Carvin it up Muju Style

Yesterday I got a chance to do one of the coolest things I've done in Korea to date...I got to go snowboarding on a Korean mountain! The mothers of the students that I go and play hockey with on Monday nights asked me if I would like to join them and the kids on their trip to Muju resort. Of course I couldn't turn down this amazing opportunity.

So the plan went a little like this: I would meet them at 7am at the mall by my place. Good plan right? One problem; I had poker night at my place which inevitably leads to drinks afterward. Long story short, I crawled into bed at 5am possibly still drunk. Now before you even commence thinking that I didn't make the 7am rendez-vous, remember who's writing this. I'm a trooper baby, I made the 7am meeting (possibly still drunk) and we were off on the 2 hour trek to Muju Resort. Let me tell you this, that was a super long drive with three 6 year olds screaming in the car.

We arrived at Muju at about 9am and we were off hitting the slopes. Now before I continue the story I should tell you that I had really only snowboarded once before, and that attemp ended with me walking down the mountain with my board in my hand out of frustration. No worry this time though as I was going with a bunch of kids and their Moms who would no doubt be in the same position as me...right? WRONG! These kids were awesome (they were all skiing but they were frickin amazing)! My one student's Mom was the only other one snowboarding and she was far and away better than me. Soi I had a choice to make at this point, I could take it easy and ride the back end of the board all the way down (kind of like applying some pressure to brakes on a bike when going down a hill) or I could just go with plan B and giv'r.

So the first couple of times I barrelled down the hill full steam I almost killed a butt-load of people including myself. I don't know how many times I had to say "Mian Hamnida" (sorry in Korean). Lunch time came and I was a bit frustrated because my kids were flying down the mountain and were always waiting for me at the bottom. Oh, and did I mention that I was hugely nauseous from the whole no-sleep thing? I couldn't even eat any food, although I was truly starving.

So I made a resolution to teach myself to board before the day was over. I was getting super awesome at riding the back edge, but everytime I would switch to the front edge I would bail hard core. What happened on my third run was something that I haven't felt in about 23 years; it felt like that first time I learned how to ride the bike. I couldn't tell you how I did it, but in one glorious moment not only was I riding on the front edge, but I was dipping and dodging between other skiiers and boarders. Then I got cocky and I was going about Mach 3 when I bailed hardcore. I tells ya, I thought I dislocated my shoulder (not the one I had surgery on).

So I took it kind of easy the rest of the afternoon, but I did it, I taught myself how to snowboard. This is really great news because my parents bought me a board and all the fixins last Christmas. Now I can enjoy using it instead of hanging it up on my wall and telling people that I had to "retire it" because it just to be too easy for me.

P.S. I snored all the way back to Cheonan from Muju and the Moms didnt wake me because they thought it was cute. Man, I love Korea!