My first day snowboarding

[nyyfanatic85]

Well I hit the slopes for the first time today! We went to Cascade Mountain in Wisconsin. It was a pretty humbling experience I must say. I fell down about 100 times (no joke) and fell in almost every way imaginable. I fell sideways, frontways, did 4 barrel rolls at one point, fell facefirst, you name it- I probably did it today.

But I'm glad I went, because next week I'll be leaving for Colorado with a big group and I really needed to get some practice in before I hit the big slopes in Colorado. I'm so sore right now, I can barely move, but again- I'm glad I went and can't wait to do it again!

I'm curious, who else here has snowboarded and remembers their first day? I'd love to hear your stories too to help me cope.

[PettittesPrincess]

I could barely move the next day, but it was so much more fun than skiing.

[JapanJobbers]

My first time snowboarding was in Japan. We received no instructions or anything, just given our equipment and went off to the hills. I had skiied before, but it doesn't prepare you for snowboarding. I think I fell down maybe 15 times on the first hill. My body was so sore that night. My biggest problem is that I always felt I was going to fall down if used my back leg to turn, but once I got used to turning and stopping it was much easier. Snowboarding is more difficult at first, but then in becomes easier faster than skiing IMO.

[patrick.o]

I'm curious, who else here has snowboarded and remembers their first day?

Fell down, got up, fell down, got up, fell down, got up, repeat 100 times. It took literally an hour to get down the mountain, and it wasn't a very big mountain. I would suggest to anyone to take a lesson, it'll save you a lot of hard knocks. But once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy. Once you get your balance, figure out how to turn, and learn to stop it's really a blast. It's a real workout though. Even if you get good enough to not fall a lot, if you don't go regularly your muscles will just be shot by the end of the day. I remember being at Okemo once and being so beat that I had to fall down, because I couldn't even turn my body to stop anymore.

[nyyfanatic85]

Agreed Patrick, my body is so spent right now physically from getting up so much. That sapped a ton of my energy that I still haven't gained back yet. Plus I get to work 11 hours today. Sweet!!

[SuperMario66]

I literally cried my first day. Now, I was a 14 year old girl, but I still cried.

[RhodyYanksFan]

Fall, get up, move 10 feet, try to turn, fall, repeat. That was my first day of snowboarding. I knew it would be like that going in though. THe worst is getting off the lift. I told everyone I was going to fall and take them down with me if they didn't move and I was exactly right. It gets easier though, just keep with it.

[Jen19]

My first day was like what a lot of you described...lots of falling, very sore muscles (even though I had been doing a lot of running at the time) and I was absolutely exhausted by the end of the day. And so far there hasn't been a second day. I hear you do pick it up quicker than skiing but I really didn't like it enough to find that out for myself...

[Bosox Guy in Chitown]

My first time on a snowboard was in Vail. I took a group lesson. I was on a beginner slope, and I had fallen down a bunch of times. By midday I was getting pretty good runs.

At one point I picked up too much speed, and was coming toward a chair lift for kids. I knew I was going to wipe out, the only question was how. I looked left - a kid on skis. I looked right - a kid on a snowboard. I veered left, and took out the kid on skis. He was OK.

My instructor came down to me and asked what happened. I explained that it was the kid on skis or the kid on a board. He smiled and said "excellent choice." Only the excellent was said like he was Mr. Burns from the Simpsons. I didn't understand the skier/'boarder rivalry thing until that point.

[Archer1979]

I've never snowboarded, but my first time skiing was up in Stowe.

My wife had had a few lessons, I had never been on skis.

We decided to take some lessons first thing in the morning. We signed up for the lessons and the instructors evaluate you and place you accordingly. So they take us to this evaluation hill and tell us to ski down. My wife went right before I did (we were about 20th in line). Well, I'm watching everyone go down and see how they serpentined and moved their center of gravity so I did the same thing and skiied down the hill flawlessly.

I ended up with my wife in the intermediate class. They took us to the top of the mountain to ski. It was like taking someone who learned to mouth "Where is the bathroom?" in Spanish and dropping him off in downtown Madrid.

I fell. I rolled. I lost to gravity in every which way imaginable.

I ended up in the beginner's class getting out-skiied by 5 year-olds.

I've never been back.