It was the first time and quite a while ago that I succeeded but I've never done it since!
I had been telling my friends over lunch in a very snowy Alpe d'Huez that I had once seen a ski instructor jump into his skis. "It must be possible," I said and so guess what my friends challenged me to do whilst getting ready for the afternoon ski? None of my friends managed it and Michael has been on a snowboard ever since so as to have an excellent excuse not to try.