Winter brings more than ice and gloom
Carley Sonju
Staff Writer
Winter can be dreadful, especially in the Midwest, and most definitely in Minnesota. While the snow and cold temperatures get in the way of some of the activities you can only do in the warmer seasons, they also open up some new possibilities for fun.
One of the winter activities I fell in love with is snowboarding. My local ski hill had a special called “5th Grade Fridays” where every Friday anyone in the fifth grade could get rental gear and a lift ticket for only $5. I decided to give it a try one day with one of my friends, and even though I could barely get my feet into the boots, I wanted to keep trying it. It was difficult at first, and I could barely get down the hill without falling, but I stuck with it all through that first winter. And the winter after that, and the one after that, all the way up until today. I am so glad I stuck with it because now snowboarding season is my favorite time of the year, and it makes me enjoy the winter instead of dreading it like I used to.
I recommend anyone to give snowboarding a try at least once. Having Mount Kato so close is something college students here at MNSU shouldn’t ignore. They even have a discount for college students on Thursday nights, which I will be taking advantage of this winter for sure.
One of the reasons I love snowboarding so much is because of the friends I have met while doing it. Everyone is super laid-back and easy to get along with. They can push you to try new things on the slopes or talk you out of a run that you maybe shouldn’t go down just yet. I always have a great time snowboarding with my friends.
Snowboarding is a progressive sport, and it takes more than a couple tries to get coordinated enough to go down the hill without falling, but it is important to not get discouraged if you don’t get the hang of it right away. I suggest bringing a friend along to try so you can help each other out if needed.
It has also opened me up to skiing. I didn’t ski for the first time until I had been snowboarding for around five years, so I was pretty comfortable on the snow, but I also loved the new challenge of skiing. I have also known people who started out snowboarding and switched to skiing because they enjoyed it more, and vice versa. Both activities are fantastic ways to spend the winter and I encourage everyone to try either one out at least once. It can bring a new light to winter that you’ve never noticed before!
Header photo courtesy of Flickr.