It was a little past 2 o'clock, and after a long day of riding, Burt decided that he had just about enough. He turned to his buddies next to him on the chairlift and said, "Alright guys, I'm pretty beat; Let's go for one more run and head out?" His friends, just as bushed, quickly agreed.
They got off the lift and strapped in. Burt hopped up and before he knew it, he hooked his edge and was eating snow. "Ok, not a great sign," Burt thought as a he brushed himself off.
First hit in the park was a flat box; Burt managed to slip out mid-boardslide and gave his elbow a good bash. Second hit was a small kicker that Burt always spun decent 3s off; arms flailing about, Burt's 360 this time around had everything but style... to top it off he under spun the rotation into a nice wash-out landing. This whole run was cursed from the get-go!
Happy to have made it down the hill alive, Burt unstrapped and headed to the car. "Worst last run ever."
Ever called last run and experienced a similar outcome? Truth be told, there aren't many snowboarders who find themselves having the best run of their lives after they've called it.
Why is calling your last run so taboo? It's a self-defeating statement. If you have been slaying it all day then you are in "the zone", and somehow calling that last run takes you right out of focus. It's not shred time anymore; it's time to head in to the lodge and eat, drink, and sit.
When you start to lose steam and it's time to go home soon, try using the "Call Your Last Trick" method instead:
Basically you are picking a trick and a feature you want to do it on; once you land it, you are alright to call it a day. If freestyle isn't your forte, pick anything. You can go for one more sick, laid-back slash or even just making toe side turns all the way down (for beginners).
This shifts the focus from going home; you are still snowboarding and now it's all about landing that trick.
Calling last trick works especially well for tricks you've been working on all day, something that you almost have. You won't want to go home until you get it, which usually means you get to go home with that toasty, accomplished feeling when you put a new trick in the bag...
That's definitely the right way to end a day of snowboarding.
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