how to snowboard? -- UPDATED WITH TRIP REPORT!

[kohutek]

I'm going snowboarding tomorrow, I just found out, and I've never been. I plan on eating snow all day.

Any tips on how to snowboard for me -- el luser?

edit

Well, I got back from my trip, and boy, what an experience. Showed up at the resort at 8:30 am, rented board/boots/bindings yada yada, put them on, and headed up to the "super-easy" green slope for my first shot.

I hop on the board, and start sailing down the hill. It was cool. I fell over. I didn't feel bad. I got back up. I finished the run! I'd say that my first 3 runs were really, really, good. Then I had lunch.

After lunch, everything just went to h3ll. I decided I wasn't going to just fly down the runs at mach 10 and try not to kill myself, but instead, carve back and forth. This is where the real skill comes in -- anybody can keep their balance, but not everybody can turn. I can't. I suck. I crashed, a lot.

Damage Summary: after avoiding some retard while going mach 10, I leaned on my toe edge, then dug in to slow down, and my back edge caught something! I went flying backwards, slammed the back of my head into the ground, flipped over again, slammed my knees into the ground really hard, went over *again*, popped one foot out of the step-in locks, smash my wrist [painful!], ran my face through about 20 yards of snow, and dug my board into a 4 foot drift. Like 8 people came over "are you okay? are you alright?" ... it hurt a *LOT*

I also slammed my tailbone into the ground a lot -- it's bruised like hell. However, my wrists are in good shape, because I learned how to fall onto my arms and knees ... my whole body aches a lot, though. It's really hurtin.

After the trip, I went and soaked in my g/f's hot tub for 1/2 hour. That felt good. Then we gave each other masages, which was even better. (wink wink)

All in all, a good experience. I'd say I'm a poor boarder still, but I can really fly down the slope, crash extremely impressively, and have a mediocre ability to carve back and forth.

Thanks for all the help guys!!!

/edit

 

[toph99]

just don't let them take you down a black diamond on the first run. i found that out the hard way 2 weeks ago

good luck

 

[kohutek]

heh, no way am I doing blacks. I'm thinking some really really easy flat, non-inclined "slopes" [yes, a contradiction] are where it's at for me ... hopefully I'll just stand there, and some one can push me and I won't fall.

Seriously though, any websites or anything I can peruse before I go on my expedition of bruises and tasty snow?

 

[fake]

get wristguards.

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

And if you're seriously clumsy, you could consider a helmet.

 

[Insomnium]

No matter what you do, you're going to fall on your a$$ - it's practically invevitable. It's funny, cuz i fell like a hundred times when learning how to make turns and didn't feel anything then - but man do you feel it the day after! If you dont want that to happen you can use some extra cushioning in that area

 

[toph99]

if you're anything like me, wristguards, some padding for your tailbone(i bruised mine pretty badly) and maybe even a helmet would be a good idea

 

[Wuming]

be daring! don't be afraid of falling down cos you will!

 

[shadowfaX]

Put more balance on your toes, not on your heels, and always keep your knees bent. That only took several 100's of falls before I understood the value of that... Otherwise, be prepared for intense bodily pain that lasts for a week, and any bruises that turn out nice and black (first time I went, I came back looking like a bruised banana) But...snowboarding is the bomb, have fun!

 

[20_MuleTeam_Borax]

I would have to say the first step would be to go here and buy my snowboard

 

[FrontlineWarrior]

Play SSX and do what they do.

 

[BlueIce]

toph99.
Bwaaahahahahhah! Black diamonds on the first run. OMG!

 

[IBuyUFO]

Try not to stiffen up when you fall because you'll hurt yourself even more. Fall like a rag doll.

 

[hpkeeper]

Ooo... good question... I'm a snowboard instructor at the local hill.

- Don't stiffen up (bend your knees... don't stand straight up)

- Plan on your face/wrists/Butt hurting the next day

- there are edges to the board, those help you turn, you will learn to use them, those are what will make you fall on your face/butt till you get used to them, then they will be your friends on various types of conditions your boarding on

- pretend you are holding a tray in your hands and when you want to turn, start by using your upper body to help you turn the board as well as your lower body (I still use this now... esspecially in crowded areas of the slope where I need to manuver quickly)

That's about the best I can do for now... if you have any other questions you can PM me.

