Protectin' my noggin

I am officially the owner of a brand new helmet! I figure it was about time to think about my own safety and the protection of that disgusting pink blob floating inside my skull. I've heard it's pretty important.
Upon purchase of said helmut, I send my mom texts that said:

You will be very happy to hear that I bought a helmet today
So no head injuries for me

She responded with:

Thank you sweet jesus!


I had always put off buying a helmet due to their high price. My recent college grad budget has determined my spending habits, and a helmet was just not on the shopping list. However-- I've heard about way too many snowboard deaths and injuries from head-impact related accidents this season, and decided that this would be the time to put aside my stingy tendencies (one might called them survival instincts) and purchase a helmet. Even a minor incident can result in major damage, and I do not want to be a part of the statistics. This is something I felt even more strongly about after seeing that even those wearing helmets can be severely injured. I doubt I have to explain the example of rider Kevin Pearce to get this point across.
In a recent study, it was shown that wearing a helmet while skiing or snowboarding reduces the risk of head injury by 35% ("Helmets on the slopes cut head injury risk," Toronto Globe and Mail.) Of course, these kinds of studies all produce different findings, dependent on the types of helmets and case examples used-- so results can vary greatly. However, there is no doubt that the use of a helmet can greatly decrease the likelihood of serious injury. That's enough for me to blow some of my paycheck on a helmet (with audio, of course.)
So. Next time I complain about an ouchie, it will most likely be due to my clumsiness rather than an attempt at some sick-nasty trick.


For your viewing pleasure, here's my friend Catherine (helmeted) and me, in my un-helmeted state, enjoying a beautiful day on the hill

concrete jungle to... green mountains

I miss NYC a lot.
Don't get me wrong; I LOVE VT and everything it has to offer. Everything is beautiful every morning when I wake up, and looking out of the window is like looking at a painting. I'd even give the landscapes up just to have massive amounts of snow out of my door everyday, and angled ground on which to ride. However, I do really miss concrete and glass reflections, and the graffiti flying by while sitting on the N train. There is definitely a different kind of beauty in the gray city punctuated by yellow taxis. If only there was a way to blend the two. Hm.

I hate to admit to this sad fact: I have only been riding a few times since being here. Why? Well, number 1: I work full time. Number 2: I've been sick. Number 3: I have really low confidence when it comes to my snowboarding ability.
I like to consider myself a risk taker, and one can probably see this from my riding style-- I take dramatic, 20 ft falls every time I go down. I'm not scared to get hurt and I'm not scared of taking speed to the limit. Unfortunately, I have no confidence when it comes to anything else. I think a lot of it has to do with my getting involved in the sport later on in life than most, along with it being primarily male-dominated. It's difficult as a female to try new things and fail, because (in my mind) people will presume that I am failing because I am a female, and "girls suck at snowboarding." At least this is what I think is making me feel this way.
Despite this fact, I really do love it. I love the feeling I get riding down the mountain, focusing solely on the physical sensation I have and how I will react to it. It's very similar to the feelings I used to get when I was a figure skater. There were very few things to think about while skating: sensation and technique, and how to bring those two together. While it can be very stressful to get frustrated over learning new things, at its core snowboarding is a very calming thing to do. I think I need to draw on that next time I'm out and stop worrying about failing and the embarrassment that comes along with it.
Get over and get on with it.