"Fuck this, I'm done" These were my words during the final run I took on Sunday at Sugarloaf mountain in Carrabassett Valley, Maine. For those of you who know me, you know how frustrated I must have been to swear. I'm not one to casually cuss, even amongst friends, let alone drop the F-Bomb in a very public place, but after what had to be fall number 200 I was just about at the end of my patience.
In what has become a month of trying new things, snowboarding was only the most current new activity that I've tried my hand at. For those of you have read "Living the Dream" you know that I've also tried my luck with wrestling school this month. The decision to attempt 'boarding is one that I have been contemplating for a few years now and finally decided to do earlier this week. The decision was spurred on by the fact that I might be the only person in Maine that has no outside hobbies in the winter. I don't skate, ski, or snowshoe, and I'm a bit old to be building forts, having snowball fights, and sledding....yet another reason I need a kid. (Other reasons include being able to go to Funtown and Aquaboggan again without just being the creepy old guy and so that by the time I hit my late thirties I'll never have to mow the lawn or shovel the driveway again).
I was joined on my foray by four friends, two of them former housemates of mine. They showed far more patience with me then I did myself. They were incredibly helpful and sacrificed half of their day to help me figure out what I was doing. By the end of the day I had gotten a bit of a handle on standing up and working my way down the mountain, completely a credit to them.
There may be no more ego bruising activity than snowboarding. Usually when a 23 year old man is matched up against a 5 year old kid in a sport the result is a foregone conclusion, not so however with snowboarding. I was passed by more 5 year olds than I care to count and even smack talked by a couple as they watched me face plant into the snow. One kind soul however told me "Don't worry, you'll get it" and then he promptly dug it into the snow himself.
Overall my day at the mountain was a mixture of pain, cold, wet, and humiliation....and I promised myself that I would never go again. Two days later though, and I'm having second thoughts about my "never again" proclamation. There are only two other activities that I said I'd never do again, the Beach to Beacon and wrestling school.......I did them both again. When I fail, it usually bothers me enough to the point that I need to do it again, either to succeed or prove to myself that it wasn't a fluke that I failed. Losing to my brother in the Beach to Beacon was one where I proved that it wasn't a fluke but wrestling school was a success the second time. I think snowboarding is going to get at least one more chance.
So if you made it through the whole thing, I appreciate it. Here's a video that one of my friends took of my last run when I uttered the phrase mentioned above. I think it was appropriate, but it's your decision.
*May or may not actually be me.
Cheap Plug: Become a fan of Jake's on the Lake on Facebook. The best ice cream boat in Maine.
Thanks for reading, leave a comment, become a follower of this blog, go back and read all my other posts, and try new things.
-Josh
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