Snowboarding - What's that? - Boarding in Les Houches Park

Today was park day!

Having skied from the age of 4, I had never really considered the alternative art of snowboarding. Why have one plank when you can have to? Why do we have two arms and two legs, why are two heads better than one? Contrary to popular belief – 2 is the magic number, (three is also good Mr Bob Dorough http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU4pyiB-kq0, but that was back in 1973 - times have changed)

Les Houches Ski Area - more info in at Chamonet

In any case I couldn’t see the appeal, until now. My skier readers right now are probably cursing and swearing at the computer screens, but hear me out and blame Jase. Having spent a couple of the not too good snow days on his old board, I developed a strange taste in my mouth, as if someone had poisoned my water, what was it? The left over whisky from last nights’ session, or, the wee in my water pack from that pant sniffing yeti? No, it was a taste of the dark side, and it had got a hold of my soul. Having grappled with the dark lord of board for a number of days, I ended up in the Les Houches park on my new tray- the Bataleon Disaster. I got it for half price! (apologies to my friends and family for the shame I have brought upon you.) The park is nice and gentle and wicked for any beginners wanting to learn to pop 3's and get your grinds down...

The Bataleon Disater has a buttery biscuit base

I found it pretty awesome... managed to pull off some nice grabs and a magic 360... don’t ask me how, but I was told that it was claimable. That board is unbelievably flexable, easy to butter, and the triple base technology (may stand for - Buttery Biscuit Base technology) makes it really hard to catch an edge. It's also lighter than a hydrogenic explosion. BOOM!

 It’s not all fun and games though... when you stack, you do it hard. As I sat on the side of the park, in pain, hoping that nothing was broken, I could sense the eyes on me, looking in amusement and the contagious pain that must have accompanied a vocal "ooooh" at the site of my landing. Then, as I ran through working order of head, shoulders, knees and toes,  I realised my ears still worked, wow, I could hear something, was someone asking if I was ok? No no no. It was the increasingly familiar growing laughter of French teens floating over on the chairlift above. Flashback! I'm 13, and I've forgotten my trainers for P.E., I could not skip it, it was not allowed, besides which, I would have wanted too anyway, so my teacher who'm I shaln't name (you know who you are..) told me that she had found a little something in the lost property that I could use. Phew! I will be able to play after all! Then, they appeared - Ahhh yes I remember them well, the white roundness, the shabby velcro straps, and, oh yes the beautifuly embroidered pink flowers... I never could forget those shoes, or the tears running down my cheeks as I endured the hours of mockery from friends and foes alike.

Relative of the unwanted shoe

Check out this little video of one of my more painful moments in the park, it'll cheer you up if you've had a bad day!  Classy fall number 1

In all, I think that you need to give the other sport a go. See what goes on in the heads of the other riders... I have a boarder mate, who has just taken up skiing and loves it! Let’s celebrate these mountains in every extreme way possible and shake each others hand for doing so... although douches on chair lifts... no shakes for you....