Q: I picked up snowboarding this winter and now I'm hooked. What are some tips on how I can get better fast?
A: This is one of my favorite questions asked by riders just starting out. The bottom line: you can't get better fast. Everyone progresses at their own pace, and to "accelerate" your natural learning curve basically means you'll be visiting the hospital.
There aren't any tips to getting magically better at riding, but the same things riders have been doing since the dawn of snowboarding still hold true if you want forge ahead in the sport.
You still have to practice a shit ton if you want anything to happen. You will progress whether you are riding daily or once every year, but don't expect to get better by leaps and bounds if you have to get a year of rust off your legs first.
Freestyle snowboarding spawned a phrase, "easy style it", meaning you always want to start small and work your way up. This gem of knowledge is key to progression, because it can be hard to snowboard if you are lying injured in bed.
Start by learning to turn on harder slopes, then see about doing small ollies, then take those to small jumps, etc. Eliminate unnecessary risk factors by building your skills in small steps.
"Respect gets respect" is another golden rule of snowboarding. Snaking lines and disregarding the safety of others will get you forced right off the mountain. It just takes a hint of courtesy and awareness and you are all good; some riders might even be down to teach you a trick.
Finally, the age old adage "Have Fun With It!"
Sometimes the harder you focus on something, the more difficult it becomes to achieve. It goes without saying: you shouldn't have to force yourself to snowboard. Keep an open mind and don't think that any time spent riding is wasted.
I know riders these days can huck themselves hundreds of feet into the air, and maybe that's where you would like to be; but line up a row of snowballs and try to spin over each of them and see how much fun something so stupid can be...
and still you'll be practicing, and getting better at, snowboarding.
Showing posts with label QandA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label QandA. Show all posts
QandA - When Should I Start Snowboarding Switch?
Q: I am thinking of trying to ride switch, but I'm not sure if I'm ready or if I even need to. Any tips or advice?A: Even if you don't plan to ever set foot in a park, the best time to start snowboarding switch is as soon as possible! Riding switch is another skill, another trick of the trade, that only adds to the challenge and enjoyment of snowboarding.
Once you start connecting S-turns and doing basic carving, you are ready to start riding switch.
Why is it a good idea to start learning to ride switch right away? First, the steps you use to turn your board will still be fresh in your mind; it will be much easier to recall what made your board start turning in your regular stance and reverse it to produce switch riding.
Second, it's important for you to begin riding switch before you get too accustomed to life on your dominant leg; nobody likes going back to the bunny slopes to learn how to ride switch when they are so used to (and good at) tearing up the hill in their regular stance.
There is only one tip to riding switch... though it may seem cliche: practice!
Most people are just too comfortable, or maybe too proud, to purposely try something that makes them look like first time snowboarders. Take it from me, the first few runs of switch riding will be have a lot of caught edges and other embarrassing slams... but you have to tough it out, just like you did when you learned to snowboard, if you want those switch turns to start shaping nicely.
The good news is it won't take as long to learn to ride switch as it did to learn to snowboard. The biggest trick to riding switch is remembering to weight your front (once back) foot for the most control. You'll tend to fight the sensation of moving in the opposite direction for a while, but again practice is the only way to get things right.
QandA - What Beginner Riders Should Look for in Snowboard Gear
Q: I'm a beginner and I don't know what things I should look out for when buying a board, bindings, or boots? I guess any help is appreciated!
A: Of course the easiest, fastest, and best way to get your gear would be to visit your local shop where the rep will hook you up with gear that a.) fits and b.) is appropriate to your riding level. Fit is the most important thing you deal with when gear shopping, if it doesn't fit than there's nothing you are going to do that will make it work.
As a beginner you should look for a true-twin (nose/tail same length, shape, and flex; binding screw slots are centered on board-;aka no setback).
Most manufacturers rate their board on a flex rating. For beginners, on a scale from 1-10, you want a board around the 3s.
There are two measures of board flex: along the length of the board for presses/ollies, and across the width of the board for control and initiating turns (from heel to toe; if you strapped your board in sitting down and pushed the ball of your foot down on your binding like a gas pedal, your board will twist. This is flex across your board). An beginner board needs to flex just as soft across as it does along the length, since beginners rely on some extra give when they are mastering their balance and turning technique. This will minimize edge catches and maximize board control.
Entry-level boards will have a longer effective edge/shallower sidecut to produce long, controlled turns. Think longboard versus short board in skateboarding or surfing: A bigger, wider board in surfing or skating equals a board with a longer effective edge and shallower sidecut in snowboarding.
In terms of board height, no higher than your chin. Even if you are young and growing, if you get a board too big for your weight and height you are going to have a lot of trouble controlling it.
Now for the big question, should you buy reverse camber or not?
I think reverse camber has a place helping beginning riders who are not able to engage/complete turns or are catching edges frequently, but if you are past that don't rule out camber. I think once riders get over basic errors in connecting turns, they need to progress to intiating the turn, shaping the turn, and changing edges using the loading properties of a traditional cambered board. This is very technical, I know; but trust me, if you get a cambered snowboard you will not regret it as you progress into the park and steeps. Grab yourself a reverse camber deck when you start nailing advanced park stuff, or for deep powder excursion.
A common misconception is that if you get an entry-level board as a beginner that you will end up needing a new board sooner than later to start hitting the steeper and more challenging parts of the mountain, and this is simply not the case. Most any board properly sized to the rider will go anywhere within resort boundaries that you want it to, but one constructed specifically for beginners will make your learning experience more enjoyable.
For binders, get something softer flexing so you don't dig an edge in every time you shift your weight; it goes without saying you want the binding (S, M, L) to fit your boot.
For boots, again it would be smart to go with a softer flexing boot at first. Or if you intend to ride more than 30 days, you can accomodate for added flex during break-in by buying a stiffer boot. BOOT FIT is something so important that I made it bold, then underlined it. Forget personal taste and company preference for a second, you need a boot that is right for your foot and ankle shape. Your boot needs to fit *snuggly*, meaning your big toes should be touching.
Subtract at least a size from your shoe size to adjust for break-in. Again even if you are young and growing, accept the fact that you are buying new boots every year because if your boot doesn't fit you can stifle progression or even end up quitting altogether in frustration; it makes things that unpleasant.
The only fool-proof tip to boot shopping? Go to a shop and try on as many boot companies and models as you can; there will definitely be standouts that felt way more comfortable than others...and bring legit snowboard socks.
I'm not much for specific model recommendations, but here are some companies with solid snowboards, boots, and bindings:
Humanity
Ride
O-Matic
K2
Burton
Salomon
Nitro
Never Summer
Rome
Capita
Nidecker
Head
Vans
DC
ThirtyTwo
Stepchild
LibTech
GNU
Forum
Union
and plenty more, but that's a running start. Most companies will say outright that a board is beginner friendly, but if not you will generally find boards with the construction I described under $400. When in doubt, e-mail the company and ask; they are always stoked to help out a potential customer.
QandA features real answers to real questions from real people. Help out by sending your snowboard related questions to DesertsDontSnow@gmail.com.
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