I've been on vacation the last few days, snowboarding at Mt. Bachelor in Central Oregon. (well, mostly on vacation, there was some incident about briefing mail, Charles Fitzgerald has what I think is the last word on the topic). I never skied growing up, and so came to snowboarding at a more advanced age, had a few good days, hurt my knee, missed a season and then have never looked back. This year, what with a move to Seattle and the like has been a not so great year for the slopes, which made the trip to Bend so great -- three days in a row of spring snow with friends and family.
Full disclosure: I fall down, a lot. I'd guess on average of two or three times per run. Over the years, I've gotten pretty good at falling. I fall on green runs, on blue runs, on black and double black diamonds. I fall forward, I fall backwards, I do accidental flips and face plants, I partially fall, I fall on ice, in powder, going slow and going fast. My least favorite is the back edge fall, which invariably ends with w/ a case of whiplash. My favorite fall is the one that is basically a bounce from one body part back to my feet. All these fall teach me something.
- It hurts more to fall when you're moving slowly. Not just physically, but emotionally. The worst is the slow run up to the lift, where I suddenly lose and edge and go down hard, usually when everyone is watching. Ouch on two levels.
- When I fall, I get better. Mostly. Because that's when I know I'm pushing things and getting better, and the world pushes back to show who's boss, and it's usually not me.
- Falling when going fast is easy. Momentum is my friend, a fall at high speed is usually more of a bounce back to the board then a showstopper.
- Tension is the enemy. There is a certain speed point where I start getting nervous. I'm out of my comfort zone, I tense up, and as soon as I tense up I start to wobble -- lose the confidence and then wham.
I had a boss in the Marine Corps one time tell me that if I wasn't making mistakes, I wasn't doing my job. That's how I think about snowboarding, if I'm not falling down, I'm not getting any better, and since constant self improvement is what life is all about, I better be falling down. It applies to life in general, I think. Screwing up while moving slowly is way worse than making a mistake while trying something new. Losing confidence almost always means a fall is ahead. Bouncing is way easier than the sudden stop. And enjoying the ride, that's what it's all about. On the slopes, and everywhere else.