Tips for a n00b snowboarder

[banzaimf]

Know how to fall, single most common injury is broken wrist from people sticking their hands straight out. Instead, put them so that one palm is close to the back of the other hand in front of your forehead palms out. Kinda like wiping sweat off your forehead with the back of your hand, but using both hands.

Keep you butt down. You want your butt to be about 3 to 4 inches lower than where you normally walk.

Relax.

Find boots that fit you right. This is the biggest block to people having a good time on boards.

Get a lesson

[Sooky]

Well, I cant really add to what others have said, but I used to snowboard quite often and would definitely recommend getting a lesson. I know Snowpixie and Banzai already mentioned it, but even one lesson helps immensely.

[FalconGuy016]

Thanks a lot for the tips

[RobAGD]

Having just gone right at New Years Ill give you a few things I picked up.

#1 Make sure your borad is sized correctly for you and your boots. I wear an 11 and they gave me a 150 board. Turns out my toes drag when I went front side edge, That little problem caused me all kinds of grief once the slops started icing up.

#2 Walk up a small hill and get the feel for the board, just putz down and if you have good friends have them help you a little. Dont worry about being on the "bunny" slope you hav eto learn. You will fall, try to land on your but and because using your hands to catch yourslef.

#3 Have Fun and not get to worked p on getting to the blue trails, I had a hill hand me my butt because I wasnt ready for it yet. ( took 3 tries )

-Robert

If your going to Liberity, get your rentals local ( $25 at EC Boards in FX ) and then you only have to get a lift pass. And the gear your getting tends to be a little better than what you get at the site. rental and Lift was about 80-90 for teh day 8 hr lift pass.

[nippinout]

I've taught a few friends to board.

Here's what is most important.

Get a lesson. I didn't get any lessons and learned myself. To this day, I have very poor form.

These things should always be concentrated on as a beginner:

1) Bend your knees

2) Hold your hands on the sides of the board, like you're a cowboy ready to duel.

3) The board is a big flat ugly piece. It won't want to travel straight line like a ski, it will want to rotate and you will hook your edge and fall. To prevent this, just alternate your weight from toe to heal.

This rocking motion will keep you on a edge and off the base. This way, you will be able to travel a straight path without the board's edge hooking on the snow.

4) Know how to fall safely. If you are going to fall on your back, don't stick your hands back. Curl your head in and use the rump to cush the landing, and roll on your back on touchdown.

5) Don't give up. Almost everybody who snowboards is pretty good after their third time out riding. This is pretty true for everyone. You might not be able to hot dog or ride diamonds, but you can get down greens with out falling and with some decent speed. Most of all, you learn to be comfortable.

For a forward fall, take it with your knees and forearms. Bend your forearms up to your chest, don't extend them.

I didn't learn any of this. I learned from pure pain and error.

Have fun man, be safe.

EDIT:

Skating is where you skate like a skateboard. One boot locked in, one boot free. Helps you get around when you are getting on and off of the lift.

Learn how to skate well. All you really need to do is lock your front leg, and push with the back leg. It will be odd at first, because your front leg will be twisted inwards. Get into a skating position, and just lock that front leg up til it's comfortable.

Also, ask the lift operator to assist you, and tell him it's your first time. You will be falling when getting off of the lift, I still do sometimes. Don't be embarassed, everybody went through the same thing.

Same with paintball, we're all noobs at one point.

[Intimidator]

Always keep more weight on your front foot then on your back. When I carve (turn by moving the back end and leaning while stay on the edge that you are turning) I slightly lift my back foot too. It makes it Hella-Easy. And dont try any jumps your first day no matter what size.

[gimp]

The hardest part for me when I started riding was just commiting to the turns. I would visualize just the board, no bindings on it or anything, going through the snow. I'd think about what I'd have to do to not catch an edge, what I'd have to do to turn correctly. My body would just follow that. I picked it up pretty quickly. I skied for 12 years before I started though, so I was already pretty familiar with going down a hill. A lot of my friends were pretty good when I learned, so I just watched them. Watched how they turned and everything. I'd also get pegged with snowballs if I was to far behind and they would have to stop and wait for me, so that would motivate me to get moving. Oh, and I'll recommend this to everyone. Buy a helmet. I won't go out without one. Mine has paid for itself a number of times. Its beat up pretty bad.

Happy Riding!

[BobTheCow]

UPDATE

well, i just talked to jeff (falconguy).
he somehow broke his arm on the FIRST run on the FIRST day he was out there. *shakes head* the guy he went with (pbguy87), messed up his knee on the second day, so they basically ended up watching everybody else hit the slopes for the next two days.

The only thing I'm wondering is...HOW WILL JEFF BE ABLE TO TYPE??!! *gasp* oh darn, we might hafta do without him for the 2 and a half weeks he'll have a cast!!

[FalconGuy016]

http://www.automags.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=66553