For avid snowboarders and skiers, the first ride of the season is exhilarating. The first touch of their board or skis to the soft, white snow is waited for all year. Those experienced can’t wait to shred the slopes that look like they might just drop straight down. For beginner skier, Caitlin Iannetta, the slopes are intimidating and foreign. The bunny hill looks almost exactly a black mountain. 

Trying something new for the first time is always nerve racking, but it makes it easier when you have friends with you to help and support. Caitlin had her two friends, Hannah Cressman and Mackenzie Bross, who have had years of experience both snowboarding and skiing. Caitlin herself has an athletic background in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. She isn’t afraid of a new sport or challenge. With her athleticism, she figured she would be able to pick up on skiing more easily than other beginners. On the ride up to the mountain Caitlin experienced, “my stomach had slight butterflies, how I assume everyone would feel if it was their first time. It was comforting to know that I had friends that would laugh with me, or I thought would laugh with me, when I make a mistake.”. 

They skied and snowboarded at Blue Mountain in Carbon County, Pennsylvania. When they arrived, Caitlin needed to rent all the gear she needed to ride down the hill. She rented skis, boots, and her poles. Hannah, being the more advanced skier, taught Caitlin some basics about skiing. She taught her to keep her feet parallel, to not cross her skis unless she wanted to stop, and a simple pizza slice rule to keep the front of her skis facing inwards when she glides. Caitlin began on the easiest slope on the mountain, the bunny hill. It turns out skiing was harder than Caitlin anticipated.

She went down the bunny hill a countless number of times, but not on her feet. From Hannah’s perspective, “she did as I expected, not great. She was very timid and kind of scared of everything. I had to physically pick her up off the ground every few feet because she kept falling.”. Hannah did everything she could to help Caitlin down the slope on her feet, but the bruises to come the next day were inevitable. Caitlin’s history in athletics didn’t prepare her enough for such a unique sport. 

Caitlin’s major take-away from her first ski trip was that, “At the end of the day, it is something funny to look back on now and laugh about. I was so bad! But I’ll be better the next time I try.” Trying something new is always a memorable adventure.