Leveling the Playing Field

Posted in Ski School
by Chara on March 22, 2011

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Remember my football-loving, mountain eschewing husband?

Football loving, baseball loving, hockey loving, bowling loving…

In the past, we'd split up, engage in separate activities, and reconvene late afternoon.  And while that is a perfectly fine option, this year we're going to try something a little different.

Slap a pair of skies on him and tell him, Suck it up, it's fun!  No.  That's not the option.  Slap a pair of snowshoes on me and tell me, Suck it up, it's fun!  No, not that either.

Snowshoeing is harder than it looks.

This year we're both going back to square one.  We're going to face the mountain as beginners.  We're going to make sure our helmets are securely fastened and our wills are up to date.  We are going to take a deep breath and hope for the best.

This year we're snowboarding.

The kids will also spend this trip snowboarding.  For a few days we will no longer be the Campanellas who dutifully walk the dogs, yield at four-way stops, chaperone field trips and eat kale.  We will be THE CAMPANELLAS WHO SHRED!

Full disclosure: I've snowboarded before.  The first time was twenty-five years ago and the second time was last year.  And these two experiences gave me some insight that makes me believe that raising a family of snowboarders is a pretty practical option.

1. In my experience, it is an easier skill to learn than skiing.  Given that we live in Southern California and don't participate in winter sports as often as we'd like, the faster we can improve, the better.

2. In general, the equipment is less expensive.

3. The equipment is easier to carry and the clothes are more comfortable.  Not an issue for most people, but my kids aren't what you'd call jacket people since we live in sunny climes.

4. We are all at the same level.  We can take runs together and brag about dominating the green circles.

Practical option or momentary laps of reason?  I'll let you know after our first lesson.