Submitted by Jessica Kruse ~
I am a summer girl. I love summer activities: swimming, running, biking, hiking. I know these can all be done in the cold months, too, but I enjoy them so much more in the warmer weather.
When I was in college I had a boyfriend who was a snowboarder. Somehow, he convinced me to go snowboarding with him. I had skied once or twice in high school but never had I strapped on a snowboard. He rented my snowboard and stuck the lift ticket on my coat and walked me to the lift. Somehow I managed to get on the lift and had another miracle occur when I was able to get off of it.
I was at the top of this HUGE mountain, learning to put on my snowboard, freezing, and so incredibly scared. My boyfriend told me to just balance on snowboard down this mountain. He told me, “Sorry Jes, I didn’t mean for us to take this lift ’cause we are on a black diamond but I think you’ll be fine — you’re athletic.”
That was the longest “ride” of my life. I fell down the whole mountain. I had no idea what I was doing and by the time my aching and bruised body got the bottom I promised myself I would never let do that again.
About six years later I am dating another snowboarder. From the start of our relationship I told him I would NOT go snowboarding. I had finally stopped having nightmares about my snowboard experience and did not want to have any new ones. About a year into our relationship, I relented, and I told him I would give snowboarding another chance.
I rented equipment, got a lift pass and a lesson — that lesson was such a great investment.
I spent the whole day at the learning center and ventured onto the bunny slope. I took the next day to stay on only the easy runs and used what I learned in my lesson. I actually learned how to stop and realized that there was a way to control the board.
Even though I am still a brand new beginner at this whole snowboarding thing there are some things I can say at this point I can do……well at least I thought I could do. I can ride a ski lift, I can get down an easy mountain without falling, I know how to get in and out of my snowboard in less than 5 minutes, I know to wear a helmet always, and I know that staying warm is key to enjoying the sport.
Take a guess at which of those things I “know how to do” I actually did not know how to do.
Okay, I’ll tell you — turns out I don’t know how to ride a ski lift. That’s right, day one my second trip…first ride of the day and I fall out of the ski lift. I’m okay because I know that wearing a helmet is important.
I am still having fun with snowboarding. I am so glad I gave it another chance!
