Totally Awesome Dude!!!

It must be over 6 months now since I last went snowboarding, and a little while ago I hurt my knee at work which started to hurt at home only when I walked downstairs (nowhere else), so it was putting me off a bit going in case I made it worse. My knee started to get a lot better so I thought I'd go again, which I did today.

Thought I'd just do 1 hour, but they had an offer on so it was cheaper to pay for 2 hours than 1. I could still finish after 1 if my knee wasn't upto it. I was so excited I couldn't wait to get on the slope, a bit nervous too cos I'd been away for so long and hoped my knee would be ok, but my excitement easily outweighed my nervousness lol

I walked to the slope and they have 2 drag lifts to get you to the top, one on each side of the slope. I like to use the first lift cos when you get off at the top you have to turn to the right, which for me is a heelside turn cos I ride in a goofy stance (that's right foot forward) but they only had the far lift working which means I have to turn to the left at the top using a toeside turn (a lot harder for me). Instead of turning I just went straight forward and hit my board into the bumpers on the wall (well that's what there there for lol).

So there I was, at the top of the slope 170m all the way to the bottom, top half has a gradient of 1 in 5 while bottom half is less steep at 1 in 10. All strapped in and ready to go for the first time in 6 months, I set off down the slope and hit my first turn and it all came back like I'd never been away :) Did a few more runs getting faster each time until I was back to my normal riding speed woohoo and my knee felt good too.

My friend Jody who works there was setting up the boxes, rails and kickers for the freestyle night on the slope (thur & fri). We had a chat about why I'd been away for so long and he told me he had an interview tonight about getting the job as the freestyle slope designer full time and this layout was his trial (good luck Jody - I hope you get the job!)

I carried on riding for the first hour just taking it nice and easy but was feeling really good now and confident. Started trying out some gentle tricks to see how it felt and was really enjoying myself. Another rider was commenting on my different coloured bindings (the bits that attach your boots to the board). Mine are made my Flux and I have a green one and a purple one ;) We got talking (he was called John) and he'd been a skateboarder for 10 years until he started snowboarding about 3 years ago.

I taught him how to do some flatland tricks like 180's (jumping off the snow and spinning half a turn) and buttering (lifting the front of your board up and spinning in circles as you ride down the slope) and he taught me how to turn to get off the lift I didn't like :) Once I'd mastered how to turn off that lift without bumping my board into it made it even more enjoyable. We rode together and practised tricks until it my time was up to leave the slope :(  a full 2 hours later!

As it's my birthday soon, Andie was thinking about buying me some new snowboarding trousers cos last year she bought me some impact shorts to protect me when i fall when learning new stuff, and they made my trousers a bit tight when I wore them, but I needed to know if my knee would be ok or if my snowboarding days were over. Luckily my knee was fine so I went shopping :)

This time of year is out of season, so most shops are selling off this years stock at sale prices to clear it to get ready for new stock which usually comes in around September, so it's a good time to buy, but they only have what's left on the shelves. Unfortunately in Ellis Brigham they didn't have any at all but in Surfanic they've got quite a few in different colours/styles that I like, so it's gonna be a trip back with my gear on for a fitting :)

I'm so happy to be back riding again :)

This day has been totally awesome dude!!!