In the Pipe But Not Of It

I made my first trip to the halfpipe today. My goal was simply to get an idea of what it was like in there, and the results weren't pretty.

Actually, there were two pipes available, and I took the mini one. It's barely wider than a ditch alongside a country road, and not as deep.

My goal heading out was simply to spend most of the time in the middle, with an occasional foray towards the side. But once I got heading towards one side, the whole design of the pipe pushed me from one side to the other. (Duh!)

Perhaps I actually once rode once from one side of the pipe to the other without falling. But I doubt it. Of course, having my bindings set for cruising and not the park probably didn't help. Neither did trying to make (I suspect) tighter turns than were warranted.

So you could say that I've been in the pipe, but I'm not a creature of it. For some reason, I think hitting some modest features such as a funbox or a small kicker might be easier.

Better the Backpack Than My Shoulder

I had a wonderful day riding in fresh powder. It was a great experience except for one unfortunate incident right after lunch.

After having a breakthrough morning, I went in for lunch. One thing that had made the morning so great was the constant availability of water through my new Dakine hydration backpack. If you've never had a constant source of water available to you out on the slopes, try taking in a lot of water next time out, and see what a difference it makes.

But you've also got be careful, and that's something I wasn't right after lunch. I threw the pack on, as well as my helmet, got into the lift line, and rode up the chair, anticipating a great ride down.

I got a ride, all right. But it wasn't great.

As I went to descend from the chairlift, I felt a resistance. I couldn't ride away from the chair. One of the straps from the backpack had gotten tangled up in the lift chair.

I was going for a different kind of ride.

I tried to yell, but I don't think I got anything out. I was stunned. The chair swung around, ready to start heading down the hill again. But I was still attached, via the strap on my pack.

Fortunately the liftie stopped the whole contraption before I got very far. My feet never left the ground, meaning that I was never suspended in air. The happy result: no separated shoulder (or worse) from hanging, mid-air, from the lift via my pack.

The pack itself was ruined; it tore right along side the zipper. Better it than me. I found my way down to the ski patrol, where somebody gave me a few simple tests to determine there was no obvious nerve damage, and I went on to finish the day.

My only damage: a couple of small bruises on my arm. And no significant pain the next day.

A week later, I did buy another pack. But this one doesn't have as many straps, and I'm very particular about wrapping any excess around and a round, so as to make sure there's no repeat.

What a Difference the Snow Makes

Today I took quick trip to the local hill and had a much more difficult time of it than over the weekend.

Why? Crud.

I had thought that crud was easier on a board than on skis, but for some reason that probably was not the case today.

Another Reason Why Powder Days Are Great

Both skiers and snowboarders look forward to powder days. But I found another reason to love powder recently.

It cushions the inevitable falls. It's a lot easier to be confident if you know that your falls will be into some fluffy stuff rather onto a substance with the consistency of a skating rink. Fear drives bad technique (such as putting your weight near tail of the board), which in turn leads to more falls, which leads to fear. All a vicious cycle.

In powder, however, there is a virtuous cycle. Less fear leads to the rider being willing to not be tentative, but to use proper technique. In turn that leads to fewer falls, which leads to more confidence, which in turn leads to more learning. And so it goes. In short, it's a great ego-boost and learning aid.

Yes, I'm Goofy. How About You?

After trying to ride "regular" for a while, and having trouble with it lately, today I went "goofy," and found it was great.

During my first season, I sometimes found it easier to ride switch than to ride normal. I suppose that was my first clue. But then last season, riding forward was easier than riding switch.

After some recent troubles on the hill, I decided to try something different with my new bindings: set them to goofy, at roughly 25 and 0 degrees.

It works much better.

The old "slide on ice" test gave me the idea. I had some hardpacked snow on the driveway. I ran from the garage onto the driveway, and ended up with my right foot leading. It just felt more comfortable, more sturdy that way.

And it worked out on the hill.

So goofy I am. But then again, some of my friends already knew that.

Duck Stance is Not Ducky

After having trouble riding switch, I changed my binding settings to try riding duck. Not a terribly useful idea, especially out of the park.