om

‘IT’S NOT skiing.” I've been
hearing this for a few years
now, ever since snowboarders
began sharing the slopes with
my likewise 40-ish. skiing
friends and 1.

By John Moore
Contributing Writer
Flexible | (5- -year-olds | whiz

down the’ slopes doing everything
but handsprings on the wide board

“and [ say, “Doesn't that look like a

blast? Wouldn't you just love to try
iT

“Well, er, [ guess, maybe,” they

mutter. through grudging. shrugs, -
: followed by the inevitable observa-

tion, “But, it’s not skiing.”
No, it’s NOT skiing, but it is just

-as"much fun-as it looks.: I discov-
“ered ‘this when. | headed up. to
_ Cypress Bowl for a one-hour begin- |
. ner

{session with snowboard
Instructor Patrick Pfrimmer. _

_ Pfrimmer has been- riding: the
wide™ board ‘for ‘six years ‘and
- instructing for two. That is when
he’s not demonstrating his “special
“skills” as a stuntman to local film
“productions.

Back to the ride:

: The first thing you realize when |
you're. strapped. ‘onto the. plank. is:

‘that. skiers’ ‘suspicions of the: solo

board are justified on one count: the:

Sideways stance of a board-rider

makes’ Tadicaily different demands

on one’ s sense of balance.

> my attempts to tum my upper torso
. downhill resulted in-a confrontation
with a signpost. warning me, some-
what canny, not to ski in that

‘trained ; instruction, Pfrimmer had -

me ‘up ‘on’ ‘the board, side-slipping
‘and traversing down the bunny hill,
gaining: balance’ and ‘confidence

ith every move. Getting that sense

f balance, of:how.the board works ~.
in’ the: snow, is: where’a- lesson, or.”
really: Pays: off for beginner’,

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boarders.

A few tips from a pro can short-
cut hours of frustrated thrashing
because, after all, “it's not skiing”,
right?

Even at the rental shop, if you're
trying out a board, they'll ask you

about, your skateboarding’ experi- .

ence, Skiing expertise is largely
irrelevant — the only common fac-
tor is the importance of . keeping

., your weight forward on the board

for control. Cypress Bowl. Ski
School director Kent Rideout. who
at 40 has a solid background in the
ski industry. including a stint at
Blackcomb before he came to
Cypress six years ago, laughingly
declined to offer me any practical
boarding pointers.

“After one lesson, you have

exactly the same experience of

snowboarding I have
admitted.

He did, however, put a finger on
the probable reason most Boom

+” Rideout

Generation skiers tend to dismiss: -

boarding as a “teenage” craze.

“When you're a. pretty good

skier, it’s tough to go back to being
a novice and falling. down a lot,”

“ Rideout observed, “But that.can be”
‘a positive experience. I’m actually

recommending that our ski instruc-
tors take boarding lessons to remind

them how it feels to be a. beginner’:

again, to be nervous and tense about
learning | something new, so they’1l
be in‘touch ‘with how their ski stu-
deats feel. It keeps you humble.”
Ahh, so that’s what that feeling
is. 1 thought it was just the aches
and strains that are the just desserts

_of a‘senile delinquent trying . to

relive ‘his thrill-seeking | ‘Sixties

skateboard youth.

Nope, it's humility and after a

- couple of hours’ on the board I’ve
* got enough to apply for sainthood.::

The umpteenth- time the mountain
came up and kicked me in the butt I
thought my "Kidneys _ were. being

‘Tackling slopes (and your demons) on a plank

squeezed out my cars. But as the
Terminator says. “Pll be back.”

By the time Patrick Pfrimmer
was finished with me 1 was hooked.
I could almost link up turns without
being a menace to everyone else on
the hill and I knew, deep down, “I
can do this”. All I need is snow, a
board and time.

And,
only member of the Wrinkle Mob
trying to muscle in on shredder turf.
Cypress Bowl is currently in the
process of expanding it’s present
snowboard program — aimed at 12
to 16-year-olds — to accomodate
what Kent Rideout calls the “six-to-
sixty” age group.

“Our oldest snowboard student,
so far, is 60," Rideout says, ‘And
we're getting a lot of calls from

adults, some skiers, who want to try -

it, as well as six- to 10-year-olds
who want to get into it.”