 

[duragezic]

Ugh, expect to fall. Oh and expect to be sore, very sore!! I know when I was learning I would always hurt my wrists and then my tailbone when I would take jumps. Luckily, I didn't flip backwards like I see a lot of people doing the first time I took some jumps. So when you fall, try not to land with you wrists out in spite of that being the natural thing to do to break your fall. Try to keep your hands in a fist and land on your arms close to your body.

It's pretty hard to explain in typing how to turn but the thing that took me the longest was to get my edges up. When I first tried to turn I'd just move my back foot and then I'd catch an edge. Wow did they fvcking hurt!!!! Then after many falls I finally realized that you have to use your toes or heels and lift them up to stay on that edge. Because if you try to make a left turn and your board is flat on the ground, you'll catch the toe edge and go flying forward.

Yes don't stand straight up but only slightly bend your knees. I see so many people just starting out that are ducking WAY down and not only does it look really dumb, it makes it harder to learn since you are so low to the ground.

Oh, and have fun!

edit: Tell us about it after you get done. :

 

[kohutek]

okay, so what I can tell is to do the following:

1) Do not fall on wrists. Fall on face or arms.
2) KNEES BENT!!! apparently this is important.
3) Lift toes up or lift heels up to use the edges [edges are bad for newbies?]
4) Steer with hips, not legs
5) Prepare for P.A.I.N - powerful aching injury nirvana

I go in about 6 hours! WOOOO! I'll make sure to say how it goes.

thanks,
kohutek

 

[JoeKing]

1)Definatly get wrist guards
2)Get goo gloves and other water tight gear
3)Spend time on the bunny hill
4)Use your toes and heels (like your standing on your tippy toes or leaning back on heels), if you just sit flat on your feet while boarding prepare for speed.
5)Get Knee pads
6)Stretch before doing it, remeber the board is attched to your body so you'll be twisting with the board.

Alright thats all I can think of, follow these rules and you'll soon be as good a boarder as me.....hmm come to think of it maybe you shouldnt follow my rulkes then. In any case you'll be sore as hell at the end of the day. Have Fun

Btw where are you going? I want to go up soon but in my area there is practiclly no snow yet. And I dont want to ride man made snow, hurts to bad

 

[kohutek]

I'm going to Winter Park in Colorado ... I'm a colorado springs native, so I'd figure I'd finally make use of these here mountains after 18 years of good-ol CO life.

Thanks for all the help guys! -- I'll report back later tonight -- I leave in 5 hours.
kohutek

 

[NaughtyusMaximus]

Again, wrist guards are a must.
I'm mainly a skiier (and a damn good one), but have snowboarded in the past. When I tried to do my first trick on a board, I did a 180, and landed on ice. I broke my wrist.


Ouch.

 

[luckydragon]

get prepared to be really really really sore the next day

 

[chansen]

I took my new board out for the first time two days ago. Like NM, I'm a damn good skier - racing coach, actually, but never boarded before. What I found is that you can learn to board much faster than you can learn to ski. Of course, Skiing is still better - you have leg independence, more mobility and you are generally facing the direction you are going.

Moving slowly, you will still fall quite hard at times on your knees and butt. At speed, wrist injuries are very common, as are thumb injuries. Inline skating gear is ideal for knee and wrist protection. A brain bucket would also be advisable.

Have fun!

Regards,
Craig

 

[dracman]

Just make sure you don't go on ice.

 

[jorton]

Snowboarding rocks. I bought one just before we got snow and I have been going about every weekend. It?s incredible addicting and if you keep at it you can become a decent snowboarder in a fairly short amount of time.

 

[SuperGroove]

Remember, comfy boots are a must! You'll be walking all day. The lodge becomes a viable alternative to snowboarding after you've fallen down the umpteenth time. What sucks is that there are SO many pretty girls that snowboard. Meh, it's not like you'll ever meet them. They're never in the lodge either, so no

Also, pray to God that your friends help you out. I hated it when friends just left me to learn by myself. The boots and I became very hostile towards each other.

 

[tinneric]

Ask about a learn to snowboard package, it is worth it, I took one about 8 years ago.