BRING ON THE SNOWBRING ON THE SNOW
ICE, ICE BABY . . . reporter Danielle Ha
G
LIDING effortlessly
down the slope at
break-neck speeds, the
instructors at Swadlincote
Ski and Snow Board Centre
make snow sports look
simple.
But learning to harness the speed of
even the nursery slope, for the very first
time, while your feet strapped tight to a
plastic plank, is anything but easy.
As a total novice to the snow sports
scene, the closest I have come to
experiencing this type of adrenaline-
fuelled fun is standing on the Wii Fit
motion board as the computer generated
ski run unfolds on my television screen.
But as I was about to find out,
balancing on the Wii Fit board --in the
comfort of the living room -- is worlds
apart from mastering the art of
snowboard balance.
To kick-start the lesson, group
instructor Laura Matthews, introduced
my fellow students and I to the basic
snowboard stance and the equipment we
would be using.
The 17-year-old has been
snowboarding for two years and in
between her Burton College course
studying arts and media, she works at
the ski centre, teaching novices how to
master the basics.
She said: "The sensation will feel totally
new and alien, your instincts will tell you
to lean back when you need to be
leaning forward. But you will get to grips
with it eventually, the trick is not to fight
against the slope, keep your eyes
focussed ahead and most importantly
relax."
But even faced with the smallest of
gradients on the nursery slopes, I felt the
nervous tension filter down into my
knees.
It was a fear of falling, a fear of hurtling
out of control and clattering to the dry
slope floor with a bang in front of scores
of other people who all seemed for the
most part to be staying on their feet.
After a few practice slides down a tiny
bump, it was time to head a quarter of
the way up the nursery slope, and even
that looked daunting.
Sat in a line, one by one, we wobbled
precariously to our feet while clinging for
dear life to the instructor.
Seeing my face awash with anxiety,
she said: "What's the worst that can
happen? You're not going to die."
She was right. A sore backside and
dented pride was as bad as it got. And
although you feel about as graceful as a
Sumo wrestler attempting a pirouette;
everyone has to start somewhere.
"Very rarely do people take to it straight
away. You will feel clumsy and foolish
and you will fall, time and time again. But
all of a sudden it will click, your body will
relax and when you learn to carve all
your weight through the snow it's a
fantastic feeling," Laura explained.
And as if a numb backside wasn't
enough, my ego was about to get equal
bruising for when I glanced across at one
of the youngsters in the class, who was
barely out of nappies, he was balancing
unaided and in one fell swoop gliding to
the bottom with supreme confidence.
"You can find your first lesson a little
soul destroying. But practice makes
perfect and the only way to overcome
your fear of falling is to persevere. We
find children do pick up the technique
faster than most adults purely because
they're fearless."
Next Laura demonstrated the
difference between a `toe edge' and the
`heel edge.'
"Facing downhill the trick is to bend
your legs and rock back on to heel, this
will slow you down using your heel edge.
The toe edge is the opposite motion,
facing uphill you lean up onto your tip
tops as you set off down the slope. Most
people find they can do one and struggle
with the other," she said.
As the lesson drew to a close we
attempted to put everything into practice,
riding down the slope sideways on. As
instructor Laura set me loose she
shouted `lean forward putting all your
weight on the front foot.'
But the thought of tilting your body
forward, leaning headfirst into an already
daunting downward stretch of slope was
a baffling concept and within seconds I
had bailed out and hit the deck.
Despite the inevitable aches and pains,
snowboarding is well worth a try not
matter what your ability or age. As an
ever-increasing popular winter sport
across the world it can tempt even the
most passionate of skiers.
Snow boarding is just one of the snow
sports on offer at the Swadlincote Ski
and Snow Boarding Centre.
Sno-Tubes are the newest addition,
featuring large inflatable rings that can
be spun and linked together as they slide
down the hill. Also popular with families
is the Cresta Toboggan Run, a 550-
metre dash along twists and turns.
More information on prices and
opening times at Swadlincote Ski and
Snow Board Centre, in Hill Street, is
available by calling 01283 217200.
ASHBOURNE may have had its fair share of snow this year, and families in and around the town
certainly made the most of our wintry fortnight.
But after watching the people of Ashbourne enjoying the snow, reporter DANIELLE HARRISON
decided it was time she learned more about the art of snowboarding -- and headed to Swadlincote
to give it a try.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010www.ashbournenewstelegraph.co.uk20

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