I found two snowboarding websites, one is Transword snowboarding; the other is Mpora.com. The Transword one offers the information about advanced snowboarders including videos, photos, events, etc. Most videos showing how those professional snowboarders make actions like “big air” or showing they play snowboard on jokul, icelandic mountains… They are far away from me. I mean, I’m not sure if I could reach their level in my life. However, those videos are pretty good. They encouraged me, somehow. The other one, the Mpora, this one offers many good articles for learners to read. You may think videos are good enough, but sometimes, readings do help, in a different way. There are lots articles for beginners. I found one: “Snowboarding Beginners: 10 Best Tips For Learning To Snowboard”. It suggests: 1. Get a proper snowboarding lesson (I didn’t, I watched YouTube, kinda taught myself) 2. Wear the right clothing (That’s true, clothes should be warm and waterproof.) 3. Wear protective gear (Helmet and goggles are needed as well. Yes, I got them) 4. Work out whether you are goofy or regular. People who ride with their left foot forward are regular footed, right foot forward are goofy footed. (Yes, I’m the goofy one) 5. Learn to fall properly. When you fall, try to avoid putting your hands out to break your fall. You could end up with a broken wrist. Instead, keep your hands close to your body, crossed over your chest. (What? I didn’t know that, Okay, now I know). 6. Learn to skate. When you are stopped on a flat area of the mountain or you are moving towards a chair lift, you will need to unstrap one foot from your bindings and skate along the snow. (That’s helpful, last time I stopped on a flat area, I had no idea how to keep moving) 7. Learn the piste symbols (Yes, I did that, in Mission ridge, the green run is the easiest, blue is harder, black is the hardest) 8. Look where you want to go (Definitely! It is important to know where you go) 9. Learn edge control. You’ll start off learning to snowboard on your heel edge. This means digging your heel into the snow with your body facing downhill. Start easing your weight off your heel edge and begin to press down with your toes. The board will start to move downhill. To stop, press the weight back into your heels. (Good stuff! I’ll practice next time!) 10. Have fun. (Yes, I was tired, but so enjoyed!) I rear through those tips as a check list, what I did and what I need to work on. I’m going to practice skate and edge control next time! http://snowboarding.transworld.net/ http://tiny.cc/rczmky
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Because I promised myself I would go to the mountain when I can successfully complete the beginner run without any falling down. I was so excited. It was my first time! I practiced a few rounds under the mountain before I go. Then, I said to myself: “It’s time.”
It was not easy to sit on the cable car because it keeps moving. Hopefully I did it. I felt good. I laughed at my friend who sits with me because he has a fear of height. It’s interesting that most guy I know has the fear of height, girls are not. Yes! We girls are braver! The view and landscape on the top of the mountain was excellent! My good mood was almost gone when I was looking at the route I was going to take. The green run, the easiest one. But for me, it was definitely not easy. I was really nervous and my legs started to shake again. My friends laughed but comforted me: “ It’s okay, Cat, we go with you, no worries.” “You can do it, Cat”. I worried because I have no idea about the way I was going to go through. Unlike beginner run, I couldn’t see what’s going on there on the mountain. I didn’t know what my way looks like. I would be nervous when something is unknown or unsure. However, I had to go, I couldn’t stay there all night. It’s Friday night and it was getting darker. After a really long breath again, I decided to move. My friends were so nice. They stayed with me, encouraged me to get up every time I fell down. It was terrible, really terrible! I kept falling down in every few seconds! God! I was exhausted! Why should I do this! I didn’t I stay at home watching movie? Why I came here?... I couldn’t count how many times I felt down, tons, I’m sure. But I did not take off my snowboard and walk down instead. I felt I was dying and almost “power off”. I screamed: “I did it!” when we arrive the ending. I felt sore all over my body. I have never experienced this kind exhausting before. But it was a good start! I said I wouldn’t give up! I fell asleep when we get in our car. When I got home they said: “Go to bed; tomorrow would be worse, hahaha.” Yes, it is, but I’m happy I made a big move! One of the employees of the equipment rental place recognized me: “Oh, I remember you, the girl always wear pink coat an picked pink helmet.” I came here almost every week and asked pink helmet every time, haha. Snowboarding has gradually become one of the important things I do weekly; it became part of me. Snowboarding makes me more me. I’m not a sport person. I jog for exercising; play badminton with friends sometimes. I can swim, but not so well. However, I fall in love with snowboarding now. I keep falling down, but I don’t want to stop. I set a goal before I started practicing: not to fall down. Good news is that I can get up on snowboard immediately when I fell down. I’m making progress. This week I fell down at least twice per round in the area beside the cable cars. Then I recalled what I learned from YouTube and tried to figure out why. I soon realized that I was too “straight”, especially my upper body. Also, I need to learn and practice using my waist to change direction and keep balance. My body was too hard and inflexible. It’s worthy and helpful to find the reason of falling down. I was learning from myself as well. Just get up from where you fell down and try not fall again. I tried to stoop a little bit on my snowboard and turned my waist to move better. I was getting better! As you can see in the video; the second half I didn’t fall down till the end. I fell down because I was afraid to collide the boy in front of me. I was so happy! It was like a victory. I made it! One of my friends suggested me to try snowboard. He likes snowboard and thinks it’s easier. But I thought snowboard is harder. He said it depends on people, some may think skis are easier; some prefer snowboarding. He told me: “You know, the point it that you have to learn how to stand up when you fell down. Just try snowboard and see if you can get up by yourself.” I found a video that showing how to start, stop, and get up on snowboard. It says, “the technique [of getting up on snowboard] is similar to getting up off the floor.” I tried on the floor and it worked. We could either get up from our back, knees, or use “around the world” method. If I want stand up from my back, I got to make my snowboard perpendicular to the hill, dig my heel into the snow, bend my knees and try to stand up. From the knees is the opposite way of getting up from the back: bend knees and make the body like a frog, then lean backward to get up. Around the world is like shift weight to either side of the body and place the hand on the snow to support the body, then slowly bring hands in the front and ready to stand up. Unlike skiing, we could either facing, backing, or side facing where we go in snowboarding. I watched videos and learn how people moving their body to keep balance and control their snowboards. I decided to give it a try. Two days latter on the weekend, we went to the Mission Ridge Winter Park again. I rented snowboard and boots this time and I got a lift ticket again. When I put the snowboard boots on, I felt much better than wearing the ski boots. Ski boots are so tight and hard to walk with them. Equipment ready and we went to beginner ski run. First step, no doubt, learning to get up. I tried different positions, unfortunately, not worked. I end up with a silly one: lying down, turning over my body and the snowboard, and bending my knees to stand up. It looks not so good, but at least I could stand up by myself. I was so happy. Then I started to practice snowboarding. I learned back to the hill first, which required elevating my heel while going down. I should move my upper body to change my direction at the same time. For beginner, it is better to make the snowboard moving like a "S". In other words, I should keep shifting my weight to either foot while snowboarding. I moved faster when my snowboard parallel the hill. I was easier to fall down when it go fast. But I felt much better than skiing. I think I get it now, just need more practicing. Yes! I did it, I can snowboard now! I just got a 15s video of me, unfortunately, it's not so good. In the second video, the girl with pink coat and pink helmet, that's me. |
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March 2017
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