starting snowboarding? What's the best way to do it?

[andy2 0]

i've finally convinced myself to start snowboarding, however the only people I know that snowboard are about a 10 hours drive away from me.

What would be the best way to get into it? Should I buy new or used gear? (Im on a budget)

Should I try to get a lesson from someone or should I just go out on my own?

I've never skiied or snowboarded but have always wanted to snowboard (although everyone tells me it is slightly harder than learning to ski).

Thanks!

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in token rhyme suggesting rhythm...

[dropoutdave 0]

Im going for the first time iin about a month. Never been before but a mate of mine is going to teach me. Im just going to learn on the way down.

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[WrongWay 0]

Gear is your choice.

If I were you, take a quick lesson at wherever you're jumping. an hour with an instructor is better than an hour of falling on your ass.

It's kinda like learning to fly on your belly when you're a student. They teach you the basics, and the rest of it slowly becomes feel.

Wrong Way
D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451
The wiser wolf prevails.

[JeffD 0]

Skiing is 100 Times easier than snow boarding. My brother and I have gone skiing a few times and are competent. But snowboarding is very difficult because both of your legs are attatched to the board and cannot be removed if you crash. We coulden't move the next day because we were so sore. I'd say do some searches on the net and get a feel of whats out there, go rent a board, and just see if you like it (theres no such thing as a snowplow on a snowboard so be careful) we got used to it towards the end of the day. Wear a helmet, wrist guards, knee pads, and shove a pillow under your butt, because you'll be landing on those parts alot.

Good luck!!!

[jerry81 10]

Find some hard-packed snow. It doesn't need to be on a slope and just a 6' by 6' patch will suffice for now. Put a chair next to your patch and step on it. Now drop directly onto the snow, making sure you land on your knees. You can stick a hand out to break your fall. If you sprain or break your wrist, you're doing it right. Now turn around and jump again, this time landing on your ass. If you hear a crunch- it's just your tailbone. You weren't needing it anyway.

For the next exercise, remove the chair and just drop on your knees from a regular standing pose. However, don't stop your fall there- bring your head forward and bash it vigorously down into the snow. This shouldn't be done as hard as to draw blood- a mild concussion is what you want to achieve.

A similar exercise is to fall backwards onto the snow. Don't bend the legs and don't try to catch yourself with your hands (we covered those in ex. 1). Drop like a log and make sure your head makes good hard contact with the snow. The purpose of these exercises is to learn the value of protective headgear and bodywear and to familiarize yourself with the pain learning to snowboard (especially on your own) can cause.

Now, as soon as you can stand up straight without feeling dizzy and your wrists heal completely, find a 2' by 1' wooden board and nail an old pair of sneakers to it. Insert feet (can be done before the nailing, if you're more on the hardcore side). Now hop around the house for a few days to get accustomed to the limited mobility. You can also hop around outside the house (going to the store, college...). This will get you used to the weird looks you're likely to get when you come tumbling head over heels down the kiddie slope on your first few rides.

After doing all that, you are fit to start the actual training. Find some used gear (I'd say freestyle board, soft bindings and maybe get some new boots. You wouldn't believe what can breed inside them after a few seasons), decide what protection to get and find a good coach. Provided you do things right, your training from here on should be relatively pain-free.

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[JadedLady 0]

He hee... Jerry, that sounds about right.

Now, as many of my friends from the DZ know, I'm am far from the most graceful thing on earth. I have a tendency to trip over anything (and I mean anything) that is in the area. Sometimes If I can't find anything to trip over, the straight, even ground will do just fine. I also have a tendency to walk into doors, hit my head on low hanging objects, and on rare occasions (hence the nick name Karma) skydive into cars.

This is all fine and dandy for a gal who loves to ski, but there is no possible way anyone is going to stick my feet to the same daggone board and expect me to stand, let alone fly down a slope, when I can barely function with both feet mobile as it is!

For those of you who do snowboard, kudos to you, I am impressed. I'm not trying to knock the sport, just my own ability (or lack thereof) in it. ;)

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Rachel
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-Converting the world one whuffo at a time.

[Marz 0]

I'm a CASI level 2 instructor (Cnd Assoc. of Snowboarding Instructors.) I recommend that you at least take a basic lesson- 1 hour is good but half a day would be better!

Rent gear for your fisrt few times. Gear has gotten a little more complex in the last few years and there's ALOT of options, depending on the kind of riding you want to do (pipe, powder, all-mountain). The same applies with bindings.

