I figured I should take a "first time snowboarder's lesson" to learn the basics. In the lesson they only taught us how to move around with one foot in the board and the other foot in the middle on the "step pad." I was pretty good at moving around with only one foot locked-in because, of course, I could stop myself with the other foot if I was going to fall. We practiced walking with the board, boarding down a tiny hill, trying to turn left and right and then boarding down the bunny hill. The teacher asked if I had any questions and I said, "Yeah, how do I stop?" His response was, "Oh, you won't learn that until after you put both feet in the board." Great, thanks.
After almost breaking an ankle by trying to stop myself with my foot instead of the board a few times and with only 10 minutes left in the class, my boyfriend decided it was time for me to go down the easiest slope. We got on the ski lift (after some struggle) and the whole time I was thinking, "What the hell am I getting myself into?" When we got off of the lift and I fell on my face, I realized that learning to ski with both feet on the board on a massive slope wasn't the greatest idea. Also, it might have been good to learn how to stop.
We were not even on an incline before I fell again. I would go for about two feet then fall. Another foot, then fall. Another three feet, then fall. Almost run into a pole, then fall. I had fallen so much and was almost in tears, that I decided to try to board down the hill with only one foot on the board. This didn't help either, because I almost broke my leg a few times. Eventually, I decided to just lay on the mountain and pout. After a few minutes I took my board off and walked down the mountain.
Time to switch to skis.
This is me falling on the mountain.
This is me laying down on the mountain... watch out other snowboarders, there is a human obstacle on the mountain.
This is me pouting. Notice the helmet, greatest Costco purchase ever. It is why I am not currently suffering from a concussion.
After sulking down the mountain I decided it was time to switch to skis. I tried the bunny slope a couple times and seemed to be getting the hang of it. So then again, my boyfriend decides it's time for the easiest slope. While on his snowboard, he was trying to teach me how to ski down the slope. It was really hard to understand what he was talking about since he couldn't show me how to do it. I ended up falling a few times. I got down to the bottom of the slope and fell again. This is how I got up:
Using my poles to pick myself up.
Trying to untangle myself.
Almost there!
Just a little bit more, then success!
After deciding that he couldn't teach me how to ski while on a snowboard, my boyfriend decided to switch to skis too. He would go first, and I would copy everything he did down the mountain. By the end of the first day I had skied down the entire mountain without falling. By the end of day two I had gone down multiple slopes without falling and by the last day I had gone down the hardest slope (besides the black diamond) without falling. Skiing was really easy to pick up after awhile, but I don't think I'll ever get on a snowboard again. Can't wait for my next ski trip, Colorado maybe?
Happy New Year!
