Snowboard Struggle by Jake Maddox

Author:Jake Maddox [Maddox, Jake]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: 978-1-4965-3980-9; 978-1-4965-3984-7; ski; equipment; slopes; Jake Maddox; rich; poor; snowboard; snow
Publisher: Capstone
Published: 2019-10-10T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

“I’ve never tried boardercross before,” Miles said to Alex under his breath. The two stood at the top of King’s Crown, near the starting gates.

“You’ll get the hang of it,” Alex said.

A group of three boarders, including Tia, were in the gates. The rest of the team stood nearby, their boards stuck in the snow.

Coach Gregg sent the group off, and they raced down the slope. When they reached the bumpy terrain, they slid in close to one another, so close their boards nearly touched.

“Whoa,” Miles said.

“Okay, new guy,” Coach Gregg said. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

“Heh. Good luck,” Kevin added under his breath, just loud enough for Alex and Miles to hear.

Miles and Alex pushed off and glided up to the gates. For his first couple of runs, Coach Gregg wanted Miles to practice with another racer, someone he was comfortable with. Alex was the clear choice.

Miles slipped into the gate. Coach Gregg showed him how to grab the handles. “Lean back and watch the gate,” he said. “The second it moves, pull yourself forward and let it ride.”

“Let it ride,” Miles muttered under his breath.

Coach Gregg called them to attention, then . . .

Bam! The gate dropped.

Alex rocketed forward, same as always. He knew he shouldn’t look to his side, but a flicker of movement caught his eye, and he flashed a glance. Miles was right beside him, courtesy of a clean start.

“Nice!” Coach Gregg cheered. Some of the other team members whistled and clapped.

Alex and Miles hit the rhythm section of the course. This was where Miles’s skateboarding skills took over. He rolled easily over the berms, adjusting his weight perfectly. Alex slipped behind. He strained to pick up his pace, but Miles had him beat as they entered the curves. They dug their edges into the snow, flying past the flags and gliding across the finish line.

Alex and Miles came to a stop. Alex couldn’t contain himself.

“What did I tell you?” Alex yelled. “That was amazing!”

“I can’t believe I just did that,” Miles said.

“Believe it! You’re a natural!”

The two boys watched as the next group made their way downhill. Among them were Kevin and Eddie. Kevin crossed the line first, and Eddie thundered past in third place.

Eddie didn’t care about his performance, though. He came right up to Miles. “Dude,” he said. “Nice boarding.”

“Thanks,” Miles said.

“Kevin,” Eddie said, “Miles is going to give you a run for your money.”

Kevin didn’t look happy to hear this.

But Coach Gregg was impressed by Miles’s initial run. “You and Alex make a good team,” he said, as he sent the two boys down the trail again.

As before, Miles propelled himself through the course like he’d been doing it all his life. He was even able to twist his body ninety degrees midair and execute a shifty in the middle of the fast-paced run.

Finally, as practice began to wind down and the buzz of Miles’s performance was starting to wane, Coach Gregg coupled Alex and Miles with Kevin and Tia.

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