Expert snowboarder spends days giving free tips to rookies on ski hill
An expert snowboarder and instructor in California is so passionate about getting people involved in the sport that he spends his days on the slopes giving tips to beginners for free.
David Muther, who's been boarding since the age of 10 and taught at resorts for 17 years, realized how many people were having trouble on their first few attempts to master the challenging pastime.
"People want to come out, they want to have a good time. Then you see them get frustrated and they get sick of it," said Muther, 38. "80 percent of first-time snowboarders never go back after day one."
Snowboarding requires balance, stable leg positioning, and proper body alignment, but not everyone learns how without formal instruction. Muther wanted to find a way to encourage more people to stick with it.
Watch how this snowboarder helps newbies down the hill in the video above.
He spent four years in the Navy and says snowboarding helped him cope when he left the service, both mentally and physically.
"There was a time when I was out of the military, where I wasn't in the best shape of my life. To be able to go snowboarding every day, it slowly got me more fit," he said.
"I've had times where I wasn't in the best head space, and I feel like to go out and just ride and feel this freedom of being able to go anywhere and floating on top of snow ... snowboarding is this medicine that just makes life so much better."
So Muther heads out onto the ski hills in Tahoe daily and approaches not just rookies but sometimes more experienced riders and even skiers who appear defeated with simple advice, quickly tailored to their level.
"I'll watch if it looks like they're struggling, I'll roll up: 'Can I help you?" said Muther.
Nathan Prosser heard those words when he crashed while on his skis near the end of his run.
"There's a lot of slow signs going into the main area where all the lifts are," said the 12-year-old. "I was going fast, and then I tried to stop right in front of the sign, and then I got caught in the sign and it flipped me over. "
He says Muther, who happened to be sailing past at the time, offered a hand to get him back on his feet.
"He just stopped right in front and helped me out of it fully," said Prosser. "He helps people even when he is not recording all the time."
Muther often films the interactions with permission and posts the videos on his YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram accounts to teach a wider audience different pitfalls and techniques. He estimates he's helped more than 2,000 people on the hills in this way, and countless people globally.
"It's crazy. Every day, someone comes up to me and says, 'You taught me to snowboard,'" said Muther. It's like, teaching of the person: They learn. Then the videoing of it: People online can see. Then some of these people that see it online: They can learn from that. "
The snowboard enthusiast says he joined the military because he felt he needed to do something with his life earlier on and believed he could never make a living on snowboarding alone. Now, he's earning an income generated by his large online following and has found a new purpose.
"For me personally, it's the best feeling in the world to see someone's eyes light up," he said. "The confidence that you can build up here can definitely translate to other things in life."
Watch the full story below.
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