# I want to hear about your first time going down a black diamond stories!



## fayewolf (Jan 3, 2011)

I went down a very short black diamond last week! Well, I didn't know it was a black diamond (seriously, very short, but still!!). I still have one paid group lesson left at this mountain so I had to use it this past weekend before the mountain closes, luckily, I was the only one at level 4/5/6, so I got a 2.5hr private lesson for $50!

After a few warm up runs, said instructor took me up the mountain and said we'll go down a few slightly steeper blues, but he said he has total confidence that I can do it.... so we went. I looked at the slope under the chair lift, and ask him "are you serious, this looks kinda steep?", he said it was fine and so I went. He went down first and tell me to "traverse", now "turn"! With someone encouraging me, I made it down fine! (Well, i did fell when I panicked and put my weight on my back leg and instead of just fall and sit down, i slide down for a bit!!)

After we got to the the bottom of that area, he said "congrats, you just did your first black diamond, see how steep that beast was?" pointing his finger back up.

What's your story?


----------



## InfiniteEclipse (Jan 2, 2009)

First time we did a double black was accidental when we were learning to board years ago... that particular line only has a sign up top of the drop, and not midway where we merged into the line from a blue... anyways, my skier buddy had to take the skis off, and I tried plowing all the way down but even breaking I was travelling faster on the ice then I did normally on blues... almost flew off the edge into the trees but I lived. So stayed away from all that for a good while.

Anyways, double diamonds are a lot more fun now


----------



## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

The second day I ever rode, my boys took me to the top of 9 at Loveland and we dropped Wild Child.

I wasn't ready for it and it scared the shit out of me, but I made it. Honestly, it was that run that made me fall in love with the sport. Just looking at that terrain and watching other people rip it up made me want to get better and get better fast! I went and took a lesson after that trip.


----------



## HoboMaster (May 16, 2010)

linvillegorge said:


> The second day I ever rode, my boys took me to the top of 9 at Loveland and we dropped Wild Child.
> 
> I wasn't ready for it and it scared the shit out of me, but I made it. Honestly, it was that run that made me fall in love with the sport. Just looking at that terrain and watching other people rip it up made me want to get better and get better fast! I went and took a lesson after that trip.


I think this sums up my first experience. Instead I think it was the off the top of the Gondola at Mammoth.


----------



## itzzzberny (Mar 6, 2011)

HoboMaster said:


> I think this sums up my first experience. Instead I think it was the off the top of the Gondola at Mammoth.


:thumbsup: I love doing top Gondola runs at Mammoth. As long as i'm not going through too many moguls. One time one of our buddies lead us over to the side thats covered in moguls. Had to take a 5-10 minute break after that run to rest my legs.


----------



## PaulyMolitor (Oct 29, 2009)

i remember we accidentally did one at breck. i was with a girl and she started crying. it was cool but she made the experience suk


----------



## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Skier bud took me on some runs, then said what you'd think of doing your first black...actually double black. And like linvillegorge, was scarrry but "oooooh that wasn't so bad" and how do I do it like those guys rippin. Then it was lets go try the chute.


----------



## Inky (Feb 2, 2011)

My first time on a double black it was a bluebird pow day on a weekend and therefore crowded as fuck so I was exploring far away from chairlifts looking for fresh tracks/ no three year old skiers on leashes going sideways doing a pizza wearing a pointy helmet. I didn't realize it was a double until the next day so I just rode it like I would ride a single. The pow was tracked but it still felt nice. The next day when I looked at the trail map and saw that I'd just done a double I totally felt like Xavier de le rue or whatever his name is. Fuck I'm such a gaper.


----------



## mojo maestro (Jan 6, 2009)

An icy, hadn't snowed in a week, type day. Skier "buddy" says, "let's try a black". He takes off and I remember thinkin' don't fall headfirst down the slope, cause there is no way in hell I'll be able to stop. Trees everywhere......I think I made a couple of turns and ate shit. Did the falling leaf on my heelside the rest of the way down. Today that same "buddy" can't keep up!


----------



## NickCap (Feb 21, 2011)

welp my first time i went down a black, it was an accident! i was trying to go down a blue and i turned suddenly into a black! turns out i did good and i ran into a sweet terrain park in the middle... this was at Big Boulder a couple weeks ago and the black was actually very steeeeeep!!! haha


----------



## KahWhyC (Nov 10, 2010)

I came, I saw, I conquered :dunno:


----------



## InfiniteEclipse (Jan 2, 2009)

KahWhyC said:


> I came, I saw, I conquered :dunno:


:laugh: :thumbsup:


----------



## SwitchBackNine (Mar 13, 2011)

I looked at it going up the lift. Went down it. The end.


