Snowboarding by moonlight after a huge snow storm

It is hard to put into words how I feel about snowboarding. I have been snowboarding for around six years now, and I enjoy it more than anything else. During the last four years of High School I participated in the homeschool ski club at Pine Knob, which is the local tiny ski hill close to my house.  On thursdays while there was snow on the ground I would go to Pine Knob and snowboard with my friends. I feel very fortunate to have been able to take part in that program.  Since it was a club, I was able to snowboard for about half the regular price, and the club met during the morning and afternoon so the hill was always very quite.  Riding with friends on a quite hill on a weekly basis improved my skills immensely.  I first gained confidence on the steep hills, then I gained confidence in the terrain park.  I learned to hit the jumps safely and get some fun airtime.

At the end of March, 2011, I got to snowboard in the Alps while visiting a friend in Switzerland. It was the first time I had ever snowboarded on real mountains thousands of feet tall.  The trip made me realize how pitiful and small Pine Knob is, but it also made me love the sport of snowboarding a lot more.

Snowboarding with my friend Antonia in Liechtenstein

Snowboarding is a dangerous sport, and in january of 2010 I broke my shoulder from a hard crash. Since the accident, I more fully appreciated the time I spend snowboarding. While I have never been reckless, I am now very conscious of my safety and consider it the priority.  I do not want to loose the ability take part in an activity that truly makes me feel free and alive.