I bought a snowboard back in like 2010 or 2011ish when I was going with my ex, and I had gone maybe a total of 5 times, if that. And I was an expert at the falling leaf, which if you didn't take a lesson or have someone else tell you what it means, basically you go down facing the hill the entire time and just gently go left and right until you make it to the bottom. Which is great and all, but it's hard on your legs and you're pretty much screwed when it's flat, hello face plants!
Any who...after 4 years of being with Drew, we finally made it a point to go snowboarding (mostly because this is the first year of good snow for us as a couple). We invited our friend Ryan to join us and I felt extra happy about it when as we were planning he told me that he used to be an instructor and would give me some pointers. Score!
We went to Northstar and the conditions were perfect, it had snowed almost a foot overnight and just barely coming down throughout the day.
I thankfully never was a complete klutz coming off the lift, it's like one of my fears to eat it getting off the chair and they have to stop the lift so you can figure yourself out, too embarrassing! My ex somehow got caught in some rope that was like fencing off an area to the side of the lift exit area, it was pretty hilarious, being that it happened to someone else...
By the second or third run, I was picking up some of what Ryan was laying down, but he kept telling me to bend my knees more but then was saying I was sticking my butt out too far (twerking on the hillside anyone??)...turns out my bindings weren't set up right and they like wouldn't let me bend my knees more. Good thing he noticed that, it definitely made a big difference on the other runs.
So I was getting tired of this his little things to try, and I was like let's just do it, how can I make a toe-side turn, what's the secret? And the secret is---like everything else I struggle with sport wise and sometimes life in general, ha---commitment. And starting at a ridiculously slow speed (on a mellow incline) because the second you start down the hill you keep picking up speed and then you're like "OMG, I'M GOING WAY TO FAST TO TURN!" So I just did it and it worked! And then he got me to turn heel side too. It was an awesome feeling to finally be able to snowboard like a normal person, haha.
Then I was trying to rush things and tried to go heel side too quick and catapulted my ass into the snow, it felt super! We had a little pow-wow on the hill while I figured out if I still had a left butt cheek. He gave me some more pointers and I was able to put multiple turns together and hardly use my falling leaf technique. Just in time for me to get tired and sore, and start crapping out. So I sat out with a hot mocha while the guys went on another run or two. Mmmmmmm mocha.
When they were finished I was looking forward to taking the gondola down to the very bottom, but Ryan called me out saying only girls do that...so down the hill on boards we went. And I should have just been a girl, because I am one, plus that last run was pretty flat and my legs were still done. Sooooo many falls, smashed my ass again, and if I had fake boobs, I probably would have popped one with one my other falls, haha, not the best way to end the day.
But, all in all, it was a great day. I'm so happy we went, and that Ryan came along because Drew would have been bored as hell with a falling leaf the whole day and because he taught me tons. Fun times!!
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