Snowboarding Weekend III
After a hectic afternoon making sure that Stephen was indeed alright, Jay and I finally got to snowboard later in the evening; that was when the pain started. I actually managed to master the technique of carving, but not before wrecking every part of my body: whiplashes from falling headfirst, sprained knees and wrists, and a very badly bruised left bum. Just in case anyone is wondering how I protected my right bum from harm, it’s due to the fact that my left foot is the lead foot I use when snowboarding; this means my left bum is usually the first part of my body to hit the ground whenever I fall. Next time when you go to the beach, try slipping on a banana skin and fall on your bum for about 50 times — the amount of protection sand provides is about the same as snow — and you’ll understand my pain.
Our home cooked dinner turned out to be pretty good, and we gathered in front of the television for some passive entertainment after a long day on the slopes. Everyone wanted to be like Ian Wright who gets to visit exotic places, and I commented that the only way to live this dream is to get rich while they’re young so that they could free themselves from monetary commitments and still be healthy enough to travel; it’s quite impossible to live cheap and dirty like Ian Wright does when you’re in a wheelchair, isn’t it?
I was really surprised that none of the guys snored during the night, even after such a tiring day. However, I didn’t sleep very well despite the peace and quiet — a luxury I seldom enjoy whenever I travel with friends — since searing pain can be felt every time I tried to turn.
The next morning, we were contemplating whether to continue snowboarding or just call it a day. But thinking that this would probably be our last chance to snowboard before winter ends, we decided to carry on with great reluctance.
My injuries prevented me from doing proper turns hence making me fall more often, which aggravated the injuries and made turning more difficult, causing me to fall even harder; it was a vicious cycle I couldn’t seem to get out of. And by the time we stuffed our bags into the car trunk, everyone was relieved rather than disappointed that we were finally leaving Blue Mountain for home.
Looking back, I wondered how I managed to drive the car back safely. The only movements I could make were turning the steering wheel and tapping the brakes and accelerator by rotating my right ankle slightly from side to side, since any major movements were followed by signs of cramp; I couldn’t even get out of the seat without assistance.
It was a fun and eventful trip, but would I ever try snowboarding again? I’ll decide when my left bum recovers.