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How Nitin Nair's quest for bragging rights turned on its head
I wasn't expecting to go like Vin Diesel in XXX, but come on - this is embarrassing. One man's quest to bragging rights at the next Thursday night-out has turned into a hopeless disaster. Look at me, tumbling down the beginner's slope on my back even as five-year-olds glide past with practiced ease.
How difficult can snowboarding get? It's only about balance, right?
Like every other board sport - skateboarding or surfing. Wayne Theron, the 23-year-old instructor at Ski Dubai has even reassured me that no one's broken any bones on his watch. Like I said before, the thing about snowboarding is balance. And for my discovery lesson, I'm on the beginner's slope.
"Your first exercise is a tough one - you have to go down this slope sideways on the board," says Theron. So after an eternal struggle, I strap myself on to the snowboard and get into a squatting position on the edge of the slope. "Pull your toes up to stop and transfer body weight equally to both heels to stop, transfer weight to your toes to move forward," he says, guiding me forward. It's all good till he lets go of my outstretched hands after which I land on my back and slide down the rest of the way.
This is the frustrating bit - I can hear Theron tell me to not lean too much to one side, the body weight needs to be distributed equally between both feet, but before I can do anything about it, I'm on the ground again. Since my feet are firmly placed in the snowboard binding, the instinctive protective reaction in the event of a snowboard fall is to outstretch my hands to break the fall.
It's not a pretty sight. To make matters worse, from the corner of my eye I can see a kid rocket down the slope and come to a halt at the bottom. He grins toothlessly as he glides past my lifeless form.
If there's one thing more annoying than tumbling down a ski slope, it's getting your boots strapped on to a snowboard every time you go up the slope again. I can't get the fasteners on with my gloves and its cold and wet without them. "Snowboarding is ideal for adrenaline junkies," declares Theron.
"But it usually takes a couple of weeks before you can actually get a hang of how you can control the snowboard." After a couple more embarrassing tumbles, I'm almost ready to pack it in, but Theron wills me to go one more time. After that initial bit of help from him, I begin to come down the slope on my own with some semblance of grace and those three or four full seconds feel like forever. But then, I lose control and a toothless grin greets me again at the bottom of the slope.
That's it. I'm done here. But you should see me paintballing. Besides, XXX used a stunt double.
The lowdown
Where to go: There's only one place to go really - Ski Dubai at the Mall of the Emirates. Ski Dubai features a 400m long run, regular and freestyle events. Discovery lessons are Dhs150 an hour. 04-4094000.
The equipment: Snowboard boots, jackets and trousers are provided. Gloves and hats are not included but can be bought for Dhs10 upwards.
History: Snowboarding has its roots in surfing and skateboarding, and the sport shares superficial similarities with skiing. Developed in the United States in the
1960s, snowboarding has been a part of the Winter Olympics since 1998.
Safety: Wrist and knee injuries are common among skateboarders. Wear protective gear and do not try anything too adventurous in the beginning. Also be mindful of fellow snowboarders.
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