Well, unfortunately no pics as it was 3 degrees that morning and I didn't want to take my camera out of the super toasty house, but Thursday I tried snowboarding for the first time.

A little background first - I was born and raised in Florida... never vacationed anywhere outside of FL with the exception of overnight stays in Savannah and somewhere in North Carolina... both were in the summer. Never saw snow until just before my 20th birthday when I moved to Michigan. I have never even been sledding. I just made my first snow angel last year. To say that I hate the cold is an understatement. When I tell people up north all of this and then tell them I want to try snowboarding the typical response is: "Well, it's just like surfing." Never been surfing. "Water skiing?" Nope. "Skateboarding.... you must have tried skateboarding" Ummm.... not unless you count rolling around while SITTING on a skateboard... no? I didn't think so. Then they all think I am beyond crazy. I must be. I talked to my hubby a lot about it (he boards) and talked to people at about 7 different ski shops to figure out what I needed and what it's like. I laughed at some of the things that I truly considered a joke - like spandex shorts with butt pads built in and snowboard leashes so your board doesn't run away on you if by some small chance your bindings failed. Thankfully, I did listen about the wrist guards as every person should - especially if you really need your hands/wrists in working order! I bought mittens with built in wrist guards.... my one smart move.

Rewind to last weekend... I was visiting in Michigan and there was a small ski shop going out of business - I took a look. I found a snowboard, boots and bindings that I liked for over $100 cheaper than JUST a board would cost me. I couldn't pass it up, so I bought it. I figured even if I REALLY hate snowboarding, I can still sell the gear and get at least what I paid for it and it's just easier than renting. And if I like it, well, then I got a great deal.

Tuesday was my birthday and we got home from Michigan that night. Wednesday morning we were headed up to Vermont. For my birthday, my in laws paid for a snowboard lesson and daycare at the lodge for my daughter. So, Thursday morning we went to the mountain... my lesson wasn't until 1:00 and we got there early, so I tried it out on a little patch of snow next to the lodge.... not even the bunny hill. I absolutely could not get the hang of it. I ended up flying down this little hill, unable to stop or slow down and scared out of my mind... all the while I was headed right for a small group of people who walked out in front of me and assumed I was going to stop or steer around them. As I got closer and couldn't figure out what to do, so I started yelling at them to get out of the way because I was a beginner and was out of control. They moved just in time and right after I passed them I fell. Hard. Right on my butt. Not only was my tush killing me, but it jarred my whole back and neck which are already in bad shape. I laid there and cried and my hubby came to my aid. I decided I had better take a break until my lesson, so he went boarding for a bit while I sat in the lodge - all weight on one cheek looking like an idiot.

My lesson - I was lucky to get a private lesson even though I signed up for a group... my instructor, Dave, was very patient with me. I was on the other side of the lodge on a secluded little hill of snow. The only way to get back to the top of the hill was to unstrap and walk up and then strap back in. I started making progress, little by little. My instructor asked if I wanted to go to the actual bunny hill where the "magic carpet" is that will take you back up without unstrapping but I declined since I wasn't comfortable steering yet and thought that other people around me would be a bad thing. This is very tiring! After a while he was getting very bored and I was getting very frustrated because I could not for the life of me make an S-turn. I finally did it - just as hubby came to check in on me and I was so proud of myself. I got applause and high fives all around... it felt really good. It was all downhill from there though. My next run I fell hard right on my tailbone - OUCH! I got up and kept going. At this point I was in a LOT of pain and completely exhausted. I should have just stopped then, but Noooooooooooo.... I'm super stubborn. I kept trying to make the stupid S-curve again and kept failing at it. My lesson was just about over and Dave asked if I wanted to do a few more runs or just one since I was obviously in pain and exhausted. I decided this would be my last run. Hubby showed up just in time to watch my bust my butt in the same place that I had already hit hardest. This time was the very hardest I fell and I heard my neck crack at least 5 times when I hit. I actually bounced back up and ended up on my knees. Not good. I laid there crying, face down in the snow. Hubby unstrapped me from the board, picked me up and helped me back to the lodge. That night I could not walk unassisted, couldn't sit, couldn't bend at all, couldn't pick my feet up more than an inch. All I could do was lay on my stomach and even that hurt really bad. Here it is Sunday morning and while I am feeling a little better, I am starting to wonder if I didn't do some real damage. Of course, I am waiting it out to see if I start feeling *much* better, but mainly because I don't want to hobble in to the doctor and say "I think I broke my butt!". I am maintaining a good sense of humor about this though because it is funny, but it HURTS!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really shouldn't have laughed at the padded shorts. They are now #1 on my list of things to buy!

Thought you all might enjoy a laugh at my expense.... I'm laughing and crying at the same time!

OUCH! Sounds like you DID break it... You should go in and get it checked.

I broke my foot the first time I tried snow boarding.
It was at our local hill, not at a resort or lodge.
And I had to walk home - man did that hurt!

That was also my LAST time too.

Hope you feel better!

Ouch! This is why I'm afraid of snowboarding - I've only tried a few times, but if I feel like I'm going too fast (which in reality is like 5mph) I just make myself fall before it gets worse...

But if it hurts that bad and you can't really move you should probably go get it checked - Once upon a time I broke two vertebrae in my lower back, practically my tailbone. I'm kind of stubborn and don't like assistance, so it took me over half an hour to get out of bed every morning for a few weeks because of how little I could move.

