There is nothing like the thrill of riding through three-feet-deep powder with the wind rushing through your ears on a crisp sunny day. You can be anywhere in the world this Christmas season, but there’s no place like home – for holiday snowboarding that is. New England is the home of some of the finest snowboarding opportunities in the world.
Despite the cold outlook – predicted for this winter’s weather – the snow for this season has never looked better.
For me, the season officially begins with the first waxing of my board; an annual event that falls on Nov. 1. Dragging out the tools, wax and iron from the back of the closet only incites my eagerness to find snow; no matter how far I have to drive to get it.
Five months out of the year in New England is basically guaranteed to provide snow-making weather. Even if the precipitation isn’t coming naturally, the resorts will still have the low temperatures required to produce a decent artificial covering.
In my home state, Virginia, snowboarding was an extreme sport people watched on ESPN and in movies; the southern snow simply didn’t stick around long enough to cut a trail.
My first experience snowboarding came during a high school trip to Berkshire East during my freshman year. I decided I would teach myself to snowboard, even though I had never taken a lesson in my life. I spent the entire cold afternoon alone on the slopes, taking horrific spills – or what boarders refer to as “eating snow.” Finally, after knocking the wind out of my lungs by falling into a ditch full of prickers, I unstrapped my bindings and stomped down the mountain, out of utter frustration.
Halfway down, I lost my grasp on the rental board, sending it careening down the mountain and crashing into the front steps of the lodge. Amazingly, no one was killed and the board wasn’t damaged. (This is how tough a well made snowboard can be).
Admittedly, for the beginner, snowboarding can be a bit of a challenge. In order to fully master the basics, the general rule of thumb is a three-day trial period. The first day will be pure frustration. The second will be pure pain, as you re-fall on the bruises left from the day before. The final day will be the day of revelation. You will make it down the mountain in one piece – and actually enjoy yourself.
For the more experienced rider, taking a wind through the snow park will satisfy and sustain your adrenaline rush. If you pick the right mountain, you will have the time of your life. There is nothing like hitting a well-built kicker and flying eight feet in the air to a perfect landing. Riding the park also gives even the most skilled professional a time to watch the other riders, and pick up new tricks – helmets recommended though.
Snowboarding is more than just a winter sport. It is a culture; it is a way of life. Ever since snowboarding was introduced, and periodically banned from the mountains over the years, snowboarders have overcome the struggles of trail segregation and anti-snowboarding mountains, most of which were implemented by skiers. Since then, snowboarders have grown to share a unique bond with the trails they ride, and with each other.
With state-of-the-art resorts such as Mount Snow, Okemo, Bromley, Stowe and Berkshire East within a three-hour driving range of the Amherst area, there is no better place to embrace the winter season.
Erika Lovley is a Collegian columnist.
