What Snowboarding is supposed to look like.
I don’t aspire to jump off of 50 foot rocks. I just want to be able to turn pretty.
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This winter I decided it was time to get serious about learning to snowboard.
I figured I was never going to learn by taking a beginner class once every 3-5 years.
The repetition needed to be more regular.
The beginner class went OK. By the end, I could make it down the bunny slope. Mostly.
Turn one direction. Stop. Get going again. Turn one direction. Stop.
Took a second class. Could get down the hill. Turn one direction. Stop. Make it on the chairlift without tripping. Make it off the chairlift without harming myself or others. Scramble to get out of the way as I inevitably fell when I picked up speed down the chairlift ramp and lost my balance. Get down the hill mostly by scooting to one side of the run. Stop. Attempt to change direction. Fall. Get up. Go to the other side of the run. Fall. Repeat until I get down the mountain.
Because I hadn’t wound up in the hospital – I decided to venture out on my own.
Over the course of a few weeks of runs:
– Got into the habit of getting on and off the chairlift with minimal drama (ie – not falling at the base of the chairlift and having to scramble out of the way)
– Was able to get down the hill without harming myself or others – admittedly only toe side OR heel side vs looking like a real snowboarder.
I can stop and start and turn and steer – so I personally don’t see a problem with going down either toe side OR heel side. My snowboarder partner, however, tells me I am doing it wrong and I am supposed to be transitioning between toe side and heel side with only one foot in front (left OR right) vs rocking back and forth down the hill (for me – preferably heel side so I can see where I am going).
Fine….
So at the behest of my snowboarder partner (otherwise known as making fun of me), I decided I was going to practice transitioning “correctly”(hmph).
And then I hit the true “ass kicking” part of the program.
Turn. Eat snow.
Turn. Turn. Bang head. Eat snow.
Turn. Turn. Rock back and forth on the hill for awhile. Attempt turn. Bang head. Eat snow.
Rinse. Repeat.
Before this slump – I was making rapid progress. I could stand on the board. I could get down the hill (albeit slowly and in a highly unorthodox manner). I could control my speed and stop.
Sadly, I ran out of winter.
So at this juncture – I have some choices around how I am going to react to this slump.
1) Quit.
2) Rage and struggle through it (the way I normally approach things)
3) Calmly work through it… knowing that the next level of mastery will come eventually.
I see this process play out in any change – either chosen OR inflicted. Individual or organizational.
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