Skiing down the mountain was a daily thing for me in the winter, it came with ease. Down and up the mountain I would go, I loved skiing I had been doing it for several years and then one day I realized that it was boring to me I wanted to try something else. Signing up for snowboarding was one of the best decisions of my life.

Face plant! My head slammed into the snow, it felt like an explosion had gone off in my head. My instructor, Spud, picked me up off my back and we went for it again. Spud was mind-blowing he went down the mountain like he it was a natural thing to him. Spud did not rush me which was a relief because I was going as slow as a turtle.

I tried to impress my instructor but everything went haywire, I lost control and I wasn’t able to stop because I didn’t know how to stop! My heartbeat was racing it felt like I was going in slow motion all I could hear was my heart going duh duh, duh duh. My legs were like teeth chattering but then my legs locked in place. I saw that the nose of my snowboard was getting piled on with snow and I new I was going to flip because there would be too much weight on one part of the board and then it will just dig into the ground. I’m thinking to myself, “can’t I just get it over with and fall already”. I closed my eyes and waited for the impact, then I noticed I was floating in the air, I looked up my instructor was holding me up and we slid across the snow and I felt the powdered snow brush all over my face.


I wanted to quit but my instructor told me this, “ Quitting gets you know where in life you have to keep your chin up and stay positive”. I listened to him and got off my back and pursued until I got a good flow on my board gaining speed as I went down the mountain I fell still but what really kept me from quitting was seeing all of the boarders fly down the mountain airing off of jumps, I wanted to be like that. That day I became inspired.

Now looking back on this amazing day I can say that I have became what I wanted to be like that day. I ride down that mountain with ease and it is all because of those boarders I saw that day and my outstanding instructor. I thank him for that great lesson.