Last winter, I decided to learn to snowboard

It was a new and great experience. But it also was a personal growth challenge and a resilience lesson.
Learning a sport could be, at the start, frustrating. Especially in disciplines like skiing or snowboarding.

You need snow. Snow usually lasts for a short time and most people need to travel to this kind of landscape. And they don´t stay long.

I also had to get familiar with some basic dynamics of winter sports, like where to rent the apparel, hire an instructor, and get tickets to the slopes.

 

As a rookie, there were moments when I felt it wasn´t worth the time and effort invested. I was frustrated. Maintaining myself balanced on the board without falling takes time, tires, and hurts. 

Then, I understood, almost like an epiphany, that sports aren´t just games we have played since we were kids, easy and fun for us.
Sports could also mean a goal we want to achieve, like being capable of snowboarding. And it will require effort and tolerance to the frustration. We will have to learn how to do it.

This one must be the most important lesson I got here.

 

Back home, I did some research about these feelings and thoughts. I found out that a lot of people feel something similar. 

As a matter of fact, I run into a video of the Epic for Everyone youth access Program by Vail Resorts.
Even when the program focuses on inclusion in snow sports, the video reveals that the ski and snowboard industry is aware of the barriers for beginners and rookies.

 

How brands and sport-techs are breaking down these barriers..

 

​Such as:

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• Exclusivity/Elitism.

• Frustration/Fear.

• Seasonality.