When you imagine snowboarding, you probably think of a person in a helmet and goggles with a red face from the cold, huffing and puffing up the slope. But how hard can it be? After all, it’s just riding on snow? And so, even if you don’t have much experience with other snow sports like skiing, you figure it must be pretty straightforward to give snowboarding a go. That is until you find out that most people who take their first shots at snowboarding end up sitting down almost every time. So what’s the secret to staying on your feet when learning how to snowboard? The easy answer is practice. But what exactly does that entail? How do you get started? And what tips might help get you off on the right foot (or board) and stay there? Let’s take a look…
Start With the Basics
Before you even head to the snow, you want to make sure you’re as prepared as possible for the conditions you’ll be dealing with. If there’s been a lot of snow recently and you’re heading to the mountains, you might need to consider renting some snowboard boots and buying a snowboard since they’ll be better suited to the conditions. On the other hand, if you’re heading to a resort and there’s not too much snowfall, regular winter boots and a snowboard will work just fine. You also want to be sure to have different layers on as you head outside, including a thick and warm coat, a beanie, and gloves. The last thing you want is to catch a cold or get frostbite.
Try Out Different Boards and Boots
If you’ve never snowboarded before, the first thing you want to do is try out different boards and boots to see what feels most comfortable and natural to you. You can also ask other people who are in line to rent out what they like best and why—they’re often happy to share their experience and advice. You might find that one board feels much more natural for you than another, or that a certain boot is more comfortable than the rest. If you can, rent out different boards and boots for a day or two and try them out at home to see what you like best.
Go to a Good Instructor for Lessons
If you’re lucky enough to live in an area with a winter sports school, you should take advantage of the instructors there. A lot of people who have never snowboarded before head to the ski school to learn the basics and get on their feet with the help of an instructor. You’ll get a great one-on-one lesson and will have a chance to ask questions as you go along. A good instructor will have you on your feet and riding smoothly in no time, and will have lots of tips to help you avoid common pitfalls and mistakes.
Don’t Rush It
If you’re heading to a ski or snowboarding school, you might be tempted to rush through the classes and get to the slopes as quickly as possible. But you want to take your time and make sure you feel really comfortable and confident with the basics. A lot of people who rush through their classes end up feeling overwhelmed and frustrated by their inability to stay on their feet. While you might be eager to hit the slopes and get your first turns in, you’ll be much better off if you take your time and make sure you’re feeling confident with the basics before stepping out in the open. And don’t feel like you have to master all of the snowboarding tricks straight away. Getting comfortable with the basics and staying on your feet are your first and foremost goals.
Keep Your Edge
When you’re just starting out, you might feel like you’re always trying to regain your balance and keep your edge on the snow. But the key to staying balanced is keeping a firm edge on your board and pressing down into the snow. You want to try to keep your feet on the very edge of the board so that they’re getting the maximum amount of contact with the snow. This will help you keep your body weight centered and make sure you don’t lose your balance. When you’re just starting out, you don’t want to have too much of your foot in contact with the board since that will make it harder to control your movements. But as you progress, you’ll want to start shifting your foot forward and bringing more of it onto the board.
Find Where You’re Comfortable Steering
When you’re just starting out, you’ll want to make sure you’re turning towards the side of your dominant foot. So if you’re right-footed, steer towards that side of the board and vice versa. Steer towards the snow and the ground as you approach that side and you’ll find it easier to stay on your feet. If you’re unsure which side is your dominant foot, you can try the following test: Put your board up on a wall with the toe pointing towards you. Now put your foot against the wall and see which side the board is balancing towards. When you’re steering and steering towards the side of your dominant foot, you’ll also want to put more of your weight towards the back of the board since you want it to be tipped back. This will make it easier to turn towards the side you’re steering towards.
Use Your Abs and Glutes
As you’re just starting out, you want to try to use your glutes and core as much as you can to stay balanced. You can do this by tightening your glutes (like you would if you were going to sit down) and leaning back slightly as you approach a turn. This will help you stay balanced and centered on the board, and prevent you from tipping too far forward on the approach to the turn. And as you lean back slightly, you can also use your core muscles to help you stay balanced on the board.
Conclusion
When you think about it, snowboarding is a pretty amazing sport. It is one of the few sports that you can do all year-round. Yes, you will need to bundle up when it comes to the cold winter months, but other than that, you can get out on the board whenever you want. There is nothing like the feeling of gliding down a mountainside at high speed on a board, with the wind rushing through your hair and the snow crