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. “First time?” shouted a worker at the loading dock about two feet away from me. I nodded my frosty white head yes. “Well good luck kid, this one's tough, but I bet you can make it.” He said pointing at the mountain. “Thanks!” I said shouting back at the man nervously. I sat there staring at the top of the gigantic hill. The lift slowed to a stop and I jumped on. “See you later!” I called with a weary voice. The snow curled in my hair and rushed against my rose red cheeks. My heart pounded and my stomach glitched up and down like a pixel. The lift dodged by a big old yellow sign reading: “The Sweet Express.” The words willowed in my mind over and over again. As if it was digging into my brain and placing itself in the category labeled fear. …show more content…
Soon it was my turn to slide off the landing dock.
I began to panic. I can’t do this, why am I even here, you're going to fall, just go home, you can’t do anything. You're gone to freak out and fail. The thoughts scraped past my ears, and into my hopeless head staring down at the top of the mountain. I slided off before I knew it and rounded off the landing dock. I sat down to buckle my boots. Okay Kinney you got this. I’ve got to go down sometime, I repeated over and over to myself. My fists crunched in my sopping wet gloves. I clenched my eyes and took a deep breath and pushed
off. The snow dreaded off into a path and I told myself to just stay on that path unless I wanted to get hit by who knows what. I shredded to a stop multiple times. I made myself go little by little, stopping each time I got the chance to. Once or twice people went by, and I got so distracted wondering how they can do all those tricks without dieing, I almost ran into a tree! I still had a ways to go, so I decided to build up my courage and take the fast lane. It took me a while to. I sweated like a volcano oozing out lava. My teeth chattered and I couldn't figure out if it was from the coldness or nervousness. I shredded too much but it was worth it. I slided in the lane slowly like a block of ice. The wind whistled past my ears. The snow drifted apart like a lawn mower. I itched to just let go and ride down the hill like a pro but my fear was holding me back like a horse on reigns. So I decided to switch places with the reins and steer to my destiny. My feet were sore but I couldn't stop now. It was amazing and how much joy came out of it was magnificent. I couldn't believe how scared I was of this manipulating mountain. I was almost done and I could see the bottom of the route from my position on the mountain. My hands were freezing and my heart was pounding the whole time, but it was definitely worth all the fear in the world. I stopped along a jagged tree and stared down at all the people scrounging around in their colorful clothing. Feeling like I was Willy Wonka, and they were my oompa loompas. Down the hill I thought about how in life, you have to try something before you can truly be scared of it. So at the end of my journey down the mountain, I went back up the mountain to do it again. But this time, without being afraid.
... and out of my lungs as I breath, the thunderous beating in my ears is starting to resend. I look around and realize that I have fallen less than halfway to the ground. I am a live, but my job isn't done yet. I pulled my feet together and make two perfect bounds to the ground below.
Throughout time, the progression and evolution of snowboarding has increased greatly. It has gone from non existence in the late 1970’s, to one of the most watched action sports in a matter of thirty-five years. The upward takeoff and popularity of snowboarding relies on two people, Jake Burton and Shaun White. Jake Burton back in 1977 had the vision for what snowboarding would be, but Shaun White had what it took to manifest that vision. Evidence has shown that time brings change in sports, history has repeated itself with snowboarding, this history reflects the time & changes that has occurred in America.
I was born and raised on snowmobiles. I remember times when I would fall asleep in front of my parents and, being able to ride by myself when I was 5 till now. All the trips my family has been on in four states and we are talking about going to the mountains this year. Being able to ride around here with all my friends see who can go the biggest jump.
As I inched my way toward the cliff, my legs were shaking uncontrollably. I could feel the coldness of the rock beneath my feet when my toes curled around the edge in one last futile attempt at survival. My heart was racing like a trapped bird, desperate to escape. Gazing down the sheer drop, I nearly fainted; my entire life flashed before my eyes. I could hear stones breaking free and fiercely tumbling down the hillside, plummeting into the dark abyss of the forbidding black water. The trees began to rapidly close in around me in a suffocating clench, and the piercing screams from my friends did little to ease the pain. The cool breeze felt like needles upon my bare skin, leaving a trail of goose bumps. The threatening mountains surrounding me seemed to grow more sinister with each passing moment, I felt myself fighting for air. The hot summer sun began to blacken while misty clouds loomed overhead. Trembling with anxiety, I shut my eyes, murmuring one last pathetic prayer. I gathered my last breath, hoping it would last a lifetime, took a step back and plun...
Several years ago, it was an early Christmas morning at my Grandparents house. The sun was pouring through the windows and the smell of breakfast still hung in the air. The setting was optimal for a great day of happy memories that would only be recalled in short term. What was to follow was anything but a short term memory. Sledding at Indian Hill had been a family tradition. This menacing hill seemed to slope straight down and I can remember standing at the bottom and feeling like I was about to embark a three day hike up a mountain. Looking back on it now, I am not even sure that it was that steep. But at seven, this monstrous hill was like a mortal enemy.
