Snowboard Maverick

by Matt Christopher

  “Thanks,” Dennis said, still not sure what Dale was getting at.

  “So …"Dale grinned slyly at him. “How’d you like to come out to Ford’s Mountain with me and practice stunts on the half-pipe there?”

  “Wow! You mean it?” Dennis blurted out.

  “Sure! I could show you some of the stunts I do, and maybe there are one or two you know from skateboarding that you could teach me. So, what do you say?”

  “I say definitely yes!” Dennis said excitedly.

  “Great!” Dale said, and the two of them shook on it. “So when can we get out there?”

  “Ummm, that’s going to be tough,” Dennis confessed. “I don’t know about you, but we’re loaded down with work this week. Maybe over the weekend?”

  “Sure,” Dale said. “Let’s make it Saturday, okay? Ten o’clock?”

  “You got it!” Dennis said.

  “Oh, and Dennis,” Dale stopped him, raising a finger, “we’ll take it slow, okay? I mean, you almost got yourself killed racing with Rick. I don’t want anything bad happening to you on my watch.”

  “Sounds fine to me,” Dennis agreed. “I’ve got all winter!”

  He practically floated back to his end of the cafeteria. When he got there, Tasha and Robbie were dying to know what had happened. When Dennis told them, Robbie was beside himself with excitement.

  “Wow! Dale Morgan’s gonna teach us how to do stunts! I can’t wait!” he yelled, drawing the attention of the lunchroom monitor, who warned him to pipe down.

  “Robbie,” Tasha said softly, “Dennis didn’t say we could come.”

  “Of course we can come!” Robbie protested. “We’re his best friends! Can’t we come, Dennis?”

  Dennis squirmed. Much as he cared about Robbie and Tasha, he’d been looking forward to this as a private session with just him and Dale Morgan. “… I guess you could come, too,” he finally said. “I mean, it’s a public slope. Anybody can use the half-pipe.”

  “Robbie,” Tasha said, picking up on Dennis’s discomfort, “why don’t you and I just try the regular slope, while Dennis does the half-pipe? Give him a chance to get down on his stunts. Then he’ll teach them to us. Right, Dennis?”

  “Right!” Dennis agreed, relieved that she’d taken him off the hook. “I’ll work with Dale in the morning, and then I’ll come and join you guys after lunch on the slope, okay?”

  “You promise?” Robbie asked.

  “I promise,” Dennis said.

  “Boy,” Robbie said disappointedly, “I bet I could handle that half-pipe.”

  “Sure you could, Robbie,” Dennis assured him. “We’ll spend lots of time there. Just give me a session or two to get used to it first.”

  The bell rang, and the three friends parted to go to

  their separate classes. Dennis felt troubled, though. How would Dale Morgan react if Dennis suddenly did show up one day with Tasha and Robbie in tow? Would he decide not to teach Dennis any more stunts? Dennis wanted to learn from Dale more than anything, but how could he justify excluding his two best friends, the very people who’d got him snowboarding in the first place?

  15

  Dennis had never had a good look at the half-pipe at Ford’s Mountain. It was near the bottom of the Challenger Trail, but from it, you could see the entire intermediate slope as well. That was how Dale had seen his race with Rick Hogan.

  Dale was waiting for him when Dennis got there. “Howdy, partner!” he greeted Dennis. “Ready for some rad action?”

  “Ready!” Dennis replied. He’d just left Robbie and Tasha at the lodge. The two of them were going out on the bunny slope, even though Robbie had pleaded at the last minute to come with Dennis. Tasha had steered him gently away from that idea.

  The half-pipe was pretty much as Dennis had imagined it — a long, sloping area with banks of snow piled high on both sides. Near the top of the slope, the “walls” were only a few feet high, and there was a small ramp for beginners to learn easy stunts. Farther down, the walls grew higher — up to ten feet. Here, experienced freestylers, mostly adults or older kids, were doing incredible tricks. For a moment, looking at them, Dennis wasn’t sure he was ready for freestyling.

  Dale Morgan must have sensed Dennis’s reluctance, because he said, “Don’t worry. Like I told you, we’ll take it easy at first. I wouldn’t have invited you here if I wasn’t sure you were ready for it.”

