It has been a while since I have posted to this blog. Maybe I’ve been busy, maybe I’ve had nothing to say, or maybe I just lost motivation. To be honest, I think it’s a little of each. But a recent wave on inspiration triggered by boredom from a debilitating muscle strain in my back has forced me to stop long enough to reflect on how my life is going and actually see what really matters. I decided it was time to start writing again.

The two weeks leading up to my back injury were some of the best of days of my life. I spend every possible moment in the mountains snowboarding, sunbathing, and enjoying the beautiful Rocky Mountains life. Sometimes I move so fast that it’s easy to forget how fortunate I am to live the life I love, have the friends I do, and live in such an amazing place.

As a competitive person, and even more competitive with myself since joining CrossFit, I decided it was time to get over my fears and throw down some new tricks on my snowboard. Not just any tricks, but tricks I’ve been afraid to try for years: riding boxes switch, spinning on and off boxes, and handplants. I’ve attempted handplants several times over the years but always got beat up by the massive 20 foot tall ice-wall they call a quarterpipe.

For some reason I woke up this past Monday morning determined to conquer my fear of getting inverted on the wall. After hiking the feature a few times I got one! Then two… then three. My friend Hilary and I must have hiked close to 20 times before we were so banged up and exhausted that we decided to call it quits for the day. I didn’t care. I handplanted! 

I also managed to learn a few new switch tricks and stepped up my skills on boxes. I dialed in a switch 270 to front board to fakie as well as adding an extra rotation on the exit making it a 270 on 270 out. After this is it was a piece of cake to learn cab 3 (switch front 360). Next step is going bigger and adding a grab! Needless to say, I’m looking forward to being all healed up and back on the hill this weekend for the Burton US Open of Snowboarding championships.

I put together a short video of my newly aquaired skills, but unfrotunatley I am having technical trouble getting the video onto here. I will keep trying.