Snowboarding: Wait-That’s How Your Supposed To Do That?!?!

The day we left Minnesota, I took that lesson I swore I would. It was 17 below (I kid you not), my snot was freezing, and I really didn’t want to keep falling, so I stumbled over to the ski and snowboard school.  They set me up with a lesson with one other person-we were the only people crazy enough to be learning to snowboard in such stupidly cold weather. Remember that magic carpet that sent me sprawling in the lost blog? Well, my kid, if elderly, instructor taught me how to use it. No more falling there! Then, he thought I should try some heel side turns.  Let the falling recommence! I fell so hard, and so many times, that by the time we even loaded onto the lift I was convinced I didn’t want to snowboard ever again.

             And then, miracle of all miracles, I got off the lift without falling and was in love with the sport again.  Down the hill we went, linking turns like pros, and I was suddenly convinced that I might actually stand a chance of surviving my first attempt at a jump.  Oh, friends, don’t worry, I haven’t actually worked up the nerve to try to jump. No, I am just beginning to think it won’t kill me. Taking a lesson was the best thing I have done in a long time, my decrepit instructor re-taught me things I swore I was doing correctly and spent a lot of time fixing my form. It turns out that when you stand just right, snowboarding is easy. And fun! And it hurts a lot less.

            Of course, as soon as I was sure I could, indeed, become a professional snowboarder, I hit a rock, fell on my back, arched my body off the snow and fought back tears. Oh yes, that, my friends, was my tailbone hitting the ground so hard that I gave up for the day. Well, I didn’t have a choice, my lift ticket was expired and my compadres were ready to leave. But, in all likelihood, I would have left anyways. I could barely sit through the car ride home, and I nearly danced when I realized I would now get to sit on an airplane for close to four hours with a bruised tailbone. I survived, but eight hours of class a day is becoming challenging. My butt would definitely rather be snowboarding.