A Dummy’s Guide to Snowboarding

Dummy's Guide to Snowboarding

For a sport that had just been invented a few decades ago, snowboarding has gained popularity at an astonishing rate. It has been a Winter Olympic Sport since 1998, and is now arguably the second most popular snow sport after skiing.

Snowboarding evolved from the skateboarding culture in the United States. The combination in the use of wide boards with ski-like foot fixtures gave birth to snowboarding. In this article, you will learn some great tips to help you get started in the sport.

Before you embark on your first snowboarding adventure, you need to make some preparations before you hit the slopes. The first thing to do is to make sure you have enough clothes on. You just won’t have as much fun if you are shivering cold. The more clothes you have on the better. You should have at least four layers of clothing on you – a snug layer of winter underwear, a fitting t-shirt, a nice fluffy sweater and a jacket. Also make sure that you pack your sunscreen, equipments and check the weather forecast before you leave home.

For beginners, it is not advisable to spend a small fortune on your first board. When you are learning to snowboard for the very first time, your snowboard is bound to go through lots of bumps and falls. Get a cheap or second-hand board for your first lesson.

As a general rule, it’s always better to go for snowboarding lessons with an expert. There are lots of safety tips and rules that you have to adhere to when you are on the slopes, and having a professional with you will ensure that you have safe and pleasant experience.

Nevertheless if you have decided to dabble in snowboarding on your own, make sure you do a little research on techniques and safety rules before you hit the slopes.

The very first thing that you will have to learn is how to hold a snowboard stance. A stance is the manner which you position your legs on the board. There are two types of stance in snowboarding – the regular stance and goofy stance. A regular stance is where you place your left foot in front of the board, with your right foot in the back, while a goofy stance is where you place your right foot in front of the board. Most people feel natural with a regular stance, so it is best that you first practice with your left foot in front. After several runs, if you still feel awkward, try switching to the other stance.

It is important that you strap in well into your boots. The tighter the fit, the easier it will be for you to make turns. For your first time, place both feet on the board, but only strap in one foot so you can use the other foot for balance if you slip.

When you stand on the board, the distance between you feet should be slightly more that the width of your shoulders. Bent your knees and distribute your body weight evenly over both with your eyes looking forward.

When you have mastered your stance, the next thing to do is to practice your balance on a straight glide. Practice gliding down a gentle slop in a straight line and learn to maintain your balance on the board. All this time, you can use the unstrapped foot to regain your balance if you slip.

Once you have gotten the hold of gliding in a straight line, you can now try to add some turn to it. If you wish to glide to your right, gently press down the toes of your front foot towards the right. It may take a few attempts before you get a hang of it.

An important technique to learn on your first lesson is stopping. It is not much fun to crash into something every time you need to stop. To stop a glide, gently tip your back foot to the side. This was cause the side of the snowboard to dip into the snow, causing friction that slows down the glide. This is known as the side slip. When performing a side slip, make sure that your feet do not touch the snow, as this will cause you to trip.

These are just some of the basic techniques in snowboarding. Look out for the next installment on snowboarding tips!

Photo Credit: ~ggvic~

Originally posted 2008-10-27 04:55:14.

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