Falling fifteen thousand feet out of the sky sounded exhilarating twenty-four hours ago. Now, peering outside of the airplane door with only a tarp to prevent my apparent inevitable doom, I must stop to ask myself, what the hell was I thinking? Fear is coursing through my body, my mind pounds with anticipation and terror. Seeking escape, my thoughts drift to another time:
A blast of adrenaline charges throughout my body as I experience the initial drop. My body's weight shifts mechanically, cutting the snow in a practiced rhythm. The trail curves abruptly and I advance toward a shaded region of the mountain. Suddenly, my legs chatter violently, scraping against the concealed ice patches that pepper the trail. After overcompensating from a nearly disastrous slip, balance fails and my knees buckle helplessly. In a storm of powder snow and ski equipment, body parts collide with nature. My left hand plows forcefully into ice, cracking painfully at the wrist. For an eternity of 30 seconds, my body somersaults downward, moguls of ice toy with my head and further agonize my broken wrist. Ultimately veering into underbrush and pine trees, my cheeks burn, my broken wrist surging with pain. Standing up confused, I attempt climbing the mountain but lose another 20 feet to the force of gravity.
My internal organs thumped against my chest as I dragged my bag along the carpet floor and into the corridor. As I walked into the long hall, I glanced up and noticed the sign telling me I could get on. My entire body could barely hold itself together with the anticipation of the monumental, dream-come-true event about to take place. I said to myself, "I'll soon be in the air." I slowed my pace to further enjoy what was happening. Swarms of people walked around me as I treasured knowing that one of my lifetime goals was now inevitably going to occur. The excitement and adrenaline running through my veins could have killed a horse.
If you remember playing in the snow as a child, you probably want your own children to have the same experience. Even if you only remember sledding and snowball fights from televised Christmas specials and Normal Rockwell paintings, it’s not too late to get out there with the next generation and have a blast. Skiing, snowboarding, and even snow tubing are popular and fun family activities, but if you want to spend quality time with your family in a natural wintry setting, nothing beats snowshoeing. Snowshoeing has been around for as long as people have had to travel across deep snow, but it has recently gained popularity among families who want to enjoy nature together all year long. As a bonus, snowshoeing provides a terrific low-impact workout.
Brain, just like body’s muscles needs rest and relaxation. I find this relaxation in sports, particularly in snowboarding. Even one successful and enjoyable trip per season gives me a strong charge of positive emotions which helps stay focused on my goals until I get another break. The feeling of standing on the peak of a mountain somewhere in the Alps, inhaling fresh, cool air and feeling the adrenalin before dropping into the fresh deep powder snow, is why winter is my favorite season. I’m fond of snow, winter is my favorite season, snowboarding would be the activity if my choice.
Braden, Keegan, and I got on the chairlift to go to the top of the main hill, even though it was snowing very heavily. The snow felt like a bunch of pillows because it was all new powder, so it didn’t hurt if you fell. It was our first time snowboarding, so we were at an easy resort. Although I have experience with skiing, chair lifts, and snow, I had never snowboarded, so I was still a little nervous. I pulled down my face mask below my chin to ask if they were, too.
The cold wind whipped across my face leaving its bright red mark behind. I shuddered at the cold and gripped my ski poles tighter with my frozen hands as I willed the ski lift to move faster than its current slow crawl. I looked to my right to see my older brother and dad hunched over trying to conserve their own warmth. For what felt like the fifty millionth time I chastised myself for agreeing to attempt the run ahead. I peered through the fog at the run that fell below.
The lift chair came up to our legs threatening to sweep us off our feet a tumbling down into the deep snow in front of the lift. But we sat down, and the lift climbed upward gently sloping up to mach the slope of the mountain. Their where packs of up track snow and groomed slope with people turning down them. We reached the top of the lift and my class turned down regrouped at the top of the lift. We turned down the slope at the top of the lift and began swiftly turning down the sloped
It was a cold and snowy day in December and I just got my snowmobile license a few weeks earlier, and I was looking forward to my first time driving on the trails. “ Dinnng DINNNNG” rang, the alarm clock as I hit snooze slowly getting up I thought in my head that today was going to be a good day because it was going to be my first time driving on the snowy trails. I slowly walked downstairs noticing that everyone else was already up and getting ready so I had to rush and gear up to go out on the trails. I quickly hopped into my snow pants, put on my black and blue boots, and the put on my bright, neon yellow jacket. I started heading outside and on my way, I grabbed my shiny white helmet and the keys to one of the snowmobiles.
Anxiety took over my body as I prepared to jump. The 80 foot waterfall looming atop Turner Falls seemed to be challenging me, beckoning me to come and attempt to plunge from the rock into the waterfall to try to endure the pressure as the water knocked me straight down into the deep waters and jagged rocks which awaited below. I waited with an eager excitement thinking that if I could take this plunge, I would really be able to swim with those I saw as the "big fish." Waiting on that rock I had no idea that the events following my wait would change that jump from being something I so much desired into something I would be grateful to never personally experience.