With much of the country sweltering under the oppressive cloud of the summer's first heat wave, it's safe to say snowboarding-friendly weather has left the building. Aside from complaining, what can we as a snow-loving community do to beat the heat? Get creative and adapt...it's the only way!

I refuse to be held hostage, turned into a prisoner in my own air conditioned home by the heat. Although I have been watching an inordinate amount of Fuel TV these past few days, I've also ventured outside in defiance of Mother Nature. Golf is out of the question at the moment - it's simply too hot to be outside for that many hours at a clip. Same goes for mountain biking and hiking. What has been enjoyable, however, is practicing my aerial maneuvers on the diving board. Without a board on my feet it's not entirely the same, but it does help with "air awareness" (knowing where your body is as you fly through the air). It also helps to keep me cool!

If you can't find a suitable body of water for aerials practice, then I highly suggest drawing the shades, cranking the A/C, and tuning into Fuel TV. The Terje's Season Pass series is particularly enjoyable, as they follow legendary shredder Terje Håkonsen across the globe on his various snowboarding adventures. Some might say watching others ride amounts to torture during the summer months, but hey, it sure beats sitting outside!