Dropping the two pieces of laminated wood and metal onto the hard, icy trail (notice how the word snow is not used- thanks, East Coast!) - I take a deep breath in. I knew it was going to happen. That would be the day that I would finally do what I set out to do in my great park skiing adventure. I exhale, and watch my steamy breath rise into the air. It was absolutely beautiful on the mountain. Bluebird, not a cloud in the sky. 100% visibility. I repeated once more to myself -Today is the day. It was 8:45 in the morning, and I was dead set on getting first chair. I skate down the annoyingly low incline green-level run that our house is on, and make it to the lift. First in line, sweet! Everything was going right so far. I fist bump the liftie. …show more content…
This is what you have been working towards. You’ve practiced getting on a home-made rail in your backyard, now it’s time to put that into practice. I took a deep breath, yelled “DROP!” and began descending towards the park features. I had already cased the rail, and knew it’s layout by heart. I knew the perfect speed to ride onto it at, the point where I would need to land onto it, the point where I would spin off. Hannibal Smith’s catchphrase from The A-Team came to mind during that moment. Over and over, I kept thinking about how I couldn’t believe the perfectness of the day. I felt like I had entered another plane of existence, been enlightened in the art of skiing. Here it comes. I approach the small kicker that provides the pop onto the rail, and my legs take over. It felt like second nature; the flow just felt right. A perfect 90° rotation to the left on, and the underfoot part of my skis are centered perfectly on the rail. I looked to the end of the rail, a strategy I had been told many a time helpful to staying on once grinding it. It happened quickly, but time felt slowed down. I was in touch with my actions. I reached the end, and once more popped up, turned 90° the other direction and stomped the landing, even with a little bit of afterbang (an action done after hitting a feature when skiing, involving sagging the body a bit, just looking loose and thug-like- conveying the ease one has completing a trick) and I was in shock with myself. I carved into the line for the rope tow, and my grin must have been ear to ear. Not only was I absolutely ecstatic about being on skis, but all my work had paid off. My goal was achieved. I rode the lift up, dropped in, and rode the rail once more. I went back up, and repeated. I must have ridden it ten more times afterwards, with no sign of boredom. Very rarely in my life have I been so proud of myself for completing something, and I soon realized the true meaning of what my actions of
Bang! Clack! The metal snowboarding lift twisted and turned over the snowy mountain. My heart pounded as I forced myself to step onto the loading dock. I scraped my boots across the metal platform reading Bittersweet Ski hill. I thought about why they don't say Snowboarding Hill. The thought shook inside me.
The ground moved farther away from me as I went higher up. I nervously swung my legs back and forth and placed my ski poles next to me. When I looked down, everyone looked like itsy-bitsy specks in the vast, white snow. Whoa…, I thought to myself, the sight made me feel disoriented. As I went up the lift shuddered, shook, and occasionally swung side to side which made me feel jitterish. I couldn’t believe I was doing this though, but there was no going back now. After a few minutes, or what felt like hours, I could see the end of the ski lift coming closer. I prepared myself by getting ready to stand up by grabbing my poles and tensing my legs. There was a bright red line printed on the snow a few feet ahead and when I reached the line, I quickly stood up and got off. “Phew, at least half the journey’s done”, I thought to
I approach the rugged mountain, shielding my body from the nasty frost nipping at my exposed skin. The sun ever so lightly peeks over the horizon as I strap on my skis, lightly dusted with a thin layer of fresh snow. Although my body shivers unceasingly, I feel comforted by the surges of adrenaline pumping through my body. I skate briskly toward the ski lift to secure my place as the first person in line. On the slippery leather seats of the lift my mind races, contemplating the many combinations of runs I can chain together before I reach the bottom of the hill. I arrive at the peak of the mountain and begin building up speed. Floating on the soft snow, weaving through the trees and soaring over rocks, I feel as if I am flying. The rush of adrenaline excites me. I feed on it. I thrive on it. I am ski; I live for speed; I am an evolving technique and I hold a firm edge.
Skiing has been a significant part of my life since I was three. The slopes fill me? with more joy than anywhere else. Throughout my years skiing, my Dad and my older brother Trevor have helped me. Following in their footsteps, I have progressed in both the way I ski and the difficulty of slopes I attempt. When I began skiing, I was scared and needed lessons. I could not complete any slopes except bunnies and greens (the easiest slopes). Through many days spent on the slopes challenging myself, my skill improved. I wanted to ski with my dad and brother, and knew I had to practice in order to even try keeping up with them. Determination to join them and be together skiing made me work harder than I have worked before to improve a skill. This story will help you see some of the challenges I faced and successes I achieved as I began to ski, and improved both my skill and mindset.
