I found out something I didn’t know last year: that I was most comfortable riding “goofy style,” or leading with my right foot on the board. I managed to crawl to the lift with my left foot, dragging the board behind me like a cripple. With Eric’s careful instruction, I was able to board off the lift without a spill for the first time. Surprisingly, he was a great teacher—thorough, patient, and strong enough to lift me from the ground whenever I fell. While holding my hands like a human set of snowboard training wheels, he demonstrated the intricate nuances of the toe-edge, heel-edge system, and how to I should move my body to control the board. The first day was grueling, but I felt like I was finally starting to get it.
The second day he took me up on a blue intermediate run without my knowing. He refused to hold my hands. Tentatively, I started down the mountain. As I coasted, the slope got steeper and steeper. The faster I went, the less control I had over the board, and my body. I began spinning and headed toward a clump of trees. I started to panic. Visions of Aspen flashed before my eyes. I spilled out and landed roughly on hard ice, snapping back my neck in the process. While I laid sprawled in the freezing snow, kids with numbers on their back whizzed by me in droves.
I wriggled my toes and fingers to make sure I was still alive. Once I confirmed this, I yelled, cursed, and cried like a baby. I felt betrayed by my instructor. I felt betrayed by Michael. I felt like giving up. But the central problem remained: I was still only half-way down the mountain. Dazed and humiliated, I fantasized about being heli-ported back to the lodge.
Like a miracle, Michael skied up beside me. He helped me to my feet. He reminded me that I was making progress. He reminded me that last year, I wouldn’t have lasted five seconds on an intermediate slope. As much as I wanted to be victimized by the entire experience, I knew he was right. I had to acknowledge how much I had improved. With a renewed sense of hope, I decided to keep going. I warmed my hands, brushed the cold snow off my face and body, and repositioned myself to my heel edge. I slid slowly down the hill, carefully picking up speed with Michael just in front of me. This time, I attacked the mountain with more confidence. I used my body to control the board. And I managed not to get hit by anyone.
PREVIOUS PAGE