----------



## TheJetCityFix (Feb 13, 2011)

On Thursday I did my first double-black. Shot Six at Alpental....That was the most amazing snowboard experience of my life. Simply amazing. Face shots the whole way down.


----------



## MarshallV82 (Apr 6, 2011)

It was a couple years ago at Abasin, I was with a skier and two boarders who have been riding/skiing for over ten years. we get to the lip and I remember looking down thinking no way.. But I did it anyway. 
They told me to stay away from the fresh snow so I don't ruin it for them. ;O 

Anyway.. the first run.. fell down while I was trying to check my speed.. slid down headfirst. 

The 2nd run was pretty fun though! Made it down without falling.

(The name of the run escapes me.. But its pretty steep)


----------



## Zak (Jan 25, 2011)

so this little hill near me (perfect north slopes)was where i did my first "black diamond". i was 12, and on skis (blegh), and it scared the living piss out of me. so of course, one of my wonderful siblings pushed me off the top and let me go on my merry way... on my face/butt/back/knees, etc. i can't really remember that day very well...

anyway, the first time on a snowboard was this year (my first season) at the same place. after 3 or 4 visits, i was linking turns etc. and getting better _fast_ and also getting bored with some of the other runs. so, i went and tried this black diamond. after about 2 hours or so, i was totally making that slope my bitch.

A few weeks back, i went up to Sunday River with my brother & some of his friends for a week. (best brother in the world, even paid for my flight ) by the end of the first day, i could do the greens with proficiency, and was starting to explore some easy blues. about the 4th day, he and his friends had me go down a moderate black diamond. nothing special. day 6 i was bombing down em for fun and even doing some of the easier double blacks. 

lol... the only real injuries that i got were from the park and one incident where i unknowingly went down a run with a small cliff (5-10') at about the middle, and the landing was... not so good of a landing, if you could call it that. :laugh:

next year, i'm goin back to perfect north and im gonna rape that mountain all up and down the midwest. :thumbsup:

/storypost.


----------



## ChrisMB (Nov 17, 2010)

So we went up the chairlift (had never been to this resort) and I asked my friend which run we were gonna do he pointed down and he said, "This one. "I was like "WTF this is a run?!?!"


----------



## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

Second time on the slope, was with some friends. Off the lift you could go left, or right. They were yelling at me to go left, but I went right, thinking they were fucking with me (we are like that). So I went right. Black diamond. oops. Oh well committed to it. I think black diamonds are scarier but when you fall, it doesn't hurt because you don't hit the deck at such a perpendicular angle. You just keep sliding.

I still get the 30-40 foot slides sometimes, they're actually pretty funny.


----------



## fayewolf (Jan 3, 2011)

I agree, you just slide... my hurtiest falls are from stupid cat tracks that are flat and icy. But I'm really scared that I may tumble and just roll down the mountain like a ball!?


----------



## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

If you catch a front side edge then yeah, black diamonds are dangerous. Cuz that's the ultimate flop right there. Basically whipping your face or head into the ground at 90 degrees.


----------



## HoboMaster (May 16, 2010)

I'm interested to see the difference in classification of black diamond runs between different resorts. Specifically I'm interested in comparing the steepness of midwest/eastcoast black diamonds with "Western" mountains. I did notice when I was at Timberline, that the runs off the top chairlift weren't very steep for being black diamonds.


----------



## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

I know Tahoe resorts blue diamonds were like socal blacks. And that ws northstar which is called flatstar by most locals, so it's even worse at the other resorts.

I went down a double black (Geronimo) at bear mountain, which was easier than their single black. Odd.


----------



## racer357 (Feb 3, 2011)

Zak said:


> so this little hill near me (perfect north slopes)was where i did my first "black diamond". i was 12, and on skis (blegh), and it scared the living piss out of me. so of course, one of my wonderful siblings pushed me off the top and let me go on my merry way... on my face/butt/back/knees, etc. i can't really remember that day very well...
> 
> anyway, the first time on a snowboard was this year (my first season) at the same place. after 3 or 4 visits, i was linking turns etc. and getting better _fast_ and also getting bored with some of the other runs. so, i went and tried this black diamond. after about 2 hours or so, i was totally making that slope my bitch.
> 
> ...


I would certainly hope you can go down the blacks at P-north. It is 400 vertical feet. The bunny slope at Keystone is bigger...


----------



## fayewolf (Jan 3, 2011)

jdang307 said:


> I know Tahoe resorts blue diamonds were like socal blacks. And that ws northstar which is called flatstar by most locals, so it's even worse at the other resorts.
> 
> I went down a double black (Geronimo) at bear mountain, which was easier than their single black. Odd.


Which black have you tried at northstar? The ones at Sierra scared the shit out of me..


----------



## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

fayewolf said:


> Which black have you tried at northstar? The ones at Sierra scared the shit out of me..


