Cruisin' and Bruisin'

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The lodge at Bear Creek

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My cosuin Jen and I went to Bear Creek today for a group snowboarding lesson. Normally she skis but she wanted to try boarding.

When we bought our Limited Season Passes to Bear we got a 3 Pack Group Lessons on discount. We thought when we got the Group Lessons that it included rental but apparently it does not. So if you have gear and get a season pass there the lessons are worth getting. If you don't its not really worth it.

We decided to use our first lesson today. I have all my own snowboarding gear so I didn't need to rent equipment. My cousin had to rent. Our lesson started at 4:00. We had a young guy named Byron as our instructor. There were six people in our group. Me and my cousin who are in our mid 20s. Two girls who seemed to be late teens and a 12 yr girl and her father. Naturally the 12 year old was the best.

Me and my K2 Skyla Snowboard at Bear Creek

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Our lesson lasted an hour and a half. Our instructor taught us how to skate, how to get into the bindings, how to turn heelside, toeside, how to fall and he tried to teach us to link turns. No one really got that though.

I seemed to be a bit more comfortable on the board than I was last time. I was actually able to get into the bindings, stand up and turn the board around without falling....that's a huge improvement over my first time.

I seemed to do better at heelside turns than toeside for some reason. I understood how to turn from this instructor much better than the last one I had. I also really liked the way my board rode, so that's good. Had a bit of trouble with my cinch bindings but I may just have to get used to them. Hopefully that's all it is.

Overall the day went well. Got a bit more comfortable on the board. Learned I definately need knee pads....my knees are all sorts of shades of purple today!

Can't wait for the next time....I hope I remember what I just learned. I can't wait to link my first turn.

A few things I learned about Snowboarding:

1. If its your first time : Take a Lesson! Seriously there is nothing wrong with this. Its not like its natural for a human to be shackled to a board and sent down a snowy icy hill! This is a skill that has to be learned and the best way is from a trained someone who knows how. Most places have a "learn to ride" package including rentals and lift tickets.....inquire at your mountain.

2. Wear Protection : ALWAYS! It doesn't matter your level. A helmet is a MUST! Its not a bad idea to wear wrist guards and knee pads if you are just starting....you're gonna fall... like 100s of times A DAY.

3. Ride at Your Level : Don't attempt slopes, or tricks that you're not ready for. At best you'll make an ass of yourself, at worst you'll seriously injure yourself or someone else.

4. Demo Days : These are good for renting new equipment to test it out or to potentially buy it if you like. See when your mountain or pro shop does this.