Blank Verse From Atop A Snowboard

[shred]

First time this year

remember, think, try

hesitant. awkward. fear. stop.

wait.

trust.

the board knows how to turn.

if you let it

there is no it. we go

[HSMITH]

Man, I thought I was pretty tough until I tried to learn to ride a snowboard. Talk about a good old fashioned country ass whoopin!!!!!!!! That damn thing had me sore for a week!!!!

No one can say I am the sharpest tool in the shed, the next trip has been planned and weather is the only hold up. I DEMAND some real snow, not man made crap, REAL SNOW, and at least a couple inches for the next go-round. Trying to learn to ride a snow board on man made ice-balls-called-snow is damn near suicidal.

[shred]

Man, I thought I was pretty tough until I tried to learn to ride a snowboard. Talk about a good old fashioned country ass whoopin!!!!!!!! That damn thing had me sore for a week!!!!

No one can say I am the sharpest tool in the shed, the next trip has been planned and weather is the only hold up. I DEMAND some real snow, not man made crap, REAL SNOW, and at least a couple inches for the next go-round. Trying to learn to ride a snow board on man made ice-balls-called-snow is damn near suicidal.

Just like shooting, you have to put in enough reps that your body knows what to do before you can just let it do it's thing.

My #1 advice for anybody learning to snowboard is to do it on a nice soft snow day and wear a lot of protective gear.

[HSMITH]

Wish I had talked to you before I tried it.......

It is a blast, and I am going to do it again when conditions are right. Close to the feeling of surfing but lasts a lot longer.......

[wsimpso1]

OK, I am a lifetime cross country skier who can now get sore knees after a good day XC. I have used alpine equipment twice in my life. I learned to snowboard at 44. I turn 50 next month, and I love boarding. Two weeks in the Rockies each winter, plus some other days local (Michigan). I get sore muscles snowboarding, but no sore joints. If I can do it, anybody can.

Some advice. Good lessons are valuable. A good first lesson makes sure that you are set up duck foot, that you spend equal amounts of time on both toe and heel edges, and equal amounts of time riding normal and goofy foot. A good first lesson will teach stopping, board control by twisting the board, several edge control drills, and will absolutely burn in that the uphill edge is always engaged. It will also let you decide if you should ride normal or goofy, get you confortable on both edges, and make it possible to ride switch when it is useful. My wife and I were riding easy Blue cruisers by the end of the week after an excellent basic adult group lesson at Telluride. "Don't you fall?" Yeah, I fall, but they are easy falls, not body slams, and they have collectively become "So What?"

The other excellent lesson I have had was a carving group lesson at Snowbird. It was a weekday and there were two in the group. Wonderful. Learn to turn, learn to carve turns, learn to turn right where you want to turn, learn to not shovel the hill, and learn how to ride supple. I can ride Rocky Mountain Blacks, but they wear me out too fast, so I ride Blues and swear that I will spend more time on stamina training.

Enter mogul fields and trees only after you can do several things: When you can always turn exactly where you want to; When your subconscious skills handle this turn and the next one while your brain is picking your next two turns after that. Seriously. You do have to get to the point where the board and you legs are handling this turn and the next one, and you are picking the line further on, because you will go splat on a mogul or find yourself all crossed up in trees if you are not that far ahead of your board.

Now to Zen. If you have gotten to the point where the subconsious skills are doing this turn and the know how to go to the next one, and the conscious mind is picking the rest of the line, and coach is back there cheering you on and pointing out the things that are working, all at the same time, you are meditating while riding. I got that at Copper in December, and it was sooooo cool. Trouble was, I was only able to stay in the zone for a minute or so at a time, and I was not able to get back there again in my Utah trip.

The last two pieces of advice I have is: Wear Your Armor and Ride Under Control. I wear knee pads, elbow pads, wrist gaurds, and a helmet. That is because I do not like injuries and besides that, it would mess up a shooting season. And becoming an idiot or making my wife into a widow are bad things. You get to choose. A co-worker's young adult son just died of head injuries from thumping a tree during his first weekend snowboarding. No hat, beginner skills, and trees. Bad, bad, bad....

I hope to ride until I can not get out there anymore. Just like shooting.

Billski

[AlamoShooter]

Just add 10 years... and you will find that happening at the door to a room.

But yep... Linda and I will have to wait two and three years between ski trips.

That Moment ...you ...your ski and ...? I do know how to do this ?, dont I? I have ben lucky somone always jumps past over the edge and my eyes have a line to follow. Dang I wanta go.

[shred]

Now to Zen. If you have gotten to the point where the subconsious skills are doing this turn and the know how to go to the next one, and the conscious mind is picking the rest of the line, and coach is back there cheering you on and pointing out the things that are working, all at the same time, you are meditating while riding. I got that at Copper in December, and it was sooooo cool. Trouble was, I was only able to stay in the zone for a minute or so at a time, and I was not able to get back there again in my Utah trip.

Gliding through an unbroken powder field scattered with aspens, it's so cool to just think "I'll go inbetween those two trees there" and you effortlessly sail right through the gap.

[MBaneACP]

Took me a while to realize that boards sing, and they pick their own tunes. Once I hear the tune, I can just turn my brain off and surf. Helps to wear a helmet, though, cause no matter how in the zone you are, ground is still hard.

Thank heavens I live in Colorado!

Michael B

[racine]

Took me a while to realize that boards sing, and they pick their own tunes. Once I hear the tune, I can just turn my brain off and surf. Helps to wear a helmet, though, cause no matter how in the zone you are, ground is still hard.

Thank heavens I live in Colorado!

Michael B

Actually it is the wind that sings Mariah. My family missed church today but I almost never did when I lived in the rockies. Being alone at 12K and seeing forever was church and heaven put together. I lived to ski and I was one with God frequently. I've thought and have been encouraged to board but having skied since '78 I currently am still in love with the sport. I would probably recommend a helmet especially if your in a crowded resort or like skiing trees and tight chutes. I personally leave the masses and find solitude in the high nowhere and then "feel God's pleasure" (Chariots of Fire). I used to ski with an open headset to my tunes which is a few more steps to heaven sober but with the crowds getting thicker I stopped. So riding a foggy or cloudy high lift straight up in the Grand Tetons with the words "...there walks a lady we all know, who shines white light..." upon my snow and makes me float among the clouds is nothing short of ethereal.

Keep Your Powder Dry,

Racine