[Brian's Stuff]
Snowboarders conquering Korea’s slopes

I don’t mind a challenge. Had I been younger I would have joined the French Foreign Legion. Instead, I went for the next best thing - snowboarding. Some people, of course, believe the idea of riding down a mountain on an oversized skateboard with no wheels is close to madness. And as you get older, that notion may seem increasingly logical.

Back in the ’80s, when the country knew virtually nothing about snowboarding or skiing, going to a ski resort was not the norm. It was hard to find friends with whom you could enjoy a ride in the white powder. Not anymore. From only four resorts, today there are 16, often operating around the clock.

Especially among the younger set, sliding down a mountain now elicits a great deal of interest, but it’s not because of the sheer adrenaline rush that comes with the ride. When I recently went to the Jisan Forest Ski Resort for a midnight ride, I found that there was much more to it than that.

Because of work, I elected to go at midnight and use the night-owl hours (from midnight to 4 a.m.) to hone my trainee snowboarding skills. Because of the time, I expected less traffic on the slopes, hoping that the thinner crowds would make things easier. Being a beginner who lacks the ability to steer at will, it’s best not to have anyone in my way. But I was in for a surprise.

Arriving shortly before midnight, the resort’s parking lot was jam-packed and the three slopes that were open were peppered with little snowboarder-shaped dots.

Inside the resort, it was clear that snowboarders now greatly outnumber skiers, a phenomenon true for every other resort I have been to this season.

Along with the cool-looking tricks that you can pull, there is a lot to snowboarding that makes it attractive, especially to the young. The gear is fashionable, and new products are often launched with hip-hop showcases. The sport has a stylishness and youth associated with it that skiing fails to match.

But that image can cost you. Snowboarding is a sport in which the accessories and clothing, if you go all out, can end up putting a bigger dent in your wallet than the basic equipment that gets you down the hill - the deck, bindings and boots.

I’ve been skiing for some time and I must say I find snowboarding harder to learn. Still, what drew me to it was the laid-back image of the sport that led me to believe that it couldn’t be that hard.

But the greatest part is that when I’m wearing goggles, everybody thinks I belong to their generation. And that feeling alone is why it may be a long time before I ski again, despite my aching bones.

by Brian Lee Staff Reporter africanu@joongang.co.kr