Ski Sunday - the first day of our snowboarding trip to Chamonix, 2009

First post – Ski sunday

JB - So we've made it to Chamonix, via Geneva and an obscenely early start to the day. There were many occasions when it didn't look like it would happen, and we're all extremely grateful to Kevin and Dave for giving us the green light to do this, to all the people who've helped sponsor the students with kit or hard cash, and in particular to one very generous anonymous donor who's now on her way to NZ. Thanks to you all, it's going to be amazing for the students, and of course I'll be hating every second of it...

These are their thoughts about the first day and a bit


Mike J - i could and would like to live over here in France and become a ski instructor. I have never been to a place like this before and never really knew what to expect. I've done a lot of skateboarding in the past and it has helped a lot. I've never thought i would get the chance to snowbaord and I'm loving the adrenaline rush and the veiw is beautiful, I really enjoyed at the end of the day today as we were all leaving the slopes we watched the sun set behind the mountains. I am going to find out about how to get a job as a ski instructor one day. Also I wish I'd learned a bit more basic French because it annoys me when I can't speak to the locals properly – I feel rude – unlike when I was living in Spain and had time to learn some phrases.

I got my first air (by accident) when we went through some trees and i ddnt see a jump coming. That was a rush. Oh and I tried the red run (difficut) today but it was pushing it a bit – I'll probably stick to blues tomorrow.

I enjoyed helping the others in the class because I didn't need the beginner stuff by the afternoon and all the coaching we do back home you can easily help out. Also it's funny when you see the three year olds and they're decent! Like faster than us. And so cute when the zoom past. I've decided already that I dont like skiiers, though. And I'm sunburned and my groin hurts.

Mike B – when I first went on the snow I thought how can I board on this when i can hardly stand! Really didn't know what to expect, I was excited but scared. It doesn't hurt as much as I thought it might, so much as achey now. It didn't hurt when I was falling down, more frustrating. I actually was really pissec at one stage when I feel over twice. I can see it was funny now, but at the time I felt like a mug on the button lift.
I feel happy now. I was talking to myself all through it. I got the basic balance stuff going, now I have to link the turns. I'll start with the small lift, get it togethert, take my falls, think yeah I can ride it, the go for the big lift

Chamonix is a relaxed place, but kind of very expensive. It;s laid back because everyone is here to do the same thing so everyone seems to get along. I'm trying hard to learn some essentials like please and thakyou. Soon as they know you're not ignorant like they talk to you and help you.


Kayleigh D - before the skiing trip i was very excited about everything, I have never been before so it was something totally new to me. when we all arrived we were tired due to having no sleep the night before. The first thing i noticed when I arrived was the scenery, it was quite overpowering,the mountains were enormous as well as beautiul. We had an early night so we were prepared for the day ahead of us. In the morning we put our snowboarding geer on and headed of out to the slopes. When I arrived I couldn't wait to start. John got us all started doing basic techniques on how to balance on our boards and how to move down the very flat slopes, it was quite embarassing to see 5yr olds going at crazy speeds down steeper slopes than us. After a few hours I got the hang of it and it was really good. iI couldn't compare it to any other sport if anything it has been one of the best sports I've played. As the day went on I got a bit too confident and was coming down the slope backwards, fell and what felt like at the time broke my wrist. John took me to the medical centre and i had it x-rayed and was told eveything was ok and that it was just synovial fluid trapped in my wrist, I found this quite interesting as it related to my sport course as college and I knew what it was already.

I rested for the night and slept in whilst the other guys went out to the slopes on the second day. It was quite frustrating as I'm a person that likes to take risks and make the most of things and i was not prepared to let this sport get the better of me. My wrist was a huge setback. Anyway I met the guys in the afternoon and joined the group lesson with everyone, i had a brace on so i felt fine. i learnt quite a lot and can now effectively snowboard ok, I'm looking forward to the rest of the week and hope to learn a lot more.

JB – Some general thoughts. So far the guys have been amazing. They're learning lots, asking great questions and they're not afraid to try new things. Snowboarding can be hell for newbies for the first few days, it's physically very demanding and frustrating in equal amounts, but they've handled the knockbacks, shrugged off the bruises and kept on getting back up again. Mike (The Ego Has Landed) Jones in particular has taken to it like a duck to water, he's linking turns by lunch time on the first day, turned his first 180 trick by the end of the day and cruised a red run (classed as difficult) from top to bottom with only one fall. That, for a total beginner is phenomenally good. MB is Mister Easy Going, you couldn't ask for better company in a group of people travelling and living together in what can be a cramped and quickly smelly environemnt. Kayleigh showed how brave and immensely competitive she is diving straight back into the action after her wrist injury scare. They've all been very good about trying to pick up some basic French to help them get by, too.

Of course, you learn best through experience and by doing. So the boys have now learned that if you leave your boots and gloves to 'dry' outside in the mountains, you wake up to ice cold frozen foot and handwear. I could've told them, but hey, this way the message is so much more emphatic. They're also all gradually learning that the Number 1 Sin on a good skiing day is 'faffing about' and that no, I am not a pack-mule for all of their discarded gear. Finally, there is no location or circumstance that makes Nickleback's How We Remind You anything other than awful. Would someone please pass this message on to Mr Joness.

As soon as I can find a way to edit and post it, we'll be putting up some video of everyone in action on the slopes, in the meantime still shots will have to suffice.