The 2008 Grouse Mountain Opening day is finally here, and it’s a good day indeed, 2 foot of fresh powder with the Sun Shining in the sky with a faint trace of a rainbow.The chair lifts ran for about an hour, then shut down for the rest of the morning because of an electrical issue.
There were lots of newbies on the hill sitting around, taking photos, building snow-mans, and having snowball fights. The seasoned riders, however, were all in the terrain Park. The Park was pretty sweet; it was filled with ‘small’ features such as fun boxes, rails, and bonks.
Benjamin Neil, James Anderson
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Bryce McLean (Handsworth Secondary School’10)
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James Anderson (Handsworth Secondary School’10)
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Building Kickers
There were so much powder around yet none of the chairs were open, a few riders went off to the side of the terrain park and started building a little kicker. Soon more people joined in and there were 5 people building a kicker in the 2 foot of powder. Even though many of the snowboarders and skiers never met each other before, they came together for the common purpose of building a kicker. After a few test runs, and seeing the landing was too soft and flat, a snowboarder came in with a shovel and spent the next 15 minutes working on the kicker while other riders one by one tested the jump.
Other onlookers that didn’t participate in the building process came in for some jumps. Rather than getting shunned by the people that put in the hardwork, everyone was welcomed to ride the kicker.
Everyone was doing gnarly tricks in the air, and not many were landing their jumps, yet everyone was having so much fun because they were landing in deep powder.
Soon there were a long line up of about 15 people for the small kicker.
As I walk around the limited areas that were open on the First day of the winter Season for Grouse Mountain, I saw 3 more groups of people building jumps. It’s interesting to see complete strangers working together to build kickers that they will enjoy for only a few hours and willing to share it with anyone willing to give it a try. This is one of the reasons why I love snowboarding so much
Kicker #2 – in front of Peak Office
Kicker #3 – Behind Screaming Eagle Chair
Kicker #4 – Bottom of Paradise Bowl
Grouse Mountain Ski and Snowboard Instructors
Next Saturday will be my first day at work. I just found out today I have been switched from teaching kids to teaching drop-ins and private lessons through the Christmas Holidays. This will be awesome because this will allow me to spend more time with my clients and my schedule will be more flexible. I taught kids all of last season at Whistler Blackcomb, it will be a good change of pace for me. There were lots of Koreans taking both ski and snowboard lessons this morning, hence the 2 Korean Instructors had to report in for work while everyone else is in the terrain park.
The kid below sure looks tired. He could not get up after a few runs of snowplows. Us instructors usually take at least a week to get back in shape for snowboarding. For the never-evers, it is even tougher because they do not have the muscles for ski and snowboarding in the first place.
as I walked around the resort, a few more instructors were teaching too though I have not met them yet.
Well…it’s been an awesome Opening day of Grouse Mountain.
Tomorrow, I will get my boards base grinded, waxed, and sharpened by a professional. I will be at Cypress Mountain tomorrow because Eagle Quad Chair will be open, which has the Olympic Super Pipe and a few Black runs in the trees.
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