I rode most of the mountain. It was in January so the snow was crap. cement, historically dry month. But It was just fine. it's my fiance who is very timid so that kind of ruined it. I should have left her at the bottom. She's been boarding way longer in Tahoe but is timid since her coworker busted his whole body up so that's that.

But yeah, I came down all over the mountain, including the back side (which was very fun). And that was on a crappy Technine Split T. I wish I had my SL at the time.

I have not rode Sierra except for my first time which was on the bunny slope at the very front. I was supposed to go tomorrow but my lady was sent home from up there from work, so I missed out.


----------



## fayewolf (Jan 3, 2011)

jdang307 said:


> I rode most of the mountain. It was in January so the snow was crap. cement, historically dry month. But It was just fine. it's my fiance who is very timid so that kind of ruined it. I should have left her at the bottom. She's been boarding way longer in Tahoe but is timid since her coworker busted his whole body up so that's that.
> 
> But yeah, I came down all over the mountain, including the back side (which was very fun). And that was on a crappy Technine Split T. I wish I had my SL at the time.
> 
> I have not rode Sierra except for my first time which was on the bunny slope at the very front. I was supposed to go tomorrow but my lady was sent home from up there from work, so I missed out.


I really want to try going to the backside, but i'm worried I might be too chicken! (my first season, i'm a girl), and I learned in jan this year, can you believe it.... basically every heel side edge i took was a "THUMP", ouch my tailbone was about to break into 658 pieces!!

But I gotta say, northstar is my favorite, i'm considering getting a season pass for next year. The blues are just right for me here, and I can hopefully progress to the backside!! 

If you recall (Ax Handle) blue run, is it significantly steeper than that on the backside?


----------



## Rufus (Nov 7, 2008)

fayewolf said:


> I really want to try going to the backside, but i'm worried I might be too chicken! (my first season, i'm a girl), and I learned in jan this year, can you believe it.... basically every heel side edge i took was a "THUMP", ouch my tailbone was about to break into 658 pieces!!
> 
> But I gotta say, northstar is my favorite, i'm considering getting a season pass for next year. The blues are just right for me here, and I can hopefully progress to the backside!!
> 
> If you recall (Ax Handle) blue run, is it significantly steeper than that on the backside?


Try Drifter for your first time down the backside at Northstar, it's a blue run near the top of the Zephyr lift. It's nice and long and wide. Once you master Drifter it's just a small step up to riding the black runs on the backside.


----------



## fayewolf (Jan 3, 2011)

Rufus said:


> Try Drifter for your first time down the backside at Northstar, it's a blue run near the top of the Zephyr lift. It's nice and long and wide. Once you master Drifter it's just a small step up to riding the black runs on the backside.


Did you happen to sit next to me on a chairlift? A guy told me the same thing!! I will try it next time. He swore up and down that it's very similar to the Ax Handle!


----------



## Bretfred (Feb 26, 2011)

My first time was at breck. i missed the cat walk my buddy took and didn't feel like unbinding and walking up hill. So i went for didn't look to steep figured i could cut out of it didn't realize i was stuck in a pack of four small black runs in the middle. Made it about half way down ate shit and pretty much slid the rest of the way. All in all it was fun id do it again rather then walking back up.


----------



## East§ide (Mar 14, 2011)

i dont remember my first time, even though it had to have been within the last 6 weeks. blacks dont really scare me..theyre just steeper, so i kip the tip pointed down and rock the fuck out. that being said, these are east coast blacks, so they probably translate to western blues.The only thing I want no part of is moguls.. but then again, I can already feel myself drifting towards being a park rider. Riding trails kinda bores me, and there really isn't any backcountry riding around here to speak of.


----------



## grafta (Dec 21, 2009)

HoboMaster said:


> I'm interested to see the difference in classification of black diamond runs between different resorts. Specifically I'm interested in comparing the steepness of midwest/eastcoast black diamonds with "Western" mountains. I did notice when I was at Timberline, that the runs off the top chairlift weren't very steep for being black diamonds.


the other thing to consider is how much snow coverage there is, a double black can be a rocky bastard at one point in the season but with a ass load of pow it can be all good later on. so even the same resort, same run can be very different and maybe not deserve its black status some of the time.

interesting question all the same.

my approach is just scope it out first if you can, take it slow... and keep knees bent :laugh:


----------



## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

grafta said:


> the other thing to consider is how much snow coverage there is, a double black can be a rocky bastard at one point in the season but with a ass load of pow it can be all good later on.


So very true. A black with a lot of new snow can be a joy to ride on. Once it's chopped up, it can rattle your teeth loose. In fact I think the problem is more pronounced on steeper runs.


