The snow has been falling in Steamboat finally! We’ve received some new snow to help with the lack of snow this season but today with my limited ride time I just headed to the park and convinced Chris to join in. We haven’t been able to ride together in such a long time that I just wanted to ride with him, get feedback and lap park which for some reason is all I’ve been interested in lately.
I’ve progressed to the medium terrain park at Steamboat and getting comfortable on the rails and boxes. I need to start stepping up my game but I’m also enjoying progressing slowly too. Chris got a shot of me today on the flat down box that I’ve been working on, now each time I can ride it to the end so I’m stoked!
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We took a lap through the pipe which was the mistake of the day, it was powder and sheet ice underneath plus it wasn’t groomed so super sketchy with the flat light conditions. Chris’ brother Tracy still rallied it through it despite the conditions
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So my butt is bruised and hurts like hell which means lapping park for me is gonna hurt worse when I fall. Today the first thing I did was go for the up rail seen here and smack my butt on it when I slipped off. Argh love those moments!
Here’s Chris on the up rail
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Unfortunately this season has meant limited video mostly due to time but today I got some small footage of Chris in the park, just playing with a couple of the features.
Chris in the park from Shayboarder on Vimeo.
Now it’s packing time for my snowboard gear since I’ll be hitting the road tomorrow for a much needed 9 day roadtrip to the western states.
rATzAS
March 15, 2010 at 7:06 pmHi Shay (or do you prefer Shannon?)
I found your site a while back and come back to follow your exploits periodically. I am a member of the ‘Grays on Trays’ bunch, just another random old guy on a board.
I was reading of your painful tailbone, ouch! I have a good suggestion for you, a piece of protection that works so well my 18 year old son who is a park rat asked for one. I have been wearing one for 3 years for mountain freeriding, which is more my style. It is called an AzzPadz tailbone protector. http://www.azzpadz.com is a link to their site. They are also sold on a number of other sites, including http://www.sportsprotectiveequipment.com which is where I bought them for all of us. (Me, wife and son are all boarders. We ride 50-60 days a year, I am 58 and wife is 54. We have a condo at Girdwood, Alaska at the base of Alyeska Resort. http://www.alyeskaresort.com )
Also, if you ever get a chance to come up here and ride Alyeska or even better do some back country with Chugach Powder Guides, drop a line. We can hook you up with the hot runs and show you our home mountain. It is not as big as many areas, but it is mostly intermediate and expert terrain. If you can ride what we have here you can ride ANYWHERE. Send a real email link if you want and I will send a few photos.
Keep up the good work on your site. I will be back.
Steve in AK
Shay
March 21, 2010 at 6:58 pmRat,
Thanks awesome you found the site and are stoked on grays on trays too! Sweet on the ass protection link, thanks i’ll definitely look into that!
I have ridden Alyeska before and love that mountain, such amazing views and terrain! I hope to make it back someday espeically to ride Alyeska and a heli trip would be rad. That’d be great to meet up, I’ll definitely keep you in the loop if I do come up!
Thanks!