Cypress Bow! plais to test mar-
ket. an. Adult Snowboard program
this ‘spring, as well as expand its
program for under-!2 year-old
wanna-boards. If you can’t wait,
you can take a private/semi-private

“ Jesson (just you or you and a friend) -

from one of the poo! of 10 full- and
part-time instructors for a flat $55
instruction fee. (Rentals, it should

“be noted, are pricier than; ski

rentals, owing to the higher cost of

n equipment). *
.. Uf you're really determined; you °
could lie about your age and enroll.

in one of the four-day courses for
12- to 16-year-olds held on succes-
sive Saturdays. The $219.00 fee
includes four two-hour lessons,

rentals, a full-day lift tickets for the:

lesson days (lots of time to practise)
plus a One-nigtier Season Pass that
entitles you to ride an additional
one night each week for the entire
season. A heck of a deal. :
And if anybody asks to see your

. birth certificate, threaten to set your :

pit-bull lawyer on them with a!

a ae

What if your retirement plans are
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You're invited to’a free seminar on .

“Monday Feb. 13 - 2:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m.

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im Kershaw; c

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apparently, I'm not the

POSSESSED To ray? Writer: John Moore recently. undulged

a few snowboarding tessons at Cypress Bowl, and thanks to’a

little inspiration from Arnold Schwartzenegger, found
of the slope to bea pretty fun ride.

“age discrimination” suit. .
That's. what. being an adult i is all’
about, right?.
That, and learning, to do s some-

’ for. mooted :
“Call Cypress Bowl‘at- 926- 5612 :
for information and beoki ZS. :

for the year 1994

(604) Ba7-a110

Over 1,600 British Columbians of all ages have benefited from transplantation:
since the first transplant in B.C. was performed in 1968. Organ transplantation has
become a very cost effective and successful therapy for end-stage organ failure. The
success rate for a kidney transplant in B.C. exceeds &8 percent, and the procedure
costs less than $20,000. ;

In 1994, 152 transplants were carried out in B.C., including:

© 102 kidney transplants,

© 25 liver transplants,

© 10 heart transplants,

® 2 heart & lung transplants,
© 8 lung transplants, and .
© 5 pancreas transplants.

While 152 British Columbians benefited from the health- -testoring effects of organ
transplantation in 1994, over 300 are on waiting lists, due to a shortage of organs
for transplant. We encourage families to talk about organ donation. Individuals
should communicate their decision regarding organ donation to a close family
imember. As well, all British Columbians should indicate their decision to donate
by placing an‘organ donor sticker on their health “care card.
Asa way of dealing with the organ donor shortage, living donation is being
considered more often as.an option for kidney transplant candidates. Living
donation occurs when 3 healthy person donates one of his or her kidneys to a
family member or close friend in need of a transplane. Twenty-four percent of
kidney transplants carried out in B.C. in 1994 were made possible through the
generusity of living donors.
Evelyn Carroll, Chair, Board of Trustees.

The B.C. Transplant Society (BCTS) is a comprehensive provincial health’ ‘care .
organization responsible for the overall management and funding of organ”. “
transplantation in British Columbia. BCTS operates in partnership with the
participating donor and transplant centres and collaborates with the University of ;
British Columbia on research, teaching and patient care. incorporated in 1986, the |
Society is governed by an independent Board of Trustees with broad representation :
from the community.

The Society encompasses a provincial-wide organ retrieval team and performs
clinical research aimed at continually improving patient care. BCTS services also»
include pre-transplant assessment and support, and post-transplant management, as a
well as public and professional education. Evaluation of patient outcomes’
including cost/benefit analysis is conducted, and findings are incorporated into the | F
Society's operations, . :

This year, BCTS will fund kidney trarisplants at Vancouver Hospital & Health
Sciences Centre (VHHSC), St. Paul's Hospital and B.C. Children’s Hospital.:-
Heart, lung, liver and pancreas transplants are currently perforined at VHHSC
anly.

Outside the Lower 'Maink: and, regionalized post- transplant care is carried out onan
outpatient basis chrough BCTS clinics at Prince George Regional Hospital, Rayal
Inland Hospital, Kelowna General Hospital, Penticton Regional Hospital, Trail .
Regional Hospital and Royal jubilee Hospi. ,

If you would like more information about the B.C. Transplant Society, please
contact Loretta O'Connor, Conuunications Manager at 877-2100 or
J “800. 663-6189,

Bill Barrable, Director and CEO

- . ORGAN DONORS SAVE LIVES...
: . Tatar Aaour or.

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