Learning to Snowboard - 3 Reasons Why You Should Try Snowboarding

I just spent an awesome winter shredding the local hill, here on the west coast of BC, and I am so excited about it that I want to, hopefully, share some of the magic moments that I experience when doing what I love. I hope that you find inspiration to take up snowboarding yourself.

First of all, it's the atmosphere. It is 8:30AM and I am sitting on the chairlift, riding to the top and anticipating what my first run is going to feel like. It dumped hard the night before and there is a foot of powder to be snorkeled in... I just waxed my board too. Ahh, I can smell the freshness of the breeze as I near the top of the chair and see the view ahead. There are no adequate words to describe what I am feeling at this moment. It's that most-sought-after first run; the sun is sprinkling its rays through the trees and reflecting off the untouched contours of this snow heaven. Who wouldn't want to experience this feeling? It's at that moment that I realize how privileged I am to be able to take pleasure in such an amazing pocket of nature that few ever get to taste. That would make up my second reason I love snowboarding as much as I do... the exclusivity that only comes with having savoured that "holy grail" of snow sports, riding untouched powder. Why should you care? You need to experience this for yourself to understand what I mean. As I sit there alone, listening to the silence of the forest, it strikes me that it's almost a shame to ruin such a beautiful setting by taking my crude, man-made object through that sea of beautiful snowflakes, especially since there is not a single duplicate to be found among the countless 'zillions' of ice crystals that have collected on the ground in such harmony. This brings up the third of the reasons I love it so much... It gives me the inspiration to reflect on the intricate artistry so evident all around me, if I only take the time to look for and appreciate its wonders.

If you haven't experienced snowboarding in this way, I encourage you not to stop looking for that satisfaction. This article was not designed to convince you that snowboarding is superiour to other sports, but to hopefully whet your appetite for the joys that come from experiencing this amazing sport.

If you look for anything hard enough, you WILL find it.