Today I had my first snowboarding class, EVER. I had bought the pass during the off-season because it was cheaper and I thought it would be useful for me to get at least one formal lesson on how to ride.
Luck was clearly on my side because when I showed up for my class I found out that I was the only student, so I ended up getting a private class with an excellent instructor.
The experience was great, he showed me all the basics and gave me some not-so-basic tips. It was clear from the beginning that in just two days of riding I had already picked up some bad habits, like kicking my leg behind me to force the turns, instead of guiding them smoothly with my feet.
My teacher did his best to kick the habit off me. He was patient, kind, funny and super helpful. It was a bit embarrassing though, to hear him tell me the same things over and over and over again: “trust your front foot”, “lean into the mountain”… I wanted to, but my body wasn’t letting me.
I am not afraid to admit that I was super scared to lean my weight into my front foot. The slopes looked so steep and I was afraid to fall. Of course, I did fall, and it never hurt too bad, at least not as bad as it did on my first day when I kept falling on my butt and knocking my head against the ground.
After four hours my legs were exhausted but my spirit was alive. I had been able to connect a few turns on steep terrain and progress was clear. I thanked my teacher for his wisdom and patience. I am probably going to take more classes with him. Hoping I can again sign up for some group classes and end up with a private one. =D
@BrunoTreves
