Girl meets Snowboard Success

Another miracle - I can carve! on my snowboard! Here's what happened: got back into the game late last season, doing some lessons on the Endless Slope and then snow time in March and April. This season I got out in early January (so late!) and started up on the Bunny Slope. Well, why not - let's get it right from the start. Life has plenty of steep cliffs to offer, I'll take this one gradually, thank you. So Mr. Bunny gave me the opportunity to connect turns and even do some tight heel-to-toe transitions.

Then we go Blue. Blue is all good - well, mostly good. The top is quite steep, and I need to get to the good parts. One time my toe-side mojo just died and I reverted to a brief falling leaf episode. Another time I had faltering confidence about getting off the lift; always seemed to get lucky and barely miss flying into somebody. But gradually, things got more solid. I found myself pulling off heel-side turns on steep parts my brain didn't think would be possible - but the feet just did it anyway. (That's what I call muscle memory, thanks to a direct injection from the Endless Slope).

Then there was the weekend with my friend Sabra. Husbands, boyfriends and kids were left behind. I slid by her house at 8:15pm on Friday, threw her bag in the back, carefully loaded the wine, and headed up. Three hours later we pull into the driveway of our cabin. I remember to adjust the water valve, turn the pump on and, of course, turn the heat up. We chat for a minute on the couch and then plan to hit the hay. We chat longer. Wine is suggested. 2 hours later we head to bed - oops.

Up at the crack of freakin' dawn and head out to Kirkwood. At 9am. Like we could last the whole day anyway. Kirkwood is delighted to have us and, as a special treat, has reduced their usual lift lines of 8 people down to 2. Sabra is stunned. I love my Kirkwood. We cruise the blues and I actually have enough confidence to carve hard and get a good workout. (Are you supposed to carve hard? No, you're supposed to have the skill to finesse the hill and *not* have to work so hard.) I'm getting there. But in the meantime I can still burn a few extra calories. Besides, I look really cool. In my head at least - and that's my favorite movie.

Lunch is weird. We go into the "better" restaurant and are told there is a 25 minute wait "and then the food will take about 45 minutes; we have a very small kitchen." What??? Been there bunches - never has it taken more than 10 minutes. (Who designed your kitchen anyway?) We feel unwanted, unloved. I hate Kirkwood. We went somewhere else I can't remember; I've blacked it out to rid myself of the searing pain of lunch rejection.

An Irish coffee soothes my lunch terrors and we hit the backside. My mojo is back and I am really a Blue Person. Loving my quick-release bindings that I can usually click just after sliding from the lift. At the end of the day, I'm surprised how tired I am. My legs and feet can do things my body doesn't really have the stamina for, but that's good inspiration for the running thing again.

Spring Snow

Spring Skiing! What's NOT to love? It's my favorite time of the season. Warm weather, forgiving snow, fewer crowds, and an especially inviting time to have your end-of-day wine out in the sun. So great. Why doesn't everyone making a Big-Deal-Jump in their skills do it in the spring? It's the best time to take up snowboarding, the best time to graduate from black diamonds to double black diamonds, and the best time to get someone you love started on skis. True, conditions can get slushy late in the day if it's really warm - but if it's really warm you should be relaxing on the patio, am I right?
Plus there are fewer cars so it's easier to park; rarely any lift lines; and you can get decent savings during end-of-season sales too. (dial-in snowboard boots, oh pleeease.) And there are usually entertaining festivals at the resorts too. Kirkwood does their annual Skim-the-Pond on skis and snowboards - the skiers are definitely superior but both varieties get pretty wet. Everyone's in a great mood and it's just a super way to enjoy the season.

Sunday's report: Sport & Spa with dance workout

This just in. A report on the Sunday Sport & Spa Day:

So warm! So sunny! I had always thought that the Universe scheduled rain as a consequence of planning any outdoor activity in April. I mean, that's WHY we have a whole different Sport & Spa gig for the winter months. The indoor dance work-out is a short 2-blocks from the spa; you would even sprint there in a rainstorm if things got wild. Optional lunch places 10 steps from the workout studio. And then right back to the Spa. You could do the whole outdoor thing in about 15 minutes of umbrella time.

Well, I guess that's how it works; we had a rain plan, so the Universe said, "How quaint, have some sun." And was it ever gorgeous. We took an extra-long stroll to enjoy the sun and the people watching on Sunday morning. Then to Shoebox dance studio for a Bollywood for Beginners dance workout. We even got little finger-scarves to make whatever we did look exotic.

Then up Folsom and down 2nd to Momo's just across the street from the ballpark. Lunch on the patio with a little umbrella shade and one the best turkey-club-combos things I've ever had. With cranberry sauce and bacon - fab.

The walk back to the spa was 35 minutes. And then the bliss really got underway. Aromatherapy in the air, cozy robes, hot tea and cool fruit, sinking into the jacuzzi, then hour massages all around, followed by more jacuzzi.

While I can't speak for everyone, I like to follow the day with brief trip to H&M (you never know) and whatever else looks enticing.

The Dance Workout version worked so well that we'll be adding some to our summer schedule, in addition to the kayaking. Bollywood, you have another convert!

The new Sports Studio

Welcome to our new blog, all about Living Adventurously. I'll be writing about adventurous people doing adventurous things. To inspire you, provide a little how-to, and a whole lotta get-me-out-there-I-have-to-do-this energy.

First Up: my latest adventure. Creating a new sports studio for Adventurous Sports.
(Not that I recommend this particular activity. Read on - the process has been several universes short of what I'd call delightful.)

It's a durn miracle. We have a real Sports Studio! At 650 Florida and 18th (sort of north-west Potrero Hill ... Mission Cliffs / Universal Cafe / CoffeeBar.) The Endless Slope ski & snowboard deck will have it's own home and we'll do surf simulator clinics, poker classes, parties and trip previews. I know what you're thinking: what took you so long?!

Good question. I saw the space early November and told the Realtor I had to be in by Dec 15. (oh I'm so silly; they were all polite and everything.) And the lease was signed 2 weeks ago. Yup, 2 weeks. Fast forward: contractors interviewed & hired, permits paid for ($809!), paint colors chosen. We're working on stairs. Picking the surf & ski murals was, I'll admit, pretty fun.

So stay tuned. I'll be posting pictures (the first ones are pretty raw!) and sharing the joys of a build-out process (welcome to marmoleum - it is not a sandwich spread, I swear). We'll even have some postings from my architect-designer Sabra Ballon; she found a General Contractor who used to dance for the SF ballet. I'm serious.

I'll also keep you posted on the fun stuff.
Like tales of my new snowboarding skills (carving on blue slopes!) and my trip to Mexico to sleuth out a great location for surf camps. (I'm leaving 6AM Thursday; then we'll put together the Preview Trip - for all those intrepid adventurers who are willing to test out yoga & massage without a net.)

Sarah