  Something about Dale Morgan inspired trust. Dennis felt himself relaxing. “Okay,” he said. “What should I try first?”

  “How about just a simple aerial?” Dale suggested. “It works pretty much the same as in skateboarding. You just ride down the hill and up the ramp. Then when you reach the lip of the wall, you bend down and hop the board off the lip. Landing, you already know about.”

  “You’re sure it’s the same as in skateboarding?” Dennis asked.

  “Well, I don’t skateboard, so I couldn’t say for sure — but it looks the same,” Dale replied. “Try it out and see. Just don’t go for too much height the first time. Here, I’ll go first — watch me, then you follow.”

  “Okay,” Dennis said. He watched as Dale tackled the half-pipe, doing aerial after aerial, hanging suspended in midair for what seemed like an impossible amount of time, before landing so smoothly it was as if he’d come down on a feather pillow.

  “Here goes,” Dennis said under his breath. He turned his board to the fall line and leaned into it. When he’d gathered enough speed, he headed up the wall, then let his instincts take over. The result was a halfway decent aerial — which ended in a butt plant, as Dennis misjudged the feel of the landing.

  Dale was there to help him up. “Not bad for your first try,” he said with a laugh. “Got to work on that landing a little, though.”

  They practiced aerials for the next hour or so, then went on to some basic tricks. Dale taught Dennis to do a “method,” where you grab the heel edge of the board near the front while airborne. Then they tried a “mute,” much the same, except that you grab the toe edge instead.

  “Okay, that’s enough for now,” Dale said when they were done. “Let’s go back to the lodge and get some lunch.”

  Robbie and Tasha were still out on the slopes, but Dennis and Dale were hungry, so they went ahead and ate. While they did, Dennis decided to explain about Robbie and Tasha. “I really should spend some time boarding with them this afternoon,” he said. “I mean, I wouldn’t be here at all if it weren’t for them.”

  “I understand,” Dale said. “I’ll tell you what — how about we just call it a day now and meet again next Saturday?”

  “Well, since I don’t see them around here yet, how about just one more hour?” Dennis said. “They won’t mind.” He knew in his heart that they probably would mind, especially Robbie — but he was so excited about doing stunts that he couldn’t bring himself to stop just yet.

  And so they spent an hour doing half-pipe stunts like the “stale fish” and the “roast beef,” Dale teaching Dennis how to grab the board between the bindings while airborne. “For a roast beef, you grab between your legs, and for a stale fish, you grab behind you,” he instructed the younger boy. As they went, Dale led Dennis farther and farther down the half-pipe, to the place where the walls rose to over ten feet on either side.

  Dennis got so absorbed in what they were doing that he forgot to stop when the hour was up. By the time he checked his watch, it was three-thirty.

  “Uh-oh,” Dale said, frowning. “Looks like you forgot about your buddies.”

  "I’ll explain,” Dennis said hurriedly. “It’ll be okay.”

  “Dennis,” Dale said seriously, “if being out here with me means you’re just going to blow off your best friends, then it’s not okay, as far as I’m concerned. Loyalty’s important, too. More important than learning how to do stunts.”

  Dennis looked down at his snow boots. He knew Dale was right. “I know, Dale,” he said. “I was being selfish.”

  “There’s no room on t
he half-pipes for people who don’t look ahead,” Dale pointed out. “Those guys are going to be your friends for a long, long time — if you treat them right.”

  He clapped Dennis on the shoulder. “Now, go on down and make it up to them,” he said. “I’ll see you next Saturday, same time, same place.”

  Dennis thanked Dale, said good-bye, and hustled down to the bunny slope to meet his friends.

  But Tasha and Robbie were nowhere to be seen. They weren’t in the lodge, either. Disappointed in himself, Dennis took the bus home, wondering what he would say to them to make things better.

  Tasha was very understanding when he called her that evening. But Robbie refused to get on the phone with him, even though his mom called and called him. “Sorry, he must be in the middle of his favorite video game or something,” Mrs. McIntyre said awkwardly. But Dennis knew when Robbie was mad.

