Become a better snowboarder

I’ve got 4 or 5 days of snowboarding at Whistler coming up. I am thinking about taking a private lesson, but they’re really pricey. We’ll see.

Snowboard shapeup starts now.

I had so much fun on my snowboarding trip! I definitely feel like I’m improving my skills and confidence. I actually stopped blaming everything on “my new board” too. :P And my snowboard shape-up plan totally paid off…I really didn’t get tired until the last day, after four days of riding. My legs held up way better than they did on my last trip in March 05…it made such a big difference being in better shape. I didn’t try any jumps…well, I did but I didn’t actually make it off the ground. My main problem with jumps is not being able to recognize what a jump is like until after I’ve passed it. My friends and I wanted to try so many different runs that I didn’t really have the chance to circle back and try some of the smaller jumps I spotted earlier. Oh well…next time. I really hope I can make it back out to Utah this season…Snowbird has a really nice beginner terrain park that would be fun for learning. But for now, I’m really pleased with the fact that I can go a lot faster without totally freaking out, I can usually maintain momentum and get across flat spots without getting stuck, and I can handle steeps a lot better too. I’m pleased with my progress on this goal, and I’m hopeful that by the end of this season I’ll be able to mark it off. I just need to plan my next trip now!

Had a great day at Heavenly at Lake Tahoe yesterday. We got in a full day and rode hard. We’re getting ready to head out again today…there’s a storm coming so we may be in for strong winds, which would suck. But we’re also going to get some snow, which is good. I felt like I was able to go faster yesterday and not get freaked out…I was linking my turns a lot more quickly and smoothly. So today, if the conditions are good, I want to continue building my confidence and try some small jumps. Yay!

I was really hoping to be able to brush up on some technique pointers by reviewing the snowboarding books I have, but I think they’re in storage. Oh well. I do think I’m going to try to take an intermediate lesson in Tahoe. I leave in four days…fabulous!

I got a reservation using my hotel points for the Hilton Whistler Spa & Resort. So I guess I’m going to Whistler for New Years this year! Hopefully by then I will be a better snowboarder!

My friend and I are considering taking a lesson while we’re in Tahoe. I think it’s a great idea. We’re both not beginners anymore, but we’re having trouble getting over the next skill level hurdle. We both have problems with going fast (we are uncomfortable going too fast…and “too fast” probably isn’t really that fast at all for me). Hopefully the lesson will help. And I’ve got about a month to work on getting in shape so I can hang on the mountain all day. I really think that proactively working out in ways that I know will help my riding will be really beneficial.

I also ordered a new board bag today in pink/brown plaid…so cute! I know that won’t make me a better snowboarder, but it will make me a more stylish one.

I got a cycling trainer for Christmas, and it totally kicked my butt! First of all, assembling it and setting it up was a nightmare. I would have been better off if they had simply left the instructions out - they were horrible! The instructions for the computer (to measure distance, speed, cadence) were even worse, so I tabled that for now. But I rode for an hour, and my legs are feeling it. That’s good though, because biking - for me—works the same muscles as snowboarding. My thighs were burning when I went snowboarding last spring, so I thought I should do whatever I can to be in top shape before I go this winter. Otherwise, I will simply be focused on not dying rather than improving my skills. So maybe this year will be the year I make another big leap of improvement. The last time I felt like I made a big step forward was a few years ago in Whistler…it was such a good feeling, too!

I want to get better at going fast and not getting freaked out, and I really want to learn to do jumps that are more than three inches off the ground and simple tricks in the terrain park…like, the kiddie terrain park. :)