If you're planning on buying used gear, be careful! Boards go through alot of abuse, and you get get nasty surprises. I would reccommend you get the gear checked out by someone who's been riding for awhile. You can get new gear relatively cheap, but in this sport, you get what you pay for, SPECIALLY with boots. Don't skimp on boots. They're your link to the board and to the snow. I don't always carry my board when I travel, but I always carry my boots.

Last thing, get a helmet. I've been snowboarding 15 yrs and i wear one. It's not my skill I'm worried about, but the other people on the hill! Other gear you might want to look into depending on you level of confidence - wrist guards and knee pads.

Enjoy yourself! It's one of the greatest sports in the world!!!!

Marz

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Did I just kill another thread?

[PeteW 0]

IT hurts!! Lots. But it gets better. I was a skier for two years then I gave up to peer pressure. I never got to ride with skier cause you can't find many! I got a smokin deal on new gear. Never rented. I did buy before the season started. That helps. I think I have been out around seven times. It gets better each time. I never took any lessons, but I had my buddies help me out.

Pete

[Muenkel 0]

I had a response for you, but Marz already said everything I would say. Don't buy gear yet, rent. And definitely take a 1/2 day lesson.

Good luck,
Chris

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Chris

[usedtajump 1]

Thake a THICK ass pad to your first lesson and gobble advil when you get back home

The older I get the less I care who I piss off.

[vonSanta 0]

Weird. I found skiing much harder than snowboarding.

I just put the snowboard on and after an hour or so I'd worked out turns/stopping and how NOT to fall.

Skiing - two skis that gotta be coordinated. A deliberate act of putting more load on one side of one ski than....never mind.

Skiers think snowboarding is "too easy" and snowboarders think skiing is "for sissies"

I think snowboarding is actually the mainstream way for 14-30 year olds. Heh, there goes the "rebel" label that is cultivated so hard

Santa Von GrossenArsch
I only come in one flavour
ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

[tcnelson 1]

day1: sore ass and frustration
day2: more frustration but ass less sore
day3: fun as hell to not fall down
day4: more fun as 1st derivative of learning curve grows more and more positive. (i knew i'd use calculus for something!)
and it's all fun from here on out minus any broken bones (my brother broke his humorus last year.)

rent or buy used; it's much cheaper till you find out if you're gonna continue to shred.

"Don't talk to me like that assface...I don't work for you yet." - Fletch
NBFT, Deseoso Rodriguez RB#1329

[Harksaw 0]

Everyone's first day hurts. Try not to get discouraged by the first day. Remember its about balance, and turning is not just leaning your body: its also moving your feet to dig in your toe or heel side. I have noticed a lot of first timers leaning into a turn but not using their feet to dig in the respective edge, and they fall over.

A combination of luck and the places I usually snowboard (PA) mean that the slopes can be icy. I have come to the conclusion that ice is harder to handle on a snowboard than skis because you only have one edge to dig into the ice. If you hit ice, just slow down. Theres not really a way to look graceful snowboarding on ice, so just slow down and try to maintain all the control you can.

I have never taken a proper snowboarding lesson, but I'm sure it couldn't hurt.

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I started skydiving for the money and the chicks. Oh, wait.

[kai2k1 0]

Andy if you want to buy gear PM me I think I can help you inexpensively. I took up snowboarding in 1992 and i must say i had alot of natural ability. I picked it up like a fish to water.

There's no truer sense of flying than sky diving," Scott Cowan

[lummy 4]

can't speak for snowboarding since I've never done it, but the things that helped my skiing were:

A) a half day lesson at the start of a
b) extended holiday where I skiied for 4 days straight to build and reinforce my lesson.


The only other advice I could give is to keep to the Greens until you've mastered them (kinda like the advice not to downsize until you've mastered that 210)



As a parting note, One place's blue runs are another place's green.

I promise not to TP Davis under canopy.. I promise not to TP Davis under canopy.. eat sushi, get smoochieTTK#1

[Muenkel 0]

I agree totally with Lummy and I worked at a ski resort for 6 years.

It troubles me that I agree with Lummy.

Chris

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Chris

[jumprunner 0]

Quote

i've finally convinced myself to start snowboarding, however the only people I know that snowboard are about a 10 hours drive away from me.

What would be the best way to get into it? Should I buy new or used gear? (Im on a budget)

Should I try to get a lesson from someone or should I just go out on my own?

I've never skiied or snowboarded but have always wanted to snowboard (although everyone tells me it is slightly harder than learning to ski).

Thanks!

Hmm, its okay to talk about snowboarding but not okay to talk about surfing...interesting.

Snowboarding's cool, too cold for me but good luck with it.

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