Wintersports
Snowboarding
How snowboarding helped me have some much-needed fun
Being invited to Culture Shifters to learn how to snowboard in Colorado was the gift I never knew I needed as a Black woman.
Finding peace and serenity in nature is something I’m intimately familiar with. I’ve always been someone drawn to the tranquility of the ocean but over the last few years that love has reached new depths. I discovered the sport of surfing. Learning how to properly pop-up and ride a wave and writing about it it has allowed me to connect with folks across the globe, travel to gorgeous beaches, and most importantly tap into a part of me I never knew existed. One that submits to the power of nature. I’ve been able to take up space in the ocean, a place I now find so much inspiration and ease. So when I was invited to snowboard at a three-day retreat called Culture Shifters a few weeks back I was more than a little hesitant. The ocean, I could do, but being in the snow on the face of a mountain was a totally different ball game. My instinct was to pass, to politely decline, and go about the rest of my day. But something, I’m not exactly sure what it was, pushed me to say yes.
Videographer Luis Medearis captures Zeb Powell at Burton Culture Shifters.
© Atiba Jefferson / Red Bull Content Pool
Rob Roethler hits the halfpipe while Zeb Powell posts up.
© Atiba Jefferson / Red Bull Content Pool
What I didn’t know then, that I can admit now, is that I was scared. Scared to get out there and try something new. I’d never been snowboarding, or even tried it for that matter. So how was I expected to give it a go alongside a group of total strangers? And with heavy hitters like Selema Masekela and Zeb Powell hosting this event, surely I was going to be the only one who didn’t know how to ride there. It all sounded a little too far outside of my comfort zone. Oh, and I don’t like cold weather. I’ve successfully spent the better part of my adult life avoiding cold weather — I moved from NYC to LA to cut out winters. However, I forced myself to remember in that moment, that while being scared is totally normal and understandable, it’s not how I want to live my life. I don’t want to be ruled by my fear, something I’ve done for far too long, and instead want to push beyond that and live in a place blossoming with newness and joy. It’s very rare that we get the opportunity to try something new as adults. So while scared, I knew I couldn’t pass up this chance.
Selema Masekela and Zeb Powell share during Burton Culture Shifters.
© Atiba Jefferson / Red Bull Content Pool
I am so glad I decided to go because it's something I’ll always remember and keep close to my heart for years to come. Once arriving to Culture Shifters in Aspen, I quickly realized this was the perfect environment to learn how to snowboard. The organizers had intentionally brought together a group of Black and brown folks who loved the outdoors. I also wasn't the only one who didn’t know how to snowboard, like I had initially feared, but there was an entire group of newbies. Folks who like me were trying this for the first time, and were a little hesitant to get out there. We were also paired with the most amazing and patient instructors that made us not only feel comfortable but also helped us let go. This was the most supportive space to try something new. What I heard most often before heading up on the mountain and even while there, “oh, you surf. This will be so easy for you then because they’re basically the same.” I can assure that outside of them both being on a board, the two sports are nothing alike. At least they aren’t to me. However, once I was able to let go of these perceived notions and the noise from others, I was able to truly just live in the moment and just have some fun.
Siraad Dirshe at Culture Shifters
© Brandon Parrish
Siraad Dirshe at Culture Shifters
© Brandon Parrish
Once I gave myself permission to have fun, it all changed.
After noticing a bit of my frustration from confusing heelside and toeside for the hundredth time my instructor emphatically used three words that changed everything, “just have fun!” It was a permission slip to just be. And it changed everything. So often as an adult when we do something new there’s pressure, mainly from ourselves, to give it our all and to miraculously be the best at it, despite it being our first time. That added pressure means we can’t just live in the moment, turning into a job instead of just a time to play and be. Once I gave myself permission to have fun, it all changed. I laughed at the falls, instead of getting upset, and simply shrugged when I confused heelside and toeside, yet again. I felt so much lighter and loose. Focusing on the fun, instead of trying to be perfect, was a gift I didn’t know I needed.
Siraad Dirshe at Culture Shifters
© Siraad Dirshe
As I finally found a bit of rhythm and was able to glide by myself I could feel myself becoming lighter and free. A smile painted across my face, body light, out of my head this was a feeling I hadn’t felt in a while. The stress of life and the pressure I constantly put on myself, in all areas of my life, sadly meant I hadn’t had fun in a while. On the mountain work didn’t exist. On the board there were no meetings. I was just in the moment, and the best part of it all was that I was experiencing this with other Black and brown folks who like me could use more fun.
Culture Shifters
© Atiba Jefferson
Culture Shifters
© Atiba Jefferson
Having attended Culture Shifters I am by no means a snowboarder, truthfully I’m not even sure I would try it again, but I am someone who feels inspired to say yes more often and seek fun always. Despite my hesitation, gathering in Colorado showed me just how much power there is in dipping your toe outside of your comfort zone. The saying is something we often just say or roll our eyes to but I’m making it a guiding principle for my life. I was reminded just how transformative it can be to rise to the occasion, so I’m going to keep pushing myself to do so. I’ll also keep finding fun. Life can easily get in the way of me playing and just being in the moment, but it’s imperative. In the ocean, I typically chase peace, but on land, I can find fun. Spending a few days on the mountain falling, laughing and bonding completely shifted me and for that I am grateful.
