“The first time my dad took me up to the top of the mountain, I was like seven… most fathers would wait for their children to go first and follow after to make sure their child was okay; he took off,” said dance teacher Kristen Norwood. “So I took off and just followed where everyone was going. I hit the jump and I landed backwards and I started skiing backwards. My skis popped off, everything was flying off and I rolled in a ball. I picked my skis up, walked down the rest of the mountain and my dad was at the bottom. I was like ‘I am done! I’m never coming back again!’ We came back the next day.”
Norwood has been skiing and snowboarding for most of her life.
“I was five when I first started skiing,” Norwood said. “Children have no fear, or at least, I didn’t.”
Norwood, along with many others at Northwood, has always been interested in skiing and snowboarding, but the two winter sports have recently had an impact on many students and teachers and how they spend their time in the winter. This year, the student interest in skiing and snowboarding has skyrocketed.
“With all the snow, why wouldn’t [skiing and snowboarding] be popular? People are trying to find things to do,” senior Hannah Holloway said.
Call it cabin fever or just excitement stemming from the recent snow days, but a growing number of students headed to the slopes this winter.
Students have varying opinions as to why there is an increased interest in skiing and snowboarding.
“The Winter Olympics are this year and maybe people are hearing about that and thinking they want to do that too,” junior Amanda Peele said.
The professional athletes at the Winter Olympics can inspire students to try their hand at winter sports, but students agree that you don’t have to be a professional to have fun skiing and snowboarding. Many enjoy the fact that skiing is an individual sport that doesn’t have to be competitive to be enjoyed.
“I like progressing throughout the week; you gradually get better every day,” junior Cassidy Welge said.
Even teachers admit that the winter sports can be challenging.
“Snowboarding has probably been the most difficult for me,” said Rick Parks, Career and Technical Education teacher.
Skiing and snowboarding can be especially challenging when you are just starting out, according to theater teacher Kayla Gahagen.
“My first time skiing I ran into the fence and I knocked down the whole thing. I didn’t get hurt, but I left it how it was and skied away,” Gahagen said.
Regardless of how talented a skier or snowboarder is, many people have had their fair share of accidents and injuries.
“I got a slight concussion,” sophomore Kelsi Roland said. “I hit a bump, an ice-rock. I rolled down the hill and I face-planted in the snow and my goggles hit my helmet.”
Other than a helmet, goggles and snow boots, protection is limited for skiers and snowboarders. This often leads to minor injuries from falling down the slopes.
“I think I cracked my rib on a tumble going down the mountain,” Parks said. “It was like the second run down and I was feeling more confident. I went head over; it still hurts.”
It can be hard for skiers and snowboarders to get back on the slopes after an accident.
“It makes you wonder,” junior Jessica Mann said, “Is this going to happen again? Is it not? Am I going to
get better? Should I quit? The important thing when you get back on your feet is to have faith in yourself and your board.”
Some say one of the most appealing aspects of skiing and snowboarding is the separation from home.
“It’s so exhilarating and different; we don’t have it right in Pittsboro so it’s a unique experience,” senior Lindsey Holloway said.
Some students even venture outside of the state to get the full experience. Senior Daniel Marro says he goes to Pennsylvania annually to snowboard because the real snow is different from the packed, fake snow in North Carolina.
Students tend to agree that skiing and snowboarding provide an outlet for entertainment and excitement during the cold winter months when they are otherwise cooped up inside their houses. Many also enjoy the independence it provides compared to other sports.
“If you’re really good or really bad [at a sport], then that can affect the other people, but in skiing if you crash it only affects you,” sophomore Matt Streets said.
Many students who have been skiing and snowboarding have enjoyed the experience and plan to continue skiing and snowboarding in the future. Many encourage their friends to try it as well.
“If you haven’t done skiing or snowboarding,” Roland said, “you should really try it.”
— Emma Korynta
