Winter has its uses

In the past 10 years, I've skied a handful of times but I had only "snowboarded" once. I use the quotations because my experience consisted of relieving a tired friend of her snowboard rental then rolling in the snow for the next hour because I had no idea what I was doing. For the brief seconds that I was in a vertical position, I felt like I was rushing recklessly to my doom. In comparison, skiing was the safer and more productive choice.

I was put off snowboarding until Dangard Ace recently alerted me to a Blue Mountain special offered in conjunction with National Ski & Snowboard Week (January 19-23, 2009). A beginner lift, lesson and rental package for $39 was an offer that I could not resist and I decided to give snowboarding another chance.

As is usually the case when I sign up for outdoor adventure lessons, I was tutored by at least one Red Bull-toting jock who was contemptuous of my inability to roll forward onto my board. After one painful crawl down a bunny slope made up entirely of unsuccessful attempts to stand up on my board, I decided that flipping myself onto my stomach to push myself onto my feet would be a more productive strategy. A more helpful coach then taught me how to hop to a forward facing position once I was on my feet. After learning how to brake - always a useful skill - I was able to glide down the slope, making 'S's all the way.

Snowboarding seems to be synonymous with risky behaviour. Whereas I can be conservative and slow in my skiing, snowboarding requires a full commitment to a wider turn radius and faster speed in order to stay upright. Having learned the basics of snowboarding, the adrenaline rush has now become enjoyable as opposed to bowel-emptying.

As I relaxed in the waters of Le Scandinave Spa that evening, I found myself visualizing carving snow instead of enjoying the beautiful surroundings and the therapeutic waters. On the long ride home from Blue Mountain, I was mentally correcting my positioning and posture. I asked Joe that night when we can go snowboarding again. This sounds like the start of an addiction.