Snowboarding 101: 10 More Tips for Beginners

SnowSportMoves


 

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.


Powderheadz.com

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!

Snowboard Equipment Guide: Ski Goggles

SnowSportMoves

Hey guys, here are some tips to buy ski goggles:

 

  1. Purchase a Pair before you get to the Mountain:
    • Any sporting goods, ski and snowboarding, or outdoor gear store should have a pair before the season starts.  You’ll often pay less, and you’ll have more time to make an informed decision.
    • Don’t shop at a snow resort unless you have to.  Many resorts have a limited selection and a high mark-up.
  2. Ask questions:
    • There are so many different goggles out there that it can be hard to choose. You will often get sage advice from a sales rep who has used them at many of the ski and snowboard shops.
    • Better yet, you can always find a pair of the best ski goggles online. Many sites online will give you a good bit of information before you decide going to a store.
  3. Choose the right lens tint (Weather, Terrain, and Activity all play a part in your decision):
    • Yellow, Gold, and Amber work well in low-light and fog because they filter out blue light and emphasize shadows.  They are also good in moderate and variable light conditions.
    • Light Rose, Rose, and Copper are also great on low-light days.
    • Copper, Dark Brown, Dark Gray, and Dark Green work well in bright light because they will keep your eyes comfortable and increase contrast.
    • Grey lenses are good for seeing “true” colors.
    • Mirror coatings enhance tinted lenses effectiveness by reflecting sunlight instead of letting some in.
    • Photochromic lenses become lighter or darker depending on light.  They usually come in grey or brown.
    • Polarized lenses reduce glare from sunlight reflecting off the snow and are great when it’s bright out but not ideal later on in the day when shadows are bigger and longer.
    • Many goggles now have interchangeable lenses allowing you to buy more than just one lens for your ski goggles.
  4. Try on as many as you can:
    • It’s best to test them at the store than on the mountain.
    • Make sure they fit.  Take the time to adjust the straps on your head and see if they are easily adjustable.
    • Make sure they are comfortable.  Most goggles will have layers of foam padded in the back of the goggle to cushion your face.
    • If you have high cheekbones or a shallow nose, consider “Asian” fit goggles.
  5. Look for UVA and UVB light protection:
    • Ultraviolet light can actually give your eyes a sunburn in the short-term.  Long-term damage includes cataracts and other eye diseases.
  6. Peripheral Vision:
    • Look for a pair of goggles that allow you to see 180 degrees from side to side to help you avoid obstacles and other riders.  Spherical lenses often have the most amount of peripheral vision.
  7. Look for anti-fogging features:
    • Pick goggles that have double lenses that prevent fog from forming inside the frame.
    • Anti-fog coating inside the goggle helps, as well as vents around the frame.
  8. Make Safety a priority:
    • Look into impact-resistant materials such as polycarbonate.
    • Flexible frames and lenses are less likely to break during a bad fall.
  9. Look for nice to have features:
    • Scratch-resistant coating will increase the longevity of your goggles.
    • Some goggles have built in User Interfaces and GPS capabilities that track your speed and location like the the Zeal Optics Z3 GPS Live goggles.
  10. Take care of your goggles:
    • Always keep your goggles in a soft pouch or lined case to prevent scratches.
    • Take note of the warranty and return policies of your goggles.  Most places won’t accept damaged goggles after you’ve used them.

Hope these tips help!  See you on the mountains!

Snowboarding 101: Tips for Beginners

SnowSportMoves



Snowboarding 101


Hey guys, here’s a great video to get you started on how to snowboard:

First thing you have to understand as a snowboarder is gravity. Unless you’re being towed by a rope or something, gravity is your only source of acceleration when riding a snowboard. You should realize that all you’re doing is either changing it’s direction when turning or resisting it altogether when braking.  Knowing this, you should also pay closer attention to the slope of the hill. If you don’t want to move, you have to stay perpendicular to the slope and maintain constant edge pressure. Otherwise, gravity will pull you down. The board is just a plank of wood, but you’re constantly using the board’s edges to direct which way gravity will pull you.


Posture


It’s important to remember to keep your shoulders above your board. This is the best way to avoid falling. Lean back too much and your heel edge will slide out from under you.  Same with your toe edge if you lean forward too much. You also want to keep your center of gravity low, so bend your knees and keep your butt down.

It’s also a good idea to maintain soft knees as well so you can absorb all the little bumps.  If you have stiff or locked knees and your legs are straightened out, chances are those bumps will send you flying. It’s important to stay centered on your board as well. If you sit on your back foot and tail too much your nose will lift and with no edge to initiate, you won’t be able to complete the turn. So keep your body centered.


Turns


If you’re finding it hard to initiate your turns, chances are your nerves are getting the better of you. So keep telling yourself to lean on your forward foot.  Try to resist relying on your arms to initiate your momentum.  Keep them in and let your body and core do the work.  There’s no need to rush when learning turns. Take your time and brake down. If you’re switching from one edge to another, you don’t have to kick out your back foot as soon as you change to the other edge.  Take however long you need to round off the turn smoothly. Stay patient.


Falls


Eventually, when you are learning how to snowboard, you will end up falling. Often. It’s okay. The most important thing you do is to stand back up and try again.  Remember to take your time and don’t rush progress. Just make sure you have a good pair of ski gloves on to keep your hands protected from scrapes.


You’ll find as you progress, snowboarding is really all about reacting to your terrain.  The faster you can react to counterbalance your terrain, the better rider you’ll be. Last but not least, be safe and have fun out there.

See you on the mountains!


SnowSportMoves