The Parable of the Snowboarders

Levi flipped his snowboard ninety degrees and headed straight down the mountain trail. In seconds, the wind howled in his ears as he picked up speed. He raced down the steep slope until he reached a fork in the trail. There, brightly colored caution signs stood out against the white snow. The markers warned those without experience to stay clear of the terrain park, with its challenging rails and jumps.

Levi was ready. He had spent nearly every weekend on the mountain practicing his technique. With the temperature rising every day, this was likely to be his last chance to land the big jump before the season ended. His adrenaline began to flow as he sped closer, but he was ready to take it on. Cutting to his left, Levi speed past the signs and entered the terrain park.

While Levi was excited to attempt the jump, he was a little disappointed that his friends weren’t there to share the experience. At the beginning of the season, Shari had been on the mountain with Levi when their snowboarding instructor, Jessie, challenged the group to work hard and hone their skills. Jessie was an amazing snowboarder, and an outstanding person. He spend a good part of the winter months teaching and encouraging others in the sport.

Shari had plenty of potential. She excelled at soccer and track. With her exceptional leg strength and keen sense of balance, she would have made an excellent snowboarder. Unfortunately, it never happened. After only one day on the slopes, she simply gave up, and never returned to the mountain.

Levi’s friend Joey was a real daredevil. After only a few trips down the mountain he seemed unstoppable. In no time Joey was taking on the most difficult, black diamond trails. Soon afterward, he started riding the rails, and mastered the smaller jumps.

Levi was not sure what his friend was thinking the day he took on one of the more difficult jumps. Joey raced downhill at full speed and lined himself up with the center of the ramp. With a sharp kick, he launched himself high into the air. It was an awesome sight to see his friend fly high above the snow, but then it all turned south. Joey came down awkward on his landing, slammed down face first in the snow, and then cartwheeled like a rag doll into a heap on the ground.

Levi rushed to his friend, fearing the worst, but was relieved to find him conscious. Except for a few bruised ribs, Joey was unhurt. However, the nasty fall shook his confidence. After the accident, Joey lost interest in the sport, and stopped snowboarding altogether.

Now Jennifer was a natural. She too excelled on the small jumps, but soon grew bored of them. After a few trips to the mountain, she attempted the more advanced jumps. Levi and Joey watched in wonder. Jennifer’s graceful form, with her arms extended and her long blond hair flowing in the air, was impressive. She glided softly back to earth, and touched down with one near-perfect landing after another.

Jennifer even started performing simple tricks. The backside 180 was her favorite. Even Jessie was awed to see a beginner take to the sport with such ease.

Halfway through the season, Jennifer began to loose interest. She missed several weekends of excellent snow conditions on the mountain, opting to shop at the local mall instead. Even when Levi convinced her to join him on the slopes, she spent half of the day in the lodge, chatting with her girl friends. Eventually she gave up as well.

Levi now stared down the big jump as he approached the ramp. He dug the edge of his board into the snow to reduce his speed. While he hoped to catch big air, he didn’t want to overshoot the landing. If that happened, it would not end well. He put everything else out of his mind, and focused on the jump. His heart raced with a mix of excitement and fear. This was it. He was going for the jump, and there was no stopping now. A second later, Levi left the top of the ramp and launched himself into the air.

Flying through the air gave Levi an intense rush of excitement, like he had left the earth and the force of gravity behind. The other snowboarders and skiers seemed far below as he hung high over the snow. While he enjoy the moment, the landing came up fast. Just like he had on the smaller jumps, Levi’s kept himself upright, and let his board meet the snow. He had done it!

He brought himself to a stop, and took a deep breath.

“That was an impressive jump!” a voice called to Levi from behind. He turned around to find Jessie skidding to a stop.

“You have really improved a great deal this season,” the instructor continued. “I have a group of younger children who are eager to learn the sport. Would you be interested in giving them lessons?”

Levi through for a moment. He still had a lot to learn himself, but teaching children seemed like a great way to pass along the knowledge he had received to others.

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