  By Monday lunchtime, Robbie had calmed down some, but when Dennis told him and Tasha that he was meeting Dale again the following Saturday, he could see Robbie’s face tighten. Even Tasha seemed a little hurt. “Guys, it’s only for a little while,” he told them. “Look, you can come too if you want. It’s not a private thing.”

  “No, thanks,” Robbie said. “I’m not in the mood to try freestyle boarding.”

  It wasn’t true, and Dennis knew it. He remembered Robbie’s joy at riding the rail at Schoolhouse Hill, even though he’d done a big face plant afterward. Robbie was just showing him that he didn’t need Dennis any more than Dennis needed him.

  Tasha ate silently and didn’t show her feelings. But Dennis made up his mind that from now on, he’d stick with his old friends, even if it meant disappointing Dale Morgan. Being with Dale was great, but not if he was hurting Tasha and Robbie. This week would be the last time he’d practice alone with Dale.

  He went to Ford’s Mountain by himself that Saturday. Tasha and Robbie had decided to go to Schoolhouse Hill instead. Dennis was determined to tell Dale that this couldn’t be a weekly thing anymore.

  But as the day wore on, Dale showed Dennis one super stunt after another: the “slob” (grabbing the toe edge with the front hand and “boning out,” or straightening, the rear leg for a moment); the “rock ‘n’ roll” (straddling the board on the top edge of one side of the half-pipe); the “crail” (same as the slob but using the back hand). Dennis couldn’t help feeling that the half-pipe was where he belonged. It was the same feeling he got when he was doing skateboarding stunts on a half-pipe — his favorite thing in the world — except that doing it on snow was even better!

  And so he never did tell Dale what he’d meant to tell him. At the end of the day, as they were having hot chocolate in the lodge before heading home, Dale turned to him and said, “Hey, Dennis, how’d you like to have a contest on the half-pipe?”

  Dennis was stunned. “With you?” he asked.

  “Yeah, with me.”

  Dennis couldn’t believe his ears. “But— but you’re way better than me!” he said. “You’re the best around. I could never —”

  “Uh-uh,” Dale warned him, waving a finger, “never say never. You’re really coming along for only your second week on the half-pipe. The skateboarding skill shows.”

  “You think so?” Dennis asked. “You think I could give you a contest?”

  “If I didn’t think so,” Dale said, “I wouldn’t have challenged you. So, what do you say?”

  Dennis thought about it. He knew he would need lots more time practicing before he could compete with Dale. And he could only get out to Ford’s Mountain on the weekends. There was too much schoolwork to come any other time.

  Besides, what about Tasha and Robbie? If he was going to be out here all the time, he’d have to take them with him. And that meant spending most of his time teaching them stunts, instead of practicing them himself.

  Still, if he couldn’t bring Tasha and Robbie along, he wasn’t about to do it. He remembered Dale’s warning about being good to his friends. He knew they were already feeling hurt by the time he was spending away from them.

  “I’ll tell you what,” he said to Dale. “Presidents’ Week is about a month from now. Give me all the weekends till then, and all of that week, and we’ll do it that last Saturday of the vacation.”

  Dale nodded thoughtfully.“Sounds good to me,” he said. “But if you think I’m going to sit back and let you practice until you’re way better than me, you’re wrong. I’m going to be out here, too, working my head off. I’m coming at you with my best stuff, Dennis, so be ready.”

  “I will be,” Dennis said, smiling.

  “And if you need any pointers, just ask,” Dale offered. “We may be opponents, but I still consider you my friend.”

  “Likewise,” Dennis said, and the two shook hands firmly. “See you on the half-pipe!” he said, turning to go.

  “I’ll be there!” Dale called after him. Dennis turned back at the doorway and saw the older boy sipping his hot chocolate with a twinkle in his eyes.

  Dennis rode the bus home, deep in thought. No way was he going to abandon Tasha and Robbie so he could practice for this stunt challenge. They were more important to him than winning a contest. He decided he would spend half his time on the slopes with them and the other half practicing — with them as coaches. That way, they’d all get to spend lots of time together.

  Dennis knew he wouldn’t get as good that way as if he spent all his time practicing with Dale. But it didn’t matter.

