During the last 15 days, while waiting for the custom longboard to be made and sent over, Yu Nian has been in the System Space learning and mastering the Longboard Speed Course.
After all, Extreme Sports are niche sports. In the early years, when it was first introduced to the country, people usually did these activities for self-indulgence. It was only in recent years that the situation has improved, and Extreme Sports gained popularity. Extreme Sports Associations have been established, gaining members and trying to hold events to expand their influence.
However, there were no formal teaching institutions. It was mainly often veterans, novices, and enthusiasts who often get together to share and exchange information. As a result, for both teachers and students alike, there is no standard evaluation and teaching tends to be personalized. Once you make a mistake and you want to correct it later, it takes more effort and energy to correct the movements that have become muscle memory than when you’re first learning.
The existence of the System eliminates this possibility from the very beginning. The way it taught was completely scientific and systematic.
Yu Nian was originally thinking about how the System would teach the course, but he already knew about its magic and was psychologically prepared. When he closed his eyes and really entered the System Space, he was still slightly surprised.
What appeared in front of him was a tall mountain. The mountain was majestic.
Clouds were floating halfway up the mountain, and various plants covered the entire mountain with lush green. Starting from the bottom of the mountain and making its way to the top, was a light gray belt that stood out amongst the scenery.
In the next instant, Yu Nian was already standing on the starting square at the top of the mountain. Only then did he realize that there were no guardrails on either side of the mountain’s coiled road. Next to the road was a 10,000-foot cliff.
“Afraid?” A voice came from behind him. Yu Nian looked back and saw a strong man wearing a full set of protective gear walking over. Obviously, he was the coach of this Longboard Course. Although he knew that all this was simulated by the System, whether it was the mountain under his feet or this coach in front of him, it felt extremely real to Yu Nian.
“I’m afraid.” Yu Nian answered truthfully.
“It’s right to be afraid.” The coach dressed him in protective gear then began to introduce, in detail, the composition and function of each item. Yu Nian knew that the lecture had begun and listened attentively.
After the protective gear was put on, Yu Nian had an extra longboard beside him.
“The first thing I’m going to teach you is the basics of carving (cutting) and sliding (gliding). Get on the board and try it out.”
Yu Nian tried to step on the board and he slipped twice. After getting on, he then lost his balance and fell off the board after a few steps. Seeing that the coach did not comment, motioning for him to continue, Yu Nian tried to step on the board again.
A few moments later, the coach asked, “What are you doing?”
Yu Nian: “Finding my balance and trying not to fall off.”
“Don’t look for it.” The coach stood on the side, holding his arms, “What you have to do is make the board match you, not for you to match the board.”
“Feel your center of gravity, and keep it from moving around. Then let the board match your center of gravity.”
With the help of the coach, Yu Nian tried for a few more moments before he was finally able to stand firmly on the longboard. Next came the basic skills. Gliding, spinning, and handbraking…..
Today, all of the lessons were taught in the square on the top of the mountain. It was not what Yu Nian expected, he thought that the course would be more intense and exciting. At the end of the lesson, the coach asked, “Do you want to try it on the road?”
Yu Nian glanced at the road hovering over the mountain: “Can I?”
“There shouldn’t be any issues.”
So Yu Nian took the longboard and came to the road. He took a deep breath and without much hesitation, his body slid down in a single movement. The slope brought an extremely quick burst of speed, letting him go faster. The longboard and his body sped across the course, an experience you couldn’t get on a flat square!
At the speed Yu Nian was going, his pulse was racing and his clothes rattled in the wind.
Speed, speed, speed.
This feeling reminded Yu Nian of the excitement brought to him by the fiercely struck rhythm and the continuous dissonant chords when playing Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2.
Immediately after that thought, Yu Nian’s center of gravity shifted. When Yu Nian noticed this, he tried to reposition himself by adjusting the weight on his front foot; but at such a high speed, it was not very effective. His body began to sway and the board began to shake.
Yu Nian tried his best to control it, and his pupils shrank when he saw the curve in front of him. The coach has not taught him the skill of cornering yet, and at this point, there was no way to help him stop.
The longboard rushed off the road at a great speed – there were no guardrails on either side of the road. Below was a 10,000-foot cliff.
Yu Nian was disoriented for a moment.
Getting on the board, skating, and spinning were but a prelude to today’s lesson. The coach stood on the edge of the cliff, looking down at the rapidly falling Yu Nian. A smile on his face, his words clearly echoed in Yu Nian’s ears: “The first lesson, a mistake will cost you your life.”
Yu Nian jolted up from the couch in shock. He was breathing heavily, chest violently heaving, and his back was drenched in sweat. The feeling of weightlessly falling still lingered.
It took a long time for Yu Nian to completely calm down. The thin sweat on his forehead gathered into droplets of water, sliding down and hung on his eyelashes.
Yu Nian used his hand to wipe away the beads of sweat. He raised his eyes to look at the clock on the wall. He had just spent at least half a day studying in the System Space, but the clock showed that only two hours had passed. The flow of time was different in the two spaces.
Yu Nian got up and poured himself a glass of water. He also watered the potted orchid in the corner of the living room.
By the time the customized longboard arrived, 15 days had passed. In the past 15 days, Yu Nian has been immersed in the System Space every day, busy studying the course. He has completed 1/3 of the course so far.
Once he got his longboard, Yu Nian decided that he wanted to train on a real field in order to match his course progress. The knowledge he gained was complete and scientific. He honed his longboarding skills in the System Space, correcting and perfecting them under the guidance of the most professional coaches.
But the existence of that space was simulated by the System.
The results of his training during this period is unable be brought into reality, and the real muscle memory has not yet been formed. In order to fully digest this knowledge and reproduce the achievements he learned in the System Space in reality, he would need to undergo the same training in reality countless times.