----------



## grafta (Dec 21, 2009)

Donutz said:


> So very true. A black with a lot of new snow can be a joy to ride on. Once it's chopped up, it can rattle your teeth loose. In fact I think the problem is more pronounced on steeper runs.


yup, very true. wiggly teeth


----------



## HoboMaster (May 16, 2010)

grafta said:


> yup, very true. wiggly teeth


This is a problem with powder terrain as well. The steeper it is, the powder avalanches when people ride it and rolls down to a flatter spot.


----------



## grafta (Dec 21, 2009)

heavily tracked pow = moguls. or at least crazy uneven bumps


----------



## nars1l (Jan 25, 2011)

I was at a smaller local hill with a group of friends with very mixed skill levels. Third or fourth time out boarding, so I was fine sticking to the greens. Cute girl was out on her first day on a board, and she was going to go with the friends who were going to try out a black. Couldn't say no to that..

Linked about two turns, and heard the cries of 'yeah!' from my friends... before I caught a heel edge at the edge of the run and did an impromptu back flip off the side. Turned out there was a nice steep side slope that went down for about 15 feet. I can just picture myself dropping from view and totally disappearing.

I was glad there was about a foot of nice powder down the entire way - took forever to get out of there though ><


----------



## Tarzanman (Dec 20, 2008)

It was my first night on a snowboard EVER at the Snow King in Jackson. It was me and one other noob boarder with two skiers.

After about 2-3 runs on a blue, they put us on a black that ran straight down the face of the hill and just about emptied into the parking lot.

Needless to say, I learned very quickly how to hold a heel edge and toe edge in order to keep from tumbling down the slope to my doom.

My poor thighs and calves burned the entire time.


----------



## Zak (Jan 25, 2011)

Tarzanman said:


> My poor thighs and calves burned the entire time.


feel the burn... love the burn.


----------



## fayewolf (Jan 3, 2011)

Tarzanman said:


> It was my first night on a snowboard EVER at the Snow King in Jackson. It was me and one other noob boarder with two skiers.
> 
> After about 2-3 runs on a blue, they put us on a black that ran straight down the face of the hill and just about emptied into the parking lot.
> 
> ...


I remember doing that... not black, but when i just learned, friend forced me to go down a blue, except that it was 5 miles long, 5 freakn miles long, on your heel edge....talked about BURNED!!


----------



## cocolulu (Jan 21, 2011)

My first time going down a black diamond was during an intermediate lesson. I asked the instructor to teach me how to handle choppy bumpy terrain, and he took me all over the mountain. Started with a green run, then a few blue runs. After a few of those, he took me to a *mogul black diamond* 

We had built up a sort of "bag of tricks" on how to do the bumpy blue runs... hop turns, dynamic turns, etc.

So at the beginning of the black diamond run, he told me to try to do hop turns. It was just uncool :laugh: I hopped off a bump and bounced off another and landed on my ass... got up, started, launched off a bump before I could turn...

He gave up on the hop turns and told me to just focus on staying square, watching the terrain and planning the turns around the moguls. I did a lot better for the rest of the run and made it down!

Later on, I tried a normal black diamond run with a friend and I was surprised that I could manage it... albeit cautiously.

I eventually got to the point where I was thinking "if you don't fall, you're not pushing yourself." Also, I used to get really freaked out staring over a slope, but after riding it, it would seem manageable.

So I went on some steeper blacks (i get this feeling that blacks are soooooo varied even at the same resort), and there was this one run, where I fell, and just kept sliding, and sliding and couldn't stop :laugh: I just remember thinking "hmmm... how do I stop. without digging the board in and flipping onto your face" xD I thought those kind of steeps were designated double blacks, but apparently there line between the two is kind of murky xD

Then again, it was a really straight run with no rocks or cornices or other strange things, so who knows.


----------



## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Was making 2 turn first track runs down off-the-map blacks yesterday...snow was great, knee deep fluff and filled-in...one of my best days of the year with a mix of whiteout and bluebird


----------



## schmoz (Feb 28, 2011)

I am a keen explorer and tend to get off of the 'beaten track' often than not! Hence my completing a black, before I even realised, took a friend to 'aware' me afterwards... 

Steeps don't bother me, never have. I am of the belief that if you have your 'linking' down what is there to fear? This is probably why it didn't register... 

I should be a little more conscious of where I am heading, then again, I enjoy off-piste, so adventure is ensured - until you've exhausted all options... doubtful, where I am (still finding areas that didn't exist beforehand, in my reality)

Steeps! *pumps fist*


----------



## fayewolf (Jan 3, 2011)

Rufus said:


> Try Drifter for your first time down the backside at Northstar, it's a blue run near the top of the Zephyr lift. It's nice and long and wide. Once you master Drifter it's just a small step up to riding the black runs on the backside.


Done!!! It was fun!! Long and not bad at all!!


----------

