European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 28, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse A amp s photos by Jim Derheim stories but Chuck Roberts staff writer Soto y r a a Quot a it v i r its 0,1 the ski world Whf it to fax Tolfe v�1 3 i ont it Otto. Thev a a i a v a a a Tjoa a d act differently from set. Fri it v m o. Coli 3, ducks Quot because of Theta to i a a Grig on Kris. It ajl h to a h a i Ude Ellis., a Florida native who 1, n.,�. Lid get Snoie Board program at the armed f r a. A. O be Riith m Garmisch Germany. Quot Thiv a Quot r it in v i4_-,Mekes away from the skiers a saes emis-5numffrostuters wart to pc get ors the same slope but in and you re. A skiers Quot Quot a 5n, 1 vib is a tooth True colors with the Bright a Neon Ansi a a it 00 their clothes and boards Ellis up wears Neon shoestrings in his Exon a to it. A Thev even ?3�?~nesi own language you la probably a never hear a Sta or scream my Quot jazz Ai Quot As he goes Down _ the stapes the feel Mich is snowboarder Lingo for a a diff our i a it Vesej a hero 3 snowboarder does a some Horii Iida it Slaiding such As a feeling a bump and seme As or ski Hole a grabbing the Side of the Board. Aem a who Don i have enough Speed to make it through 3 Busi with heavy powder of up a slight incline a a Are guilty of a begging a aunt Quot. A Ellis Knevi Lidle about the world of snowboarding until live years Agov a Fedora be went to Garmisch to visit his a parents and Iii he scene ski lessons. The former Amateur. Surfer Kretu he belonged to the society of snowboarders the Firsa time he saw someone an action. A -. Quot is looked hum and at Irby feel and said that s what e should fee to. 8 know sch Al Sis natural Tor me Quot a. Ellis became so him dived with the sport that he did t skin again. Fee to 0 seasons. Hite later taught private snowboard lessons before starting a snowboard school at snowboards compete with downhill Quot skis it rack an Toper Ore Marx Socle Ujj Garm amp Cut to Germany. Arc last year that has become a big hit with Young service members. It s the simplicity of he sport that Eilis firtos so a. A a attractive. There Are poles or skis that keep sliding apart or uncomfortable boots. Instead snowboarders. Wear soft rubber Soled boots and thy carry their boards under one Arm. A a Quot a Quot its a cleaner feeling the feeling you get coming ,. Down the Mountain a Ellis says. There s pole Plant re you re just going left and right left and right. It s a More simple sport visually and although equipment for snowboarding is More Basic a a a than for skiing Ellis says tie can do More on a snowboard than on a pair of skis because there s More Mountain for the snowboarder to Man Euver on. A skier probably ,. Would ignore a on the Side of a run for. Instance but a snowboarder will go off that Bank like a _ surfer on a wave. a. A a r a. Quot you look at the terrain differently a Ell is. Says. Quot its like a a big skateboard Park instead of a ski sport does have a few drawbacks compared to skiing. When a snowboarder Falls it takes More Energy Roget Back up than it does from a fall on skis. It also takes More Energy to control falling because a snowboard does not have releasable bindings like skis. This requires the snowboarder to concentrate in keeping the Board in the air As he Falls to prey est injury. A a a. Ellis says snowboarders Are just with standing on a Board sideways As were the polynesian surfers observed by English explorer capt. James Cook when he discovered the Sandwich islands in 1778., ,. From surfing evolved skateboarding then windsurfing. After that says Ellis it was Quot just a natural progression of surfing onto the . A. A. Quot it was inevitable a he says. Quot before they did t have enough technology to be Able to create this same feeling now technology has helped bring it All snowboarding combines aspects of skiing surfing %. Skateboarding and windsurfing the snowboarder must lean Forward like a skier to control his Speed. His upper body must be twisted Jike a surfer to make the Board a turn. He uses bumps and Banks like a skateboarder to elevate the snowboard so that he can catch some air. And when a snowboarder rides on a to bar he s like a windsurfer who leans Back and holds on to the Mast of. His sail. A a a a / _. Ellis says surfers and skaters who previously had interest in skiing come to him for snowboarding lessons. Because they re interested in the idea of the sport. Skiers often make the switch simply out of boredom. Amp learning to snowboard is More difficult than learning to ski Ellis says. But once a person grasps the Basic idea of the sport and learns How to turn the Board he can Progress faster than he would on skis. At the beginning of each snowboard class Ellis asks. Each person what his background is in Board sports and skiing. He says it s a Tough Job to get people with. Different backgrounds to relate to what s going on. Although experience in Board sports or skiing can be helpful it s not necessary to learn How to snowboard. But a person who has skied and done some surfing skateboarding or windsurfing has an advantage because he understands How Board will work in the Snow. The easiest person to teach is an avid surfer who is a a feast an intermediate skier. Quot they can really pick it up a fast a Ellis says. V a. A. But if a surfer has never skied Ellis says he teach him How to ski on a snowboard surety is the body motion but does t know How to control the Board. A skier knows what the Board is going to do in a the Snow but do sri t know How to turn it. Skateboarders have the most Dilfia ult learning because they re used to simply tilling the skateboard on its Edge to make it turn makes them prone to digging the Edge of the into the Snow and leaning Forward. A the most to teat a Aie expert skiers who have been skiing 1 5 to 20 years Ellis a Quot they re almost too far gone to Start Back on a snowboard Quot he ays Here to Start Over
