GLIDING effortlessly down the slope at break-neck speeds, the instructors at Swadlincote Ski and Snow Board Centre make snow sports look simple.
But learning to harness the speed of even the nursery slope, for the very first time, while your feet strapped tight to a plastic plank, is anything but easy.
As a total novice to the snow sports scene, the closest I have come to experiencing this type of adrenalinefuelled fun is standing on the Wii Fit motion board as the computer generated ski run unfolds on my television screen.
But as I was about to find out, balancing on the Wii Fit board —in the comfort of the living room — is worlds apart from mastering the art of snowboard balance.
To kick-start the lesson, group instructor Laura Matthews, introduced my fellow students and I to the basic snowboard stance and the equipment we would be using.
The 17-year-old has been snowboarding for two years and in between her Burton College course studying arts and media, she works at the ski centre, teaching novices how to master the basics.
She said: “The sensation will feel totally new and alien, your instincts will tell you to lean back when you need to be leaning forward. But you will get to grips with it eventually, the trick is not to fight against the slope, keep your eyes focussed ahead and most importantly relax.” But even faced with the smallest of gradients on the nursery slopes, I felt the nervous tension filter down into my knees.
It was a fear of falling, a fear of hurtling out of control and clattering to the dry slope floor with a bang in front of scores of other people who all seemed for the most part to be staying on their feet.
After a few practice slides down a tiny bump, it was time to head a quarter of the way up the nursery slope, and even that looked daunting.
Sat in a line, one by one, we wobbled precariously to our feet while clinging for dear life to the instructor.
Seeing my face awash with anxiety, she said: “What’s the worst that can happen? You’re not going to die.” She was right. A sore backside and dented pride was as bad as it got. And although you feel about as graceful as a Sumo wrestler attempting a pirouette; everyone has to start somewhere.
“Very rarely do people take to it straight away. You will feel clumsy and foolish and you will fall, time and time again. But all of a sudden it will click, your body will relax and when you learn to carve all your weight through the snow it’s a fantastic feeling,” Laura explained.
And as if a numb backside wasn’t enough, my ego was about to get equal bruising for when I glanced across at one of the youngsters in the class, who was barely out of nappies, he was balancing unaided and in one fell swoop gliding to the bottom with supreme confidence.
“You can find your first lesson a little soul destroying. But practice makes perfect and the only way to overcome your fear of falling is to persevere. We find children do pick up the technique faster than most adults purely because they’re fearless.” Next Laura demonstrated the difference between a ‘toe edge’ and the ‘heel edge.’ “Facing downhill the trick is to bend your legs and rock back on to heel, this will slow you down using your heel edge.
The toe edge is the opposite motion, facing uphill you lean up onto your tip tops as you set off down the slope. Most people find they can do one and struggle with the other,” she said.
As the lesson drew to a close we attempted to put everything into practice, riding down the slope sideways on. As instructor Laura set me loose she shouted ‘lean forward putting all your weight on the front foot.’ But the thought of tilting your body forward, leaning headfirst into an already daunting downward stretch of slope was a baffling concept and within seconds I had bailed out and hit the deck.
Despite the inevitable aches and pains, snowboarding is well worth a try not matter what your ability or age. As an ever-increasing popular winter sport across the world it can tempt even the most passionate of skiers.
Snow boarding is just one of the snow sports on offer at the Swadlincote Ski and Snow Boarding Centre.
Sno-Tubes are the newest addition, featuring large inflatable rings that can be spun and linked together as they slide down the hill. Also popular with families is the Cresta Toboggan Run, a 550- metre dash along twists and turns.
More information on prices and opening times at Swadlincote Ski and Snow Board Centre, in Hill Street, is available by calling 01283 217200. to the snow sports scene, the closest I have come to experiencing this type of adrenalinefuelled fun is standing on the Wii Fit motion board as the computer generated ski run unfolds on my television screen.
But as I was about to find out, balancing on the Wii Fit board —in the comfort of the living room — is worlds apart from mastering the art of snowboard balance.
To kick-start the lesson, group instructor Laura Matthews, introduced my fellow students and I to the basic snowboard stance and the equipment we would be using.
The 17-year-old has been snowboarding for two years and in between her Burton College course studying arts and media, she works at the ski centre, teaching novices how to master the basics.
She said: “The sensation will feel totally new and alien, your instincts will tell you to lean back when you need to be leaning forward. But you will get to grips with it eventually, the trick is not to fight against the slope, keep your eyes focussed ahead and most importantly relax.” But even faced with the smallest of gradients on the nursery slopes, I felt the nervous tension filter down into my knees.
It was a fear of falling, a fear of hurtling out of control and clattering to the dry slope floor with a bang in front of scores of other people who all seemed for the most part to be staying on their feet.
After a few practice slides down a tiny bump, it was time to head a quarter of the way up the nursery slope, and even that looked daunting.
Sat in a line, one by one, we wobbled precariously to our feet while clinging for dear life to the instructor.
Seeing my face awash with anxiety, she said: “What’s the worst that can happen? You’re not going to die.” She was right. A sore backside and dented pride was as bad as it got. And although you feel about as graceful as a Sumo wrestler attempting a pirouette; everyone has to start somewhere.
“Very rarely do people take to it straight away. You will feel clumsy and foolish and you will fall, time and time again. But all of a sudden it will click, your body will relax and when you learn to carve all your weight through the snow it’s a fantastic feeling,” Laura explained.
And as if a numb backside wasn’t enough, my ego was about to get equal bruising for when I glanced across at one of the youngsters in the class, who was barely out of nappies, he was balancing unaided and in one fell swoop gliding to the bottom with supreme confidence.
“You can find your first lesson a little soul destroying. But practice makes perfect and the only way to overcome your fear of falling is to persevere. We find children do pick up the technique faster than most adults purely because they’re fearless.” Next Laura demonstrated the difference between a ‘toe edge’ and the ‘heel edge.’ “Facing downhill the trick is to bend your legs and rock back on to heel, this will slow you down using your heel edge.
The toe edge is the opposite motion, facing uphill you lean up onto your tip tops as you set off down the slope. Most people find they can do one and struggle with the other,” she said.
As the lesson drew to a close we attempted to put everything into practice, riding down the slope sideways on. As instructor Laura set me loose she shouted ‘lean forward putting all your weight on the front foot.’ But the thought of tilting your body forward, leaning headfirst into an already daunting downward stretch of slope was a baffling concept and within seconds I had bailed out and hit the deck.
Despite the inevitable aches and pains, snowboarding is well worth a try not matter what your ability or age. As an ever-increasing popular winter sport across the world it can tempt even the most passionate of skiers.
Snow boarding is just one of the snow sports on offer at the Swadlincote Ski and Snow Boarding Centre.
Sno-Tubes are the newest addition, featuring large inflatable rings that can be spun and linked together as they slide down the hill. Also popular with families is the Cresta Toboggan Run, a 550- metre dash along twists and turns.
More information on prices and opening times at Swadlincote Ski and Snow Board Centre, in Hill Street, is available by calling 01283 217200.