Tuesday, October 7, 2008

**I hope it snows!**

Reasons I cannot wait till winter!

1) I won’t be nearly as sweaty as I usually am!
2) Snow****
3) Snowboarding
4) Winter cloths are more fun
5) Manhattan doesn’t smell nearly as bad in the winter
6) Vacation!
7) And lastly more snowboarding

Don’t get me wrong, there are times where all I want is to relax on the beach with a margarita and just take in the sun and ocean breeze, but how often does that happen. I can’t even recall the last time it did. Living in New York isn’t exactly conducive to the exotic beach experience.

But I will always have snowboarding… and maybe New York doesn’t have the best mountains or the best snow, but it’s been enough for me to at least get enough to know how amazing it can be. Maybe I can even say the same for skiing, but I do find that snowboarding brings something different out of me; it definitely challenges me physically a lot more.

Anyway – the whole experience from beginning to end is something else. The days leading up to your weekend get away upstate or cross country travels require quite a bit of preparation; packing all that bulky winter stuff is a daunting task, but well worth it. Don’t forget your goggles, goodness knows, I’ve had to buy an overpriced pair at the mountain.

The drive upstate whether the day of or the evening before is always a comfort. I usually turn up the alternative/rock hits circa 1990-1999 (RHCP, STP, Metallica, etc…), pump up the heat in the car, slip my feet out of my boots and enjoy the drive. It’s a moment for Paul and I to talk about our feelings, the landscape, our dreams, and sometimes just about the runs we want to hit the next day. The flights are usually not as luxurious. Flying in the winter is a bitch, lets be honest. The weather is unpredictable and delays are almost guaranteed. Once you are up in the air, ipod charged and ready to go, the turbulence starts and forget it, you are so uncomfortable you might as well dip your body in quick drying cement because you can’t move a muscle the next day. But it’s well worth it when you step off into the gate, wait at the baggage claim and see your feathered camo Burton snowboard locker coming around the conveyor. It’s the moment you look up and wink at the sky as a little thank you to God for ensuring your equipment got there okay. No one wants to fly across the country, pay thousands of dollars and then be forced to ride on rentals… even if they are demos. You want your set up strapped to your feet.

Breakfast is always fun. It’s the moment that you are supposed to eat carbs and protein in large quantities, but don’t be fooled, too many eggs and you’ll be praying for a bathroom inside that Gondola as you clench those cheeks trying to make sure that not a single little molecule of tainted air leaves your colon. I pray your sphincter muscles are strong! Then getting your gear on, its always a love hate moment… as you sweat getting your gear on, dying to run outside and feel the cold air against your skin… then you realize you forgot something and have to run back in OR worse, are stuck waiting for the slowpokes!!!!

Side note: One great advantage over skiing, you can drive fairly easily in snowboard boots!

So now for the chairlift/gondola ride… its definitely fun… picture a Ferris wheel… not too fast, not too slow, awesome view! Only instead of a boring circle, you go all the way up the mountain! It’s quiet on most chairlifts, especially at the bigger mountains and harder trails. Its nice, and relaxing, and a great opportunity to do a couple of things…
You can have a snack, per Paul, stopping to eat is a sin… sometimes I agree and sometimes I need the 40 minute break! You can adjust your gear, take a picture, talk amongst your buddy, or talk with a stranger… either way, it’s a chance to anonymously take in the wonder that is nature…

The actual moment you start to ride down the mountain, you are in a different world, a different zone… even the sounds that your board makes gliding against the snow brings you bliss.

It’s definitely a mesmerizing experience. After only a few times, you are hooked. Your muscles are sore, your ego is hurt, but you will love it!

Last year, Dave and a couple of other CU boys tried it out and they were hooked. I was so excited to see other people embracing the sport! My cousin Jomel has found that he loves it and even saved up all his summer job money to go! It has inspired me to buy him a new pair of snowboard boots for his birthday next month – I want him to get better so I can have a buddy on the slopes.

Sadly I don’t know too many girls who ride and the few I know who do bail out early or aren’t exactly troopers about it. When I’m out there, I don’t want to take it easy and I want to push myself the absolute limit! I want to ride until I’m sore and I want to go home exhausted! I don’t want to regret sitting out of a single run!

After riding is always fun too … its always followed by FOOD!!! And lots of beer… and of course the classic games like Kings, Thumper, and lets not forget good ol beerpong!

How can you not want to make this your favorite past time?!

2 comments:

Steve said...

I want to ski dammit. I hope that I can sort out my back troubles without having another surgery. If so, I will be joining you guys out West. Hey, maybe we will get stuck in another blizzard and be forced to sleep in the rental car. Ah, the joys of winter!

Lilia said...

Steve, we won't have to sleep in car, we have ski in/out!!!! I wil pray you get better FAST!