A little Inspiration
Inspiration has a way of taking you on adventures you’ve never imagined yourself traveling. My snowboarding inspiration came when my nephew got caught up in the ripstick craze sweeping the neighborhoods. The ripstick http://www.ripstikusa.com/ – a two rollerblade wheeled skateboard with two platforms connected by a rotating pipe – had quite an impressive design. And riding one seemed quite the stunt. But the ripstick provides surprising control, allowing sharp turns and even propulsion up small hills (for the more advanced rider). Of course, I wanted to have a go at riding one. Also, it seemed to me that some of the skills required to ride this unusual skateboard had to translate in some way to assist the snowboarder. Turns out they do translate. And thanks to my nephew’s ripstick, I could have a go at gaining these skills.
The ripstick, however, was not an easy stepping stone - my longest ride was 45-seconds. My main struggles w/ the ripstick were (1) getting my nieces and nephews to give me a turn at the skateboard and (2) stopping myself from a fall on the unforgiving asphalt (after asphalt you'll appreciate any kind of snow or ice). My adventure toward snowboarding black-diamonds was all about stepping stones, and the peaked interest that kept me looking for more stones. My first step onto the ripstick I saw as a training session to learn the balancing skills comparable to snowboarding. If you want to snowboard? I say first learn to ride the ripstick.
