Once we reached
the top, he instructed us to put on the jumpsuits and goggles. After taking
some group pictures in our silly outfits, he gathered us around for further
instructions on how to make it down the mountain fast or safely.
“There are two
sections to this slope,” he began. “You will start off at a slower speed and
then half way down you hit a 45 degree angle where you will pick up a lot of
speed. You won’t see it approaching, but you will feel it. To keep from being
thrown off your board, you must keep it straight by taping your heels on the
gravel one at a time. Once you hit the 45 degree angle, if you want to go for
gold, just hold your legs up and hope for the best. If you want to slow down,
continue to tap your heels on the ground in an alternating rhythm.” He also
reminded us the top speeds were around 75km/h for females and 85km/h for males.
We were all a bit nervous, some more than others. In groups of two we began to
volcano board down the black volcanic gravel.
Aracely
Castellani
(to be continued)