  He also made up his mind to tell his parents what he was up to — first thing when he got home. He’d learned his lesson about deceiving them. They were his biggest supporters, and they deserved to know.

  As to the half-pipe contest itself, Dennis couldn’t help feeling there was no way he could ever beat Dale Morgan. But it didn’t really matter. This wasn’t like the race with Rick Hogan, after all. He and Dale would still be friends, no matter who won.

  Besides, with Tasha and Robbie as his trainers and his parents behind him, this was going to be a blast!

  16

  For the next four weeks, Dennis, Tasha, and Robbie were inseparable. At lunch in the school cafeteria, they talked snowboarding stunts. Once or twice after school, when they didn’t have too much homework, they made it out to Schoolhouse Hill for an hour or so of practice. Working out there wasn’t much use, but Dennis did manage to use the steep slope leading to the picnic area to practice some grabs and stunts.

  Then, on the weekends, the three friends spent the whole two days out at Ford’s Mountain. Dennis showed Robbie and Tasha how to do simple stunts, and they helped him out with the fine points of his more ambitious ones. Because of his skateboarding prowess, he had leapfrogged ahead of them in his ability to do freestyle tricks.

  Every once in a while, they’d see Dale Morgan there, too, practicing. It always brought them to a halt, watching the older boy do 360° aerial loops and other impossible-seeming stunts. “Oh, well,” Dennis said the first time they saw him. “I guess I don’t stand a chance of winning, but it doesn’t matter. I’d rather be here with you guys, doing this, than anywhere else in the world.”

  It was true, too. Dennis didn’t really care if Dale was better than him. He liked Dale. They were friends, and a little friendly rivalry just made him want to get better and better.

  He was getting better, too. Quickly, he got to the point where he could do many of his tricks with some kind of flair. He still wound up wiping out an awful lot, but this, he knew, was part of learning. He’d wiped out learning skateboarding stunts, too. And snow, as he’d come to find out, was a whole lot softer than concrete.

  His parents chauffeured Dennis, Tasha, and Robbie to Ford’s Mountain a few times, so they could stay to watch — but not for long. Dennis’s mom couldn’t stand to watch him fall. It made her cover her eyes, she said, even though she knew he probably would be okay, since there were no trees or rocks near the half-pipe area.

  Still, every Monday morning, Dennis dragged himself into school, full of aches
and pains and bruises from the falls he’d taken over the weekend. It would take at least till Wednesday for him to feel okay again.

  On the Friday before Presidents’ Week began, Dale Morgan came over to the table in the cafeteria where Dennis, Tasha, and Robbie were sitting. “Hi, guys,” he greeted them. “Mind if I join you for a minute?”

  “Sure,” they all said, and shoved over to make room for him.

  “Listen, before I start, are you sure you still want to go through with this, Dennis? It’s okay with me if you feel you’re not ready. I mean, I’m not going to call you a chicken like Rick Hogan.”

  “No, it’s okay,” Dennis said. “I know I’ll probably lose, and I’ve decided it doesn’t bother me.”

  “Good,” Dale said, clapping him on the shoulder. “I’m glad you feel that way. And don’t be so sure you’re going to lose, either. I’m not taking you for granted.”

  “He isn’t going to lose,” Robbie assured Dale. “Wait till you see.”

  “Robbie means,” Tasha jumped in, “that Dennis has gotten a lot better.”

  “I know he has,” Dale agreed. “Actually, I stopped by here to see if we can set up some rules for the contest.”

  They talked it over and agreed on a format of ten stunts each. Five would be tricks they’d both have to do, and the other five would be stunts of their own choosing. Any kids who showed up to watch would be judges. They’d rate the two contestants on how difficult their tricks were and how well they did them. Afterward, they’d total up all the scores of all the judges, and the winner would be the one with the most points.

  That decided, Dale shook hands with all of them and went off to his next class. “We’ve got to get all our friends there, so they vote for you!” Robbie urged Tasha and Dennis.

  “You can invite anyone you want, Robbie,” Dennis said, “but no cheating. I want everyone to vote the way they see it, okay? I’d rather lose fair and square than win by cheating.”