How my virgin 'snowboarding' experience went down in Trifecta

SINGAPORE — I have always longed to experience the thrill of skiing down snow-covered slopes in Japan or Korea, but could not yet afford to do so. So when an opportunity came to attend a media preview of Trifecta, Asia’s first snow, surf, and skate attraction, I jumped at it.

What ensued was a memorable Monday (23 October) afternoon. While aching thighs and dripping sweat ensued after all the strenuous skiing, I finally had an inkling of what it felt like to surf on a snowboard.

Gearing up for the lesson

Prior to the session, I was advised to wear a long-sleeve T-shirt, long pants and long socks. We started the 45-minute session with guidance on how to put on the snowboard boots, as well as protective knee, elbow and wrist guards.

For beginners like myself, it is advisable to find a good fit for the boots. Too small or tight, and it could numb your toes, or cause blisters from friction. Too big and it might cause cause cramps or blisters, and a lag in response time in manoeuvring the snowboard. (Note: the boot size may not be the same as your shoe size, mine was smaller than my usual shoe size.)

According to the instructors, one way to gauge if your boot size is suitable is to make sure there is as little heel lift as possible. Another method is to have at least one of your toes brush the end of the boot, and to keep the middle portion of your boot tight and secure.

After gearing up, it was then time to embark on the slope ski simulator, which has a white ski carpet that replicates real mountain skiing. Six people can be on it any one time.

What you will learn in the first class

Once on the simulator, I learnt to fit my boots into the bindings of the snowboard while seated, starting with my dominant foot. Once both my feet were on the snowboard, it was time to tighten the toe caps and ankle straps.

With one hand placed on the ground, and the other grabbing onto a metal pole, I was instructed to lift myself up from seated to standing position. This was no easy feat for a novice like me, who felt like a fish out of water.

We kickstarted the lesson proper with a basic heelside stance. This meant bending my hips, knees and ankles, having a straight back with loose and relaxed arms, and keeping my head up to look directly ahead to maintain balance and control while the simulator was running.

It took awhile to get a sense of the moving simulator, but once I had mastered travelling up and down without the support of a metal bar, the next item on the list was the "floating leaf".

Kuang, an instructor at Trifecta, shared that this is an exercise in which I manoeuvre left to right, keeping my weight on my heels while on the snowboard.

It was then that I felt the burn in my thighs, just as another instructor, Benjamin, jokingly told me to "feel the burn".

My priority for the lesson was to keep my balance, which meant having to figure out how much to bend my knees, and where to place my body weight. While the thought of falling was worrying, seeing other attendees trying their best made for a fun experience.

"Don't be afraid of falling down, because if you are, you won't progress that much," said Kuang.

His tip for beginners like myself is to focus on maintaining a proper stance, keeping balance, and knowing which parts of the body to apply pressure.

For newbies like myself, here are some things to expect:

• Lots of leg work as you walk up the ski simulator and keep your balance;

• Plenty of hopping to get yourself in the right position from a seated to a standing position;

• Always put your weight on your heels for safety and control;

• It is okay to rely on the metal pole for support.

The snowboarding ski simulator experience at Trifecta gave me a glimpse into what I can expect should I ever decide to conquer the mountains of Japan or Korea. A key takeaway: do not underestimate how effortless seasoned snowboarders make it look, it is more tiring than it seems.

For experienced snowboarders looking for a bit more thrill, they can check out the freestyle area, with dry slopes and airbags, to try snowboard tricks like jumps and backflips.

Asia's largest standing wave pool, world's first hybrid skate bowl

Besides snowboarding and skiing, visitors can also surf and skateboard at Trifecta. The facility hosts Asia's largest standing wave pool, measuring 10 metres wide and producing waves up to 1.5 metres high. It will also launch the world's first hybrid skate bowl for skateboarding and surf-skating.

Conceptualised and developed by home-grown adventure travel company, The Ride Side, Trifecta is located in the Orchard shopping district, and will complement the Somerset Skate Park next door.

In celebration of Trifecta's opening on Saturday (28 October), a month-long launch festival - comprising of a music festival, workshops for riders and non-riders, an art show and more - will run until 19 November.

“The beauty of board sports has always been about being able to ride with anyone in the community while keeping a sense of individual expression on the board," said Alex Hsu, co-founder of Trifecta.

"Off the board, there’s also a dynamic community of riders who are creatives, musicians, and artists, whose works have brought people together. We intentionally chose to host a longer series of events with the Trifecta Festival so more people could discover this joy for themselves."

Further details can be found on Trifecta's website.

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