 The flat pan desert was laid out 35,000 below, deep red, burnt and cracked open as my plane banked towards the southwest desert that is New Mexico. Home to Nambe dish ware, the Zia sun symbol and one of four resorts that still bans snowboards on the mountain. Taos. The locals who had dreamed of skiing forever without the attitude of the snowboard evaporated in December when the resort stated that they would be allowing the single planks on the mountain starting March 19, 2008. Leaving three weeks to see where traffic is congested and improvements needed to make the transition smooth for the next full season. The pioneer of snowboarding, Sherman Popper showed up for the ribbon cutting, joined by industry veterans, national magazines and reps from across the country. The word has been out for months and both parties have been talking between themselves either venting or waiting for the day to ride.
 Vocabulary Lessons  Sherman Popper, the Godfather of snowboarding The day started early for many snowboarders sleeping in their cars with almost all the rooms booked in town. One gentleman even slept in the lift line to be the first person at the chairs in the morning. I had my ticket by 8:45 am, having won a first chair in an e-mail lottery, and having my name drawn for chair #6. Sherman Popper, the inventor of the ‘Snurfer’ and the grandfather of snowboarding, opened up the lifts at 9:00 am and with raised boards and fists the first boarders took to Taos. Rising above us to the sky was the famous “Al’s Run” which measures almost a mile of moguls, many snowboarders looking down with determination on their faces. Exiting chair #1, a fellow boarder commented, “It’s not the Berlin Wall, but it’s something” and indeed it was. Although I have never been snowboarding in New Mexico, I have seen the ‘Free Taos’ stickers for years and knew what it would mean for those that have grown up skiing there, but never having the chance to ride. From the first lift the race was on to get to the back of the resort first, to explore and conquer each lift individually. I headed for chair #2 at the backside of the mountain where the sun was slowing warming up the snow. Taos for the most past is a challenging mountain, with 50% of the runs being advanced. At the summit of chair #2, the ridge and Mt. Kachina rose in the distance at a height of 12,481 that is controlled by patrol and is inbounds for the ski area. Exploring a new mountain is like traveling to a foreign country, where the possibilities are endless. This trip also brought 3,000 eager friends of all shapes, sizes, ages and backgrounds to treasure hunt together for the first time. Being ‘skier only’, mogul fields littered the mountain in every chute and covering every open surface the cats didn’t plow under. The mountain had also rebuilt their terrain park, expanding into the Nordic Race track, to gain popularity with boarders and be an attraction for the day. By building the park under Chair #7 skiers and snowboarders had the chance to watch the other sport and took pressure off the mountain to manage so many bodies. There were rumors that the resort sold out, if that is possible, at 5,000 tickets, but probably well above that number. However, with all the media’s attention and excitement building for months and especially the last ski day the day before, by 11:00 am the resort felt like any resort I had ever been to. There was conversation on the lifts, ‘Where are you from?’ ‘What do you think of the change?’ and the ever popular, ‘are skiers going to be down with boarding?’ The entire day, I didn’t see or hear any negative remarks from either party or harsh gestures. The longer people were riding together the more cordial they became, sharing lifts, stories and high-fives.
As a father and son were being interviewed, he mentioned, “it’s not the vehicle, it’s the driver” referring to skiers and snowboarders riding out of control. Everyone on the slopes has spent hard earned money for lift tickets, equipment, and travel expenses and are all outdoor enthusiasts enjoying themselves. Allowing snowboarding at Taos will re-introduce families that are involved in each sport, and hopefully the skier numbers will go back up to normal so the Blake family-owned resort can still maintain without the risk of selling.
 Hiking Side By Side To Mt. Kachina
The day and events were a success. Hopefully the last remaining, ‘skier only’ mountains will see that separation of sports should never be promoted as a unique feature to a mountain and once allowed, sharing the mountain and being more excepting encourages people to understand one another. After much hype, the resort enters a new era with hope on the horizon of becoming a world-class snowboard destination resort that has been for so many years, just out of reach.
 Festival! |
