Dune Boarding

A trudge reminiscent of Lawrence of Arabia, brings you to the top of an 80 meter sand dune. From here our guide explains proper form, how unrelated dune boarding is to any other board sport and then teaches us how to the wax the boards. "Don't lean forward or you will bury the lip," he warns. During my first run I find out why burying the lip is bad. As burying the lip buries your lips and the rest of your face into the sand.

After three more runs, he encourages us to try the face first boarding. "Elbows out and pull the front up," he explains "If you start spinning around, drag your feet to correct your direction." A light push sends me speeding down the hill. A waxed piece of particle board separates me from the sand though I feel I am soaring just above the sand. A smaller dune acts as a crash pad, stopping me in my tracks. The guide below shows me the speed gun--65km/h.

We return to our sand boards and try a few more runs. I master the right turn, but have trouble turning left. We take another run on the face first boards from a higher point on the dune. "The record for this run is 82km/hour. I wax my board extra well and I begin my run. They also mentioned that I would get some air on this run, and before I know it, I am in the sky and landing hard on my chest, but I am still clinging on. When I reach the bottom they show me the speed gun, 75km/h. My speed placed me second, the winning speed for the day just one kilometer faster.

We take our last trudge to the top of the dune and the guide asks us which of us are ready to attack the jump. "Jump? Jesus, I just learned how to turn," I think. "Chris, how about you show everyone how it is done?" the guide says. Before I can reply he is tightening my bindings and giving me pointers. "Ok, don't lean forward or you will bury the lip," he says. I already know this and imagine the landing like a sprung mousetrap, my momentum the spring, the board my fulcrum and my face slapping the sand.

"Keep your body centered, don't lean," he continues. Before I ask how to land, he lines me up for the jump and give me a push. I've heard people say that things go in slow motion during a traumatic experience, though this wasn't the case for me, as all I remember is hitting the jump and hearing the thud of my board hitting sand. I stick the landing for a half second and then eat sand--the fall worthy of a sport blooper video.