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6,648 Posts
I'm a pretty new snowboarder, and a late starter at 51. I started snowboarding in Feb/2009 after going up to Seymour with my daughter's class as a volunteer parent. I'd never seen snowboarders up close (hadn't been invented yet when I used to ski) and they looked like they were having a lot of fun.
So, I rented the equipment the next time out and gave it a try. I'm pretty sure I provided great entertainment that first day on the bunny slope. But hey, it was a lot of fun, so I kept at it. As it happens, I had just finished a contract, and because of the financial crisis I didn't get any work for the entire season. As a result I had a lot of time to practice. I probably got a full season's worth of riding in between Feb and the end of April. It was a great (half) season.
Last year, on the other hand, was crap. El Nino year. Bleah. It snowed heavily in November and in March, but very little in between. Mostly we shredded on re-ground ice that season. This year looks like it's going to be a good one. On Oct 26 (yesterday) it snowed on Grouse and Seymour. Not much, and it won't stick, but it's a start.
I spent my first season on a Morrow Lithium with Flow Five bindings. My second season was shared with that rig and a K2 Brigade with Cinch bindings. Never really fell in love with the K2, for all that it's better quality than the Morrow. This year, I have a Ride Havoc with Burton Mission bindings and (drum roll please) a Never Summer Heritage with Flow NXT-ATs. Damn, this is gonna be good. Or, I'm gonna bite it big time. Either or.
Let the games begin...
So, I rented the equipment the next time out and gave it a try. I'm pretty sure I provided great entertainment that first day on the bunny slope. But hey, it was a lot of fun, so I kept at it. As it happens, I had just finished a contract, and because of the financial crisis I didn't get any work for the entire season. As a result I had a lot of time to practice. I probably got a full season's worth of riding in between Feb and the end of April. It was a great (half) season.
Last year, on the other hand, was crap. El Nino year. Bleah. It snowed heavily in November and in March, but very little in between. Mostly we shredded on re-ground ice that season. This year looks like it's going to be a good one. On Oct 26 (yesterday) it snowed on Grouse and Seymour. Not much, and it won't stick, but it's a start.
I spent my first season on a Morrow Lithium with Flow Five bindings. My second season was shared with that rig and a K2 Brigade with Cinch bindings. Never really fell in love with the K2, for all that it's better quality than the Morrow. This year, I have a Ride Havoc with Burton Mission bindings and (drum roll please) a Never Summer Heritage with Flow NXT-ATs. Damn, this is gonna be good. Or, I'm gonna bite it big time. Either or.
Let the games begin...