I was so hyped that I finally learned Snowboarding. After all those years only going on small hills on my heel edge, I finally was doing toe edge. We went up the hill for a couple of more runs and just like you already know we got on the chairlift and put on our bindings once we got off. We went all the way to the right side of the hill and snowboarded down it. While I was going down my board hit a small ice ball and my board caught an edge and I landed hard on my board. If you were me in this exact situation I could tell you it hurt alot! Image getting kicked really really hard by someone now imagine that hundred times harder, that was the pain I was in. Max came up beside me and asked if I was ok. I looked at him and said “ my butt hurts so much” After a couple of minutes sitting there we got up and went down to hill. I looked at the clock and realized it was closing time. I went did a fist bump with Max and went home. Now you just read my narrative of me overcoming snowboarding and I can tell you I was so proud of myself. I succeeded because I had the determination to do
I was afraid at first; I had heard many over-exaggerated stories from people who had claimed foul play, on the part of gravity, while skiing. So naturally I was a bit skeptical, but Michael assured me that the best way to learn was to just go all out and try my luck on one of the many intermediate slopes. At the time it had sounded reasonable, so I did. I've heard it said before; "It's easier said than done." Whoever coined that one knew what he was talking about.
The second time I got into position again, determined to get up I yelled “Ready.” This time I put too much pressure on my front foot and fell forwards.
After about half an hour my aunt and uncle left while we were still there though. My cousin found a ramp I counted about twenty feet up the hill from the ramp and put the snowboard down got my feet in the foot holders and pushed off and went off the ramp. When I fell I just got back up and ran
I looked into the man’s eyes. He didn’t look familiar; I had never encountered anyone looking like this before. It seemed that the man had enough, and was going to throw me out any second, when the ski lift started moving again. We were now a few feet away from the station. I slid on to the snow and skied away from the man as fast as I could. I looked behind me. The man was snowboarding towards me, but I was much faster. I dodged, slid, turned, and skied past people, traveling at my highest speed, when I crashed into one of the caution signs standing on the snow. I tumbled down the mountain. One of my skis had gotten caught, so I climbed up with my snow boots on, hastily put them on, and started skiing down the “expert only” trail, thinking that this would probably throw the man
I wondered if they left for a reason (Which I later found out they did). As far as I knew, they just left. I sat back and the cold bar gave my neck a chill. I could see the guy at the end and I waved to him. He wore a black hat and a green jacket like most ski lift operators do. He waved back and I thought to myself “At least he’s nice.” The hill under me started to shrink as I got closer to the platform. When the platform was in sight I lifted the cold bar with my glove and I could see the mark were my hand had melted the snow on it. My poles were in my hands and my skis up ready to get off. It looked as though I was about to attack someone, which is the normal way you get off the lift, legs raised, poles at 45 degree angle, and head straight ahead. My skis were on and I inched my way forward down to the small hill, onto the main one. After I was on the main hill, there was a neighborhood of other trails, to my left was Mardi Gras, the biggest and main trail of Holiday Valley, in front of me was two more, one led to a terrain park and the other was just another trail of Mardi Gras (or Mardi for short). I swung my skis to the left and passed a few snow boarders strapping up and said to one with a board that had LEDs, “Nice board!” He replied with “Thanks man!” I continued down the trail going slowly while the trees and the snow were grasping my eyes. I came to the part of the hill were it
(How to Snowboard Moguls: A NwBro Guide.) will be important when handling skiing moguls. An easy way to help is to, “(think of the flat top as a green run” (How To Ski Moguls - Mogul Terrain Explained And Simplified.) Turning is easy on a flat green run and similarly it is not as difficult turn on the flat tops of the moguls. This technique helps you control your speed and balance as getting stuck in the throughs can often lead to painful falls. Even with the tip to stay on the moguls' tops it can still posses major challenges even to the most experienced of skiers. Hannah Kearney, the gold medalist in moguls skiing, has even been quoted saying, "anyone who has tried to ski more than one mogul will appreciate the strength and coordination it takes to navigate the bumps." (Kearney.) Kearney also mentioned the high amount of strength and aerobic training needed to consistently ski moguls, especially the core workouts that she needs to do. ( Kearney.) even if you do not have that level of strength and poise, if you take your time and turn at the tops then you can eventually tackle the
Skiing was not my forte or my favorite thing to do. I was furious at the way I tumbled down the slope. I was hurt by falling and tumbling through the freezing cold snow and ice. I just wanted to go home, anywhere but here. My confidence had hit rock bottom. My face red and frozen from crying. I was thinking there was some other way down but there wasn’t.
Thin air encompasses me as I commence the final day of skiing at Vail, Colorado. Seven days of skiing elapse rather painlessly; I fall occasionally but an evening in the Jacuzzi soothes my minor aches. Closing time approaches on the final day of our trip as I prepare myself for the final run of the vacation. Fresh off the ski lift, I coast toward the junction of trails on the unoccupied expert face of the mountain. After a moment of thought, I confidently select a narrow trail so steep that only the entrance can be seen from my viewpoint.
Challenge plays an essential role in defining a sport; it provides the individual with the feeling of achievement in success. Skiing poses challenge even in its simplest foundations. Skiing on a poor quality hill, with icy snow and poor upkeep can sometimes create more challenge than a well-groomed slope. Skiing in the backcountry away from lifts and other people in freshly fallen snow provides an opportunity for the best of skiers to test t...
Some of the steps fro making a skis are milling the core, assembling the layers, bonding the layers, bonding the base and edges, applying graphics, and finishing.