Monday, February 1, 1999
Be one with the board, one with the board …
COLUMN: Hitting slopes for first time challenges amateur
snowboarder
Free-falling down a glacier with nothing but a thin layer of
snow beneath you and a seemingly endless tumble to your eventual
demise – does this sound fun?
It is. It might not exactly be free-falling, but there isn’t
anything quite like snowboarding. That feeling of weightlessness as
the snow and your board fluidly, and perfectly, form into one.
It might not start out like that for you, but give yourself a
chance or else you’ll miss out on one of the most innovative and
exciting sports on the planet.
Snowboarding? In California?
Hell yeah! It might not be Aspen or Antarctica, but it’s good
enough. Take the initiative, or you’ll be stuck staring into your
freezer.
Only one month ago, I braved the 50-degree conditions of our
local Big Bear Resort. Strapped in and ready to go, I slipped over
to the lift for my first time.
All right. Just take it slow. Stand up and act like you’re a
pro.
Sliding up to the lift to get on, I began to smile. "Damn,
you’re good," I muttered to myself.
But as I was trying to impress everyone around me, I proceeded
to fall down flat on my face.
Oh, well. Beginners are going to do that all the time, but after
going a couple of times, you know how to stand up and slow down.
"Just a little more practice and I’ll be da bomb," I thought.
So after a couple of hours, I go down the practically flat
slope. Take it easy. Turn those shoulders. Balance, it’s all about
balance, I keep telling myself.
Several tumbles later, I made it down to the bottom and realized
that I could be good some day.
At the end of the next day, I get coaxed into attempting the top
of the mountain. While at the top, I slide up to the edge of the
"cliff" and peer down.
Just gotta suck it up and go. I point my board straight down and
jump off. After breaking the sound barrier (or something that felt
like it), I crash. And kept crashing – all the way down the
mountain.
After going to Mountain High the next week, I then went to
Snowboarding Heaven, also known as Mammoth.
I’ve got a brand new board and some fly winter clothing – all I
have to do is look decent on the slopes and I’m set.
It started to snow a little bit, but I just dominated runs of
all levels. I knew that I had to prove myself, so I moved up the
upper echelon of slopes.
"I’m the Michael Jordan of snowboarding," I echoed. I got off
the lift on the top of the mountain in near white-out conditions
with 50 mph gusts.
What am I getting myself into to? Double black diamond or single
black diamond? Better go down the single. Cruising down the white
cloud of fury, I realized that this is what life is all about.
Carve left, carve right, again and again.
A certain aura of arrogance overcomes you as you begin to master
the many intricacies of such a devilish sport.
Wow! As I was taking my last run down at Mammoth, I thought
about how lucky I was to ever experience the sheer beauty and power
of snowboarding.
If you ever get the chance to snowboard, take advantage of it.
It might not be as exciting as sky-diving, but it’s much cheaper
and a lot more feasible. It’s the fastest-growing sport in the
world (or at least looks like it) and by far the most fun. You have
the summer to surf and bodyboard. Plus, skiing is much harder to
advance in than snowboarding.
All you have to have is courage, balance, and pure and utter
insanity!
Salahuddin would like to congratulate his parents, Mohammad and
Rahat, on their 31st wedding anniversary! If you would like to give
your best to them or want to go snowboarding sometime, e-mail
mizzoin@ucla.edu.Moin Salahuddin
Comments, feedback, problems?
© 1998 ASUCLA Communications Board[Home]