Sand board down a sand dune

“We had to wax our board every single time before going down the sand dune, or we’d barely move. [...] But then I looked down, realizing that I was on top of a super high dune with a steep slope, and there’s only one big question inside my head: “HOW AM I GOING TO DO THIS?!” But then I said to myself, “Well, I can’t stay here forever. I have to go down one way or another.” So, after making sure I strapped myself well, I braced myself, took a deep breath, started to lean forward, and the next thing I remember I was scared as hell because I moved really fast by going straight down. I immediately changed the direction to going down diagonally.”

“After a couple of falls and face plants, I figured out how to balance and slide down without hurting myself. [...] Once I had slid down a dune, and ran back up 5 times, I knew this ‘get the most out of the hour that I have’ plan wasn’t going to work. I was panting extremely hard, and actually felt a bit nauseous from sprinting up sand dunes in the hot 1:30 PM sun.”

“Before you can climb the dune for a ride, the board is waxed by using your hand to smother its base with floor polish. Then, you rub sand against it, leaving a surprisingly smooth surface. This process has to be repeated every 2-3 rides, making for a messier experience than I expected. [...] I started to get the feel for it and found my favorite starting spot near the bushes at the upper end of the dune where the winds whipped up a steady supply of sand in my face.”