. I am supposed to join my friends at the end of the month for a climb. You can see the backlog you're causing. We have things to do, places to see, mountains to conquer, dear ankle!

Do what you can. Mend. It's been 8 days and I'm tired of sitting around. Surgery schmergery!

Cordially yours,
Jen

Gone Shredding

   Just returned to work from my madcap four days on the mountains! Had left this sketch on my chair... And now that my skills are 10x what they were five days ago, the drawing is more accurate than when I initially drew it!  ;)

POWDER DAY!!!

   The sign on the bus says it all!!! Last day at Breck looks to be a great one!

Photos from Breck & Vail

   This "remix" was made by EpicMix from my professional photos taken on-mountain yesterday & today. Yesterday at Breck was a mixed bag of TONS of fresh powder (12"+ overnight), snowing all day, some sun, high winds, and blowing snow to near whiteout conditions at the end of the day. Quite an experience. Today in Vail was the PERFECT bluebird day, with tons of fresh, groomed powder, bright sun & super-blue skies all day long.

You're spoiling me, Colorado. But oh, how I like it!

Powder Day!!!

   Day 1 on the mountain was awesome, and today (day 2) we woke up to TEN INCHES of fresh powder! Off to carve like crazy!!!

Happy Birthday + Merry Christmas to Me!

   The board that I ordered just arrived, and though these low-light pictures clearly don't do it justice, I am SO. FREAKING. EXCITED. It's even nicer than I remembered! I can't wait to not ride it!!!

My horoscope made me do it

The Radiant 2010 by Salomon

   Today's horoscope says, "Treat yourself to something you want that you didn't get." And I'm sure it meant to say somethingS, so I bought myself an electric-yellow snowboarding coat so I can be easily spotted on the slopes, and an equally-awesome new animal-themed board. (I feel slightly less guilty since they were both heavily-discounted, and will be happily enjoyed.)

   Now, if I were completely out of control, I also would have purchased the following two awesomely-designed boards. (Lord, please grant me the strength to resist...) It is a really, REALLY bad idea for artists to become snowboarders... these things are real works of art!

b
Bataleon Violenza 2012 (maybe it will go on sale in 2013?)

The Coda 2012 by Arbor shows off gorgeous bamboo with a Japanese motif

Catching Up...

That's me on the far left, Brett on the right. Not to scale.

   I finally uploaded the videos of snowboarding in Lake Tahoe... photos coming soon (I hope)!

Temptation, thy name is Flatlanders

   Dropped off my board to get a full tune-up, with the Swix F4 wax Brett recommended. (FYI, Brett, if this stuff is too fast & I break my neck, I'm breaking yours too, buddy!) And while I was waiting for the guys to give me an ETA, I was talking to Lindsey (who remembered my NAME—and I haven't seen her since at least March or April! Surprisingly, the guy in the back remembered me from when I came in to buy my boots & bindings. Talk about customer service!), and she recommended some small ski resorts, Chestnut in Illinois, and Sundown in Iowa. And she's holding a coat for me that I think will please my ski buddies... it's BRIGHT yellow-green. And it's on super sale. And I don't really need it, but I WANT it.... darn you, Flatlanders!!! Why must you be awesome???