A SNOWBOARD HOSTS A PARTY

One evening I was hosting the first party I’d thrown in my new apartment and realized I didn’t have enough chairs. A lot more people had shown up than initially expected. Having just moved into my place, I only had a couch and two chairs for people to sit on. I glanced around in horror as five people squished themselves onto the tiny sofa while another person eagerly eyed the armrest. What was a hostess to do? Cushions on the floor? No, I didn’t want them getting dirty. Paint cans? That seemed a bit too ghetto, even for me. Ask people to sit on the ground? That felt too kindergarten.

Just then, I thought of something that might actually work.

I ran to my closet and shuffled through some clothes to get my snowboard, which had been sitting in there since the end of the ski season. Then I propped it up on some paint cans, and voilà — insta-bench!

I’d spent a lot of money on my snowboard and love the design so much that it seemed like a total waste to keep it cooped up in a closet for eight months of the year. At first, I was worried that people would shun sitting on it, but it was just wide enough to make it comfy, and putting it against the wall gave it some extra stability. Plus, I didn’t even have to take the bindings where I strap in my boots off because they act as seat separators (making the bench just right for fitting three people). 

While I was initially apprehensive about what my guests would say about the snowboard bench, they were grateful to get off their feet and actually thought the makeshift bench was pretty cool. I don’t want to toot my own horn, but it did resemble a custom furniture design installation like something you’d find in an upscale snowboard shop. I’m so pleased with my stylish seating-in-a-snap and received so many compliments on it that I have just left it installed permanently in my living room. I actually get much more use out of my snowboard for seating these days than I do for gliding down snow-covered mountains!