Sean-h

I am quite confident to drop down a 70% gradient ungroomed powder bowl, I ride through trees, moguls, ice, slush, break neck speeds down any gradients really, I sometimes loose it on the ice and slide on my arse for a bit, I get up, fix my ego, and go on, but I tried a small box today for the very first time, and chickened out inches before I was about to touch it, fell off to the side. Why????? Ok, I broke some ribs 10 years ago when I just started snowboarding, got about 3 inches of air, landed wrong. I certainly don't think that experience is holding me back, never went to the doctor, only 1 day off work, or do I maybe need to go see a shrink to get over my fear of air? I am also considering a Macbook Pro, because maybe I have a thing against the Air....

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Sick-Pow

fear increases with age. You are getting old,. If that is not the answer, buck up and know....you will fall learning park.

Sean-h

I think you are right....I am over the hill.....30....*cough*....5......but as I was riding away with a mildly sore left arse cheek, it wasn't like I was saying never again, I will try again, and I know I will fall....I managed to convince my wife to follow me on her ski's with a video camera...I have yet to look at the footage

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sm0ke

ive noticed this too as i try and progress, im alot more cautious trying new tricks to the point where the snow has to be just right and im feeling healthy....sucks getting old

Donutz

I finally started hitting boxen this season (I did it a couple of times end of last season but didn't make a habit of it). I finally did a boardslide this month just days after my 55th birthday. So age isn't a showstopper. But it does cause you to think more about the consequences.

Sean, you didn't say if the box was a streetstyle, ride-on, or gapper. A small 8-foot rideon with not too much slope is the way to start. Almost no downside. I've actually cratered a couple of times coming off the heelside, and as long as it's not a hardpack day, it's not really painful. Just cold.

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Illegitimi non carborundum

Mountain Days: 30

ThunderChunky

I know this sounds crazy, but you need to fall. It let's you know how far and much you can really take. I am scared to try stuff sometimes and eventually do it and fall hard and get up thinking what the fuck. That shoulda hurt me. This let's me know that my boundary is further. You need to fall to find that limit. Without it you'll be stuck thinking falling two feet can kill you when really slamming your body off a 40 foot booter is just gonna make you sore.

Idk sorry if it doesn't make sense. But falling puts things in perspective for me and makes me realize that I can actually go a lot harder than I thought.

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Donutz

This is very true. On Tuesday I knuckled coming off a 25-foot step-over, bounced, and tumbled down the landing. Short of landing on my head that was really the worst-case scenario, and the biggest issue I ended up with was snow up my back. Which is FUCKING cold, btw!

So now I don't worry so much about that particular jump. I still don't have the nads for the 30-foot step-down, but I figure a couple of days of desensitizing myself on the first jump will help a lot.

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Illegitimi non carborundum

Mountain Days: 30

timmytard

Wow Mr.Donutz, all this time I thought you were younger than me. Some where around 20.
Awesome you wear it well. I love seeing you guys on the hill.

TT

IdahoFreshies

haha the last time i was in the park I did a mild street style flat rail, hopped on, went to turn board slide and completely washed out landing square on my left ass cheek, that was pretty much the end of my jib session so I moved on to jumps, but man I had a knot in my cheek for a week after, i slammed down on that thing hard. Also i dont think age is even a big part, its just a totaly different set of skills. I can go rip down any free ride section of the mountain, do natural hits, steeps, pow, dense trees yadda yadda, but once i hit the park its hit or miss weather i can even 180 off a flat box. and im young and invincible. i take hits like its nothing and keep on riding, hell i fell 9 feet out of the sky to flat on my ass trying to clear this huge rainbow rail and went back and hit it on the very next lap. I am not saying im fearless, but compared to all my other friends on about the same skill level i am ALWAYS the one to hit something first, or try something new, or just charge at a park hit for the first time and just go for it and see what happens. but i still eat shit all the time. It think the park is just a whole new set of skills and trying to jump in and hit boxes and do tricks off huge jumps would be like telling you to go ride dense trees with a foot of snow your 3rd day out, probably not going to be smooth or end well. The problem is you know you are a good rider, and you just want to be good and ride all the hits clean but you dont have the jib skills to do what you want, and of course its frustrating!

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Sean-h

It was a ride-on, I think, slightly sloping, about a foot high, 2ft wide and about 15ft long. Anyway, some good points to consider in this thread. I hope to pull some successful park before the end of this season, which is still set at 15 April, we hope.

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