S city, where Yu Nian is located, has countless mountains and mountain highways, so there were many places suitable for a speed drop. He chose Wenxi Mountain, which has the right slope and the right number of bends, which was suitable for training. It was also close to home, so you can ride a scooter and you don’t have to ride a bus.
During the day, many tourists were going up and down the mountain, which was not suitable for training. Yu Nian planned to set out before dawn. It was too early to think of anyone who was willing to go with him, but Deng Jingwei told Yu Nian that he had no problem going with him.
What a joke, work is already so lame, Yu Nian does not blame Deng Jinwei for coming with him. If one doesn’t take proper care of their artists, how could one live?
Deng Jingwei carefully attached the portable drawing board to the front seat of the small electric scooter. After Yu Nian was seated, he turned the engine on: “Sit tight!” When he got to Wenxi Mountain, Yu Nian looked at the top of the mountain and asked, “Are you going to wait for me at the foot of the mountain or are you going up with me?” Deng Jingwei didn’t know what Yu Nian wanted to do, but he was worried that something might happen, so he hurriedly said, “Let’s go together.” Yu Nian hummed in response.
After taking the cable car to the top of the mountain, the sun was just beginning to rise and there was a glimmer of light in the sky. There were very few people and vehicles on the mountain. Except for the singing of birds and the sound of temple bells, it was quiet. Deng Jingwei saw Yu Nian put down his backpack, took out a full set of protective gear, and put it on. First the leather suit, then the gloves and knee pads, before finally a full face helmet. He was well dressed and one could not see his face clearly in a full helmet, but Deng Jingwei could not speak after seeing Yu Nian standing there in such a strange costume.
“So, so cool.” It was a long time before he talk, his tone was filled with surprise.
No man can resist this naturally conquering and aggressive looking costume. After wearing his equipment, Yu Nian looked at the longboard.
The Longboarding Course provided by the System, is divided into two major categories: Skillful Downhill, and Mountain Road Downhill. As the name implies, Skillful Downhill is a skillful and ornamental way to ride. There are many tricks and cool movements, but speed is sacrificed. On the other hand, Mountain Road Downhill is purely the pursuit of “speed”.
In order to be fast and to chase the limits of speed, the protective gear and accessories must be specialized. Yu Nian chose a custom longboard produced by the well-known domestic sports brand, Excellence. He already knew what longboard was most suitable for him, through testing the different boards in the System Space. The custom data given to the official website of Excellence was very thorough.
The longboard consists of four parts: wheels, bridge, bearings, and board surface. In longboarding, the most important thing aside from speed, is stability and the wheels must be resistant to vibrations. Yu Nian chose wheels with a wide diameter, of 75mm, taking into account how well they glide across the ground. The bridge is also known as the bracket. Yu Nian chose one that used a cold forging process, which allows the internal structure to be more compact, and extremely precise. Naturally, the price was also several times higher than the cost of an average cast bridge. As for the bearings, he chose the ceramic bearings that are both resistant to water and high temperatures. The board is made from a Canadian hard maple tree, the strength and toughness of the wood is one of the best.
The brand’s craftsmanship is really one of the best, and Yu Nian couldn’t help but love the longboard in his hand a little more. The side of the longboard was even engraved with the unique custom model number: X1207.
As a little idol who doesn’t have much popularity and hasn’t made a name for himself, his wallet was almost empty. Yu Nian shook his head, he never thought that one day he would have to worry about money. He went to the mountain road and put down the longboard.
It was only then that Deng Jingwei realized that something was wrong and hurriedly asked, “What are you doing in Yu Nian?” That being said, this was not the best time to be learning the longboard! Deng Jingwei’s face was filled with alarm, thinking how dangerous longboarding is and what types of accidents might happen. What if, Yu Nian fell and hurt his face–
Although Deng Jingwei doesn’t want to admit it, the only thing his artist has is his face!
Yu Nian stepped on the longboard and saw what his agent was worried about: “It’s okay, I’m wearing protective gear.”
With that, Yu Nian slowly began testing his longboard, trying to get used to the feeling. His body was slowly beginning to process the knowledge he learned while in the System space.
It was a very different sense of fulfillment from being in the System space. Yu Nian slid in place for a while, and his movements gradually changed from rusty to proficient.
“It’s easy to get hurt even if you wear protective gear.” Deng Jingwei muttered, however Yu Nian had slid down the slope before he could react.
“!”
The sun was rising. Crepe myrtle trees were planted on both sides of Panshan road, a tree full of red flowers blooming at the height of summer; a picturesque scenery. The road was paved in a thin layer of petals, reflecting the golden sunshine of summer.
When Yu Nian stepped on the longboard and went down the road at a very fast speed, the petals on the ground seemed to be disturbed; flying into the air as Yu Nian passed by.
The metal parts of his long plate and protective gear reflected the sunlight, appearing rigid and cold. His silhouette traveled through the sky of flower petals, seeming invincible.
Looking at this scene, Deng Jingwei was speechless. His mouth was wide open but he was unable to utter a single word. He wanted to continue gazing after the figure, however Yu Nian’s figure disappeared after going around the mountain bend. The petals floating in the sky gradually fell back down, returning to the road.
“Damn. How handsome!” After a while, Deng Jingwei closed his mouth and choked out a sentence of admiration. Before that, like others, he used words such as “good-looking” and “beautiful” to describe Yu Nian, but today he used cool and handsome. On the other side, the man sitting on the rock at the top of the mountain put down his camera and pulled up the picture he had just taken. In the photo, red petals swept across the sky, a teenager was on a longboard and flying through the petals. The cold light was reflected on his longboard and helmet.