Snowboarding 101: 10 More Tips for Beginners
Hey guys, here’s another great video to help get you started on how to snowboard:
1. Skating
Skating is how you get around with one foot strapped to your board. This skill will get you to the run and also to and from the chair. It’s more comfortable to skate with your free foot behind the board and use it to push you across a flat area.
2. Walk Uphill
The best way to walk up hill is to put your board across the slope and wall with your free foot in front of your board. With each step you take, dig in your toe edge. Thus will stop your snowboard from sliding downhill.
3. One Foot Riding
This is a skill that’s absolutely necessary for getting off the chairlift. To practice, find a very small slope where you can point your board straight and ride with your free foot between your bindings. To stop yourself, move your free foot to the edge of your snowboard and drag your heel or toe in the snow.
4. Strapping In
When you’re ready to go down a small slope, the first thing you need to do is strap up with both feet. If you need to put your board down for a second, make sure your snowboard is upside down so it doesn’t slide away. The easiest way to do this is to sit down facing the bottom of the run with your board below you. Strap your board up one foot at a time with your knees bent so you can reach the straps.
5. Stand Up
When you’re strapped up, its time to stand up and start sliding. To stand up, start by reaching one hand forward and driving your board. Use this hand to pull yourself up and at the same time push yourself up from behind. If you find this hard, get a friend to help you up the first few times.
6. Heel Slide
The first time down the slope, you’re just going to be controlling your speed by sliding on your heel edge. With the heel slide, the more you lift your toes away from the snow, the more your heel edge will dig in and slow you down. As you slide your body should be balanced over your board with your knees and hips bent, your back fairly straight, with your hands at your sides. To slide back and forth, point your hand and put a little more weight into the direction you want to go.
7. Roll Over
You also want to learn to control your speed on your toe edge. But because you haven’t been able to turning yet, you should sit down and roll over. The easiest way to roll over is to lay back, drive your leg, and pull your board over as you roll.
8. Toe Slide
For toe sliding, you can slow your speed by lifting your heel edge away from the snow or let your heels get closer to the snow to slide faster. Think of pushing your knees forward into the snow as you slide to help dig your toes in more. Slide back and forth across the hill by looking and pointing in the direction you want to go.
9. Board Straight
Once you’re confident to control your speed with your heels and toes, it’s time to get your board to straight down the hill. Find a beginner area to try this so you won’t pick up too much speed. To make your board go straight, start by putting more weight over your front foot. At the same time, point your front hand and shoulder downhill and your back and shoulders uphill. With your board going straight you can take the pressure off your boards edge and let your snowboard run flat.
10. Turning
Next you want to turn your board and control your speed. Just like you were practicing with the heel and toe sliding, your board needs to be across the hill and on edge to control your speed.
For the toe turn, you need to turn and face the top of the slope. At the same time, apply pressure to your toe edge.
For the heel turn, turn and face the bottom of the slope. At the same time put pressure on your heel edge to turn your board and control your speed.
Hopefully these few tips will get your started with a fun day on the mountain. And if you do decide to continue on with snowboarding, Powderheadz.com is a great resource to find the best equipment online.
See you on the mountains!