Zero to Hero: Meet Yulun

Yulun is our 2016 success story. He started his snowboarding journey in December 2015 on the magic carpet and beginner hill. Through lessons, persistence and courage, he was conquering black diamonds by the end of the season! We’re sharing Yulun’s journey with you to hopefully inspire you to try something new and maybe become Blue’s Zero to Hero story next season.

For safety reasons, we strongly recommend the use of a helmet for all skiers and snowboarders, especially when learning. Rock it, don’t knock it!

Yulun’s Zero to Hero Story:

This Winter I wanted to challenge myself to start learning snowboarding. After I bought all the snowboarding equipments including the 5×7 seasonal pass I started my first snowboarding day on December 23rd 2015.

“The first step is always the hardest, but it’s the only way to reach the second step. – Susan Gale” The first day on the hill I was totally beaten up although I had watched some tutorials on Youtube. After trying without any knowledge and falling for hundred times Mike M who is a snowboarding instructor came to me asking if I needed a quick instruction. I got better right away after a few tips so I decided to sign up for Mike M’s private lesson the day after which was the second day of snowboarding. During the private lesson Mike M was passionated to explain and instruct the different turns and how to initiate turns. After the 1 hour lesson I had learned all the foundation (toe-side turn, hill-side turn, linking both turns ) which built up my confidence and help me improve my riding quicker.

It’s critical spending time on the foundation when a new learning path starts so I spent much time practicing alone and really focus on every toe side turn and hill side turn and how to link the turns better. There were so many days I took the shuttle bus alone from Toronto to Blue Mountain back and forth in order to improve and ride better to get to next level. I also tried to come to Blue Mountain as many times as possible. I spend all week staying at Blue Mountain Resort. I met some friends we drove up from Toronto to Blue Mountain 2 or 3 times a week.

As coming to Blue Mountain often within 2 months from beginner magic carpet to double black diamond I already had the ability to ride any trail at Blue Mountain. I didn’t notice that until my friend told me how fast the progress I have gotten to.

I like to keep my goal realistic and set the goal every year. I don’t know which level I will eventually get to but I am glad I have reached my goal this year which is the ability to ride on any level. And next year I want to start the terrain park and focus more on different tricks. You will definitely see me more often on the hills.

The most highlight of this season was not the time I got to diamond levels; was not the time I started some tricks; was the first time I rode through Happy Valley without falling. I found there’s a gap from Graduate to Happy Valley and it’s hard at the beginner to get from Graduate to Happy Valley. However, I will never forget the first time I did it. I screamed so hard through my mask saying“ yes! I did it“.

Finally, what I want to share is that we all know falling is a big part of snowboarding but every fall makes us stronger.

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今年冬天我想挑戰自己來學習單板滑雪,買好所有的裝備後,在2015年12月23日我開始了我的單板滑雪旅程。

“第一步永遠是最難的,但那是唯一進到第二步的方法- Susan Gale”.

在滑雪的第一天雖然我有先在Youtube看了些教學,但我還是完完全全被擊垮。在毫無頭緒亂滑和摔了幾百次後,這時有位單板滑雪教練叫Mike M來問我說需不需要一些指導,馬上在幾分鐘的快速指導下我開始慢慢有了頭緒要如何去控制雪板,之後隔天我就決定預約Mike M的一對一私人教學。在一對一私人教學中Mike M非常有耐心的解釋和教導如何運用腳尖煞車和腳根煞車,最後再如何把腳尖煞車和腳根煞車連成S型。經過了一小時的一對一私人教學,我很快的就掌握了要領和所有的基礎,那也建立了我在操控雪板上有更大的信心。

然而我也知道在學習一項新技能前,基礎是最重要的,所以我花了好多的時間專心練習基礎。常常獨自一個人坐五小時的專車來回從多倫多到藍山滑雪場練習就是為了能更加進步,我也有一星期完全都待在那邊每天滑,或著是我開車載著朋友一週去藍山二到三次。

兩個月非常頻繁的到藍山滑雪後,朋友們忽然提到我的進步非常大,我從初學者輸送帶滑到兩顆黑鑽最高難度,已經有能力可以滑完藍山所以42條大大小小的滑雪道。

雖然不曉得自己可以到什麼程度,但我不喜歡設不切實際的目標,我希望是每年都有一個成長目標,像今年很開心我達到我的目標那就是可以駕馭所有程度的滑雪道。明年的目標是想注重在花式滑雪多一點,並且開始挑戰地形公園(Terrian Park)。所以你們一定會更常看到我在藍山滑雪。

至於今年最精彩的回憶,並不是我可以滑到最難的兩顆黑鑽,也不是我可以做一些花式動作,而是當我第一次不跌倒順利的從Happy Valley(滑雪道名)滑下來。因為Happy Valley 和所有的初學者滑雪道中間有一段不小的差距,所以那是對初學者的一個大挑戰。我永遠不會忘記第一次沒有跌倒滑下來的感覺,我當時大叫著“Oh yes,我做到了”

最後想要分享的是,摔跤是單板滑雪的一大部分,但每摔一次你就會讓你更進步

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