Then again, all they gave me for that was pain killers (which didn't seem to work anyways), said there wasn't anything else they could do, so maybe wait on it a few days to see if it's still killing you? Because if it really is fractured it will definitely still be killing you - months and months later.

I'm supposed to go snowboarding in a few weeks... now I'm nervous I hope it isn't anything major and that you heal up quickly!!

The first time that I tried snowboarding took me about 5 hours of falling down about every five feet. I stayed with it and after that initial break in period I was able to actually get going and start making turns and change speeds. It isn't easy, but once you get the feeling for it then it is a lot of fun. I was so sore the next day in my upper body because of trying to push myself up off of the ground.

I went with a guy who lived for a while in Montana, so he did a warm up on the double black diamonds to show me what he can do. I think that my first trip up the bunny hill I fell down on the tow rope. Humbling experience to say the least.

The best is when you see a little 7 year old kid fly by you on his board or in my case laughing at me as I am trying to get up.

The question is???? Is the board for sale or you gonna go again?

I used to be a skiier when I was a kid and quit before my teens were up. I've been a water skiier whenever I have the chance to go, and was a very active BMX'er. Needless to say.. I'm used to doing stuff, crashing, and jumping back on the horse.

A friend of mine talked me into trying snowboarding about 6 years ago. I did the whole "I can do this" routine. grabbed a rental and hit the bunny slope. Didn't fall so I thought I could handle it. My friend of course is a black diamond nut job, so he takes me up the mountain and tricks me into an intermediate slope. I fall down most of it like a slinky... but I wasn't giving up! Fast foward a few hours and bruises later I got the hang of it and was hitting the crazy slopes with my buddy.

Then the binding on the rental breaks... My forward foot can now swivel and I start to crash like every 100 feet. That was the 1st and last time I went.. but after reading this I've forgotten how much fun I did have when things were going good. Maybe I should try again!

i've been snowboarding a grand total of 3 days in my life. i, like you, have never skateboarded, skied, water skied, etc. on the 3rd day, after much tribulation and gnashing of teeth and swearing, i was convinced to move off of the bunny slope to the next biggest run.

i fell on my head.


i will not be doing that again.


i'm so sorry you got hurt, definitely spring for the butt pads and a helmet too!!!

I am feeling better now and planning to go again once I am totally healed and get the shorts with the butt pads in them and a helmet. I didn't end up going to the doctor, but found that both my left hip and my back were out... once my hip popped back in (over a week later) I felt a lot better, but I'm still quite sore. I still have a bruised and welted butt, though it is healing. There are tenative plans to try again this weekend, depending on how I am feeling. It's been almost 2 weeks... I can't believe that I still have welts on my @$$!

Thanks all for sharing your stories!

you may of just bruised somehting. With snowboarding you use muscles that you never really felt before and it can take a toll...I used to ride about 30 days a year but since I moved to FL...well not much of that here. I love it! It is a blast. If you keep up with it you will start to enjoy it a lot more. I wen in Dec for the first time in 3 years...it was so much fun. When you are able to turn so that you can control your direction and speed you will of taken a huge step!!!

OUCH ... sounds like you hurt something for sure! That is the worst pain, I'm sure as well. I've always wanted to try snowboarding ...may re-think that.

After reading your post, I couldn't help but notice we have quite a bit in common! I'm from Michigan (where I started snowboarding), and I currently live in Connecticut (until next week--we're moving), and I just went to Vermont last weekend to snowboard, but ended up learning to ski instead. Yeah, my hubby and I drove 5 hours to northern Vermont in hopes to snowboard (I know... 5 hours seems insane, especially for a day trip, but we had $10 vouchers to use and we're trying to live it up in New England while we're here), only to get there and find out they don't allow snowboarding. They took pity on us when they heard our story, and got us a teacher so we could learn to ski. $10 personal ski lessons isn't a bad deal! Although we were bummed we couldn't board.

So my conclusion is that skiing is less painful to learn than snowboarding. I too remember saying "My butt hurts... I think I broke it." I actually got the hang of turning within an hour, which I still haven't quite gotten down in snowboarding after years (S-turns are HARD!). I always thought skiing would be harder... Does anyone else think snowboarding is harder?

Anyway, I'm glad to hear you're healing and that you're not giving up. Once you get the hang of it, it's so much fun!

Hi Stephanie!

Wow - we do have a lot in common - too bad you're moving next week! I'm glad that you were at least able to ski in Vermont... where did you go? Stowe? We go to Okemo in Ludlow - my in-laws have a small cabin there and we all take turns going up.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks those S-turns are HARD! I also didn't realize that snowboarding required so much balance and very subtle movements- not so easy for someone with vertigo! I'm taking up snowboarding rather then skiing for a couple of reasons - my husband snowboards and we're trying to find things that we both enjoy doing and because I don't like the idea of doing the splits on skis... not to mention those boots look horribly uncomfortable!

Hopefully I'll get the hang of it with no major injuries *knock on wood*!

Yeah--too bad I didn't join OSP sooner! I don't know many people in CT, so it would have been nice to have met before!

We went to Mad River Glen. It was really pretty up there!



Yeah, it takes a lot of guts to get an S-turn down. That's my problem--I'm too scared to go through with it! Especially when it hurts so much when you fall! Hang in there--you can get it!