Yes, that's me looking like a sexy weatherproof Smurf padded up in outdated/borrowed snow gear getting ready to bust a move (or a bone) down the slopes of Heavenly in Tahoe. I haven't been snowboarding in nearly three years and it showed. I think I spent the majority of the time involuntarily making snow angels with people constantly stopping by to ask "Um, are you ok?!" I really love it though, despite all the pain and embarrassment. I'm going to try to make it up to the slopes at least three more times before the season is over. My goal is to make it down with less than three falls while using the proper combination of heel-side/toe-side turns. My scaredy-cat default is to heel-side it the whole way down "falling leaf" style. Also, two things I need to do before I head up again a) get a helmet to prevent a Natasha Richardson scenario and b) get my snowboard hot waxed cuz after three years of sitting in my closet, it's not the smoothest ride on the mountain.
Another fun bonus to not snowboarding in forever is the amount of crippling soreness that consumes your body overnight when the muscles start to go in shock and seize up. I've been in and out of hot epsom salt baths for a couple days. I swear I'm not that big of a baby, my body's just really that sore.
On the upside, I did manage to score $90 playing blackjack at Harrah's Reno the night before hitting the slopes thus pretty much making the whole weekend a free one. Whoop! Whoop!