!!Day 2 of Snowboarding training sessions - The Big Slope 🏂

So none of you thought to tell me that I had to ride the snowboard and not the snowboard riding me?

That is, very ironically, the first picture captured of me trying to snowboard on a real slope. I think it turned out great!

I cannot explain how fruitful and exciting this session was. I made so much progress in the single hour that I can't believe any of it is true. It has gotten me even more excited than I already was.

For starters, I had a new trainer come in. Maxim had an emergency and could not step in on time, so Kamila took over. I honestly thought this was a bad thing since having consistency is important. I thought it would be more beneficial to continue with the same trainer since he already had an idea of who he was dealing with. But boy, was I wrong.

Last time I told you all I was going to buy some gear to help me "feel" more in tune with the sport. I got this amazing snowboarding pant which is super light but is waterproof and very sturdy, with velcro on the bottom to make space for the gigantic snowboarding boots. I also got this jacket which is waist length and also waterproof.

New gear can be very expensive, especially in my city, so I decided to buy them from a second-hand store but they are just as good as new. I decided to give some more time before going into purchasing gloves and pads since those are almost never available in the second-hand store and new ones cost a kidney.

As for the board, this time I kept Maxim's words in mind and made sure I was renting the right thing. I measured the height and made sure it reaches my chin at least. Then I made sure to take one with a stronger right tilt. It is best for right-footed snowboarders. It has a slight camber which should translate into more control.

Winter is almost at the end of its run, so the snow is also melting. I almost felt disheartened when I saw more mud and sludge than snow on the entrance. The beginner slope, where I was training last time was also looking weaker. It wasn't as fluffy and soft and the snow seemed to be hard.

Lesser people on the beginner slope than usual, which was both exciting and demotivating. I was excited because there was more space for me but demotivated because it felt like I came in a bit too late. I still have 4 more sessions paid for, and I REALLY want to learn the sport as soon as possible.

Training with Kamila was...different. At first, we began on the beginner's slope. Few minutes of warm-up and stretching. She had her eyes glued to me at every second, watching everything. Then we picked up from where I had left with Maxim. Which was sliding down on one foot and J-turns.

She reminded me of the basics and watched me try my best. Honestly, it is day 2 and I suck at J-turns. I simply can't move my body as required. A few minutes later, and after a lot of failed attempts even as Kamila guided me, she said we needed a new plan. "We are going to the big slope."

I was shocked! I do not know to do J-turns and we are going to the big slope! What is this about?

On the way to the big slope, Kamila explained in detail why she had decided this was the right move. I actually decided that I was going to continue the rest of my sessions with Kamila ONLY after I heard her explanation. You see, she believes that every sport is equal parts mental ability and physical ability. Both have to work in conjuncture or else I'd spend all my 5 sessions only learning J-turns.

Remember how she was eyeing me the entire time? She was actually reading my body's ability and what it is best suited for. She noticed my strengths and weaknesses and created a plan on the spot! This is exactly what I wanted. A tailored program with individual catering.

She concluded that since my body was having a tough time adapting to the needs of completing J-turns, I should begin with "Toe Slide" and "Heel Slide". It suits my body more, and it will get me adapted to the snowboard, which will later help me learn J-turns.

She was 100% right! It took me a few tries but within a few minutes, I had the "toe slide" nailed. I knew then that Kamila was an excellent trainer and very experienced. She guided me both theoretically, explaining the science of the movement, the process, and the goal, as well as physically helped me on the slope as she walked next to me or in front of me.

The "toe slide" is basically going against the slope facing the highest point while putting all my weight on the toes. The more I let my heel closer to the slope, the faster I go, and vice versa. It sounds a little scary since you do not see where you are going, but this movement is very controlled.

On the other hand, the "heel slide" is where you face down the slope and put your weight on the heels. The closer my toes are to the slope, the faster I will go. I had a lot of problems with my posture and body angle during the "heel slide" and it was not as successful as the "toe slide" which I had nailed down completely.

I had Kamila take pictures of me while I was sliding to understand the problems with my posture and rectify them. Kamila had already pointed these mistakes out and tried to correct me whenever I did them. But with these pictures, I can fully grasp the problems and make a mental image and work on them on a daily, with or without a snowboard.

As you can see, there are plenty of things I need to work on. I have the same mistakes while doing the "heel slide". Even with these mistakes, I can slide pretty well. But I need to correct them as soon as possible so as not to make a habit of sliding with mistakes. It is simply not the right way and can cause serious injuries.

Basically,

• I need to always keep my eyes glued to the top of the direction I am facing.

• I need to also maintain a straight line from my toes to my knees, and my face should never cross this line.

• I need to push in my bum further in so that it doesn't stick out which can lead to shifting of center mass and loss of control.

• And finally, lift my back to create the straight line on the front of my body and push my bum in.

These look like simple things, but they can become bad habits and ruin my snowboarding.

Overall, this session was incredibly helpful and I made huge progress. I slid all the way down to the half-mark of the slope. THIS IS MASSIVE! All thanks to Kamila's intuition and guidance. Next session we are going to work on the "falling leaf" technique and the goal is to snowboard all the way to the bottom of the slope.

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