RideDaily.com

Has the daily grind sucked the quality out of your life?  Do you have the nerve to stand up and make yourself feel alive?  Do you have a strong appetite to defy the laws of gravity?  If you do, snowboarding could be the answer.

Nothing can elicit a greater collective passion than the sport of snowboarding.  The minute I strap on my board, I can’t wipe that smile off my face.  My passion for this sport motivates me to do things I’m glad I do, but wouldn’t otherwise.  It makes me wake up at 6am and be transported to the top of a freezing cold mountain.  It inspires me to leap off a 30 foot rock into deep snow.

Here’s a scenario: I’m perched on top of a rock ledge, unable to see the landing and hearing only, “drop it!!” being yelled by my friends below.   Butterflies float through my stomach.  The feeling of invincibility floats through my mind.  Worked into a frenzy, I throw myself off the ledge.  As I succumb to the snow, powder billows around me.  I then ride away screaming with joy.  Later that night, I’m chased with dreams about my day. These dreams become sharply etched into my soul, providing me with water from the fountain of youth.

Unable to conform to such a romantic ideal?  Why?  It’s easy.  Imagine removing all restraints, and venturing out to live the life dreams are made of.  That’s what I’ve done.  I ride over a hundred days every year.  Every day can’t be a powder day, but I’ll ride anyway.  Hard packed moguls and fast corduroy can only improve my riding.  During pre and post-season when lift service is not available, I’ll hike 1000 feet- if there’s snow.

I ask myself, How can I describe to you the feeling of joy snowboarding delivers me daily?  Well, the answer is simple- I can’t.  I wish I could, but it’s something you can only understand if you experience it yourself.  Similar emotions have been known to make grown adults sacrifice high paying jobs in cities for night jobs waiting tables in resort towns.

If you just happen to be lacking passion in your life, I have some advice for you.  Pursue some fun before you get old, look back at your life, and wonder where all your free time went.  Some people would look at a life like this and say, when are you going to grow up?  I’d have to answer this with another question: in my situation, why would I want to?

You’ve probably seen or heard, “know the code”, or “be aware, ski with care”.  This “code” refers to the skier/snowboarder responsibility code, often posted on chairlift poles, signs, and trail maps.  It goes as follows: Always stay in control; people ahead of you have the right of way; you must not stop where you obstruct a trail or are not visible from above; yield to others when merging on to a trail.  These are only a few important aspects of the code, and it all of our duty as part of a shared environment to respect and follow them.

As a ski area local for ten years, I observed with great depth the conduct and relationship between snowriders, and the respect or lack of respect for these guidelines.  I have come to believe that there are certain things that are not outlined as part of any code, but I feel should be.  You may read this and think it’s just common sense.  Through experience, I have learned that it is not.  Nobody can force people to be courteous, but the more of us that are, the more enjoyable the mountain will be.

Here’s my code-

1.  Whether you rent or own your skis/snowboard, treat yours and other people’s gear with respect, as you would a strangers car in a parking lot.

You wouldn’t just walk over the hood of someone’s car on your way in to the mall, or rest your groceries on someone else’s windshield.  And I hope you wouldn’t purposely slam your car door into the truck next to you.  The same etiquette should be followed on the mountain.  I can’t count the number of times I’ve been standing in a lift line and had someone cruise up behind me, ski right over my board, or at least make contact with my edges enough to bug the shit out of me.  Or how many times I’ve seen someone carelessly chuck their skis onto a crowded rack, most likely nicking someone else’s ski or board.  Maybe you’re not a fanatic about keeping you skis polished with a diaper, but know that the guy standing next to you in line could have worked very hard to afford the brand new pair of $500 skis he’s wearing, and cares quite a bit.

2.  If you like to catch big air, (Like I do) don’t do it where you’re obviously putting people in danger.  If you don’t, (or even if you do) don’t stand in the way of an obvious kicker.

I like to jump.  Though it is something that should be done cautiously on runs, it is allowed.  This guideline is a two-way respect thing.  It is the jumpers responsibility to obey signs that say “no jumping”.  Even where there aren’t signs, it is our duty to use sensibility and not launch 15 feet in the air within inches of a group of kids.  On the other hand, obstructing jumps should be avoided when ever you are aware of them.  Not enough emphasis is put on the fact that jumping is o.k., and if you like to do it, you know what I mean.

3.  If you like to make really wide turns, do it on really wide runs.

This seems like it would be common sense but it is not.  And that’s why I’ve made it rule #3 of my responsibility code.  If you want to jog 10 miles, it wouldn’t make much sense to do it in your living room by running in circles.  So f you’re going to make huge turns on your ski or board, why do it on a 20 foot wide cat trail?  Maybe you’re a beginner, and have been taught to swerve slowly back and forth in the shape of an S.  Believe me, it’s much more fun, for you and everybody else, to do this on a wider trail.  Making big turns on a cat trail can be dangerous to other skiers and riders.  The skier passing you has the responsibility to yield to you.  However, it is unfair to leave him/her no room, by taking up the whole run.

Like I said before, no one can force people to be courteous.  But the more of us that are, the more enjoyable the mountain will be.  Riding is and always will be a great experience.  Let’s make it even better.  If you’re simply aware of your responsibility, you’ve already made a difference.  Because knowing is half the battle.