Personal Narrative-First Day On The Slopes

First Day on the Slopes

The restless morning sky stretched its hazy greyness behind the hills. Falling snow lay tenderly on the ground as fog grazed across the fresh surface. I stepped out of the car and the cold and crisp air coated my lungs with frost. My cheeks and finger tips instantly turned shades of reds and pinks, once the frosted air pressed against my skin. Chairlifts rolled on the chattering chains, around and around. Families and small children, ready and eager to learn covered the hills.

I sat in the lodge and put on my gear piece by piece. I noticed the long line forming at the chairlift. Anticipation started to overtake me when people at the base of the hill started to cover every inch of the untouched snow. I already knew the skiers and snowboarders whom my eyes were locked on where better than I was. Knowing that and being self taught weakened my confidence. I had no one to teach me because my parents didn’t know the first thing about snowboarding. My nerves and emotions jumbled fear and excitement back and forth in my head. I grabbed my board and started for the chairlift. I strapped one foot into the rental snowboard and limped to the lift. Pushing myself with my back leg, my board scrapped across the icy patches. It took no longer than two seconds to realize I didn't know how to stop. My stomach

I went up and fell, but this time I waited before I went down. I mentally walked through everything. Techniques, positioning, and the feel for the snow. After a day of none stop frustration and anger, relief finally set in. As I walked into the lodge to take off my gear and head home, I looked around at the falling kids and the ones nailing there tricks. I realized that they both had to start from somewhere, just like I had to. Looking back at the day and every challenge I faced, I instantly knew that snowboarding would grow to be my biggest reliever. The challenge and commitment to the sport lit a fire in