Slip Siding Away

Learning how to snowboard in the Rockies proved to be both painful—and educational

- Luc Vanderham

Alberta’s majestic Rocky Mountains are world-renowned for their hiking and skiing. Although I used to ski in Quebec when we lived there, after our family moved to Alberta in 2001, the definition of skiing took on an entirely new meaning.

On a brisk Saturday morning, after a two-and-a-half hour drive, we arrived at Sunshine Village Resort for the first time since coming to Alberta. Stepping out of our van, I practically needed an oxygen tank to replace the air being knocked out of me as I glimpsed the magnificence of the mountains towering above me.

My oldest brother Justin nudged me out of my stupor, asking, “Are you finally going to try snowboarding?”

“Not a chance,” I replied. Throughout the day, as I “shredded powder,” I began to regret my response. I became envious of how much more cool and fun snowboarding seemed. However, fear of breaking a bone, making a fool of myself, or the time it might take to learn the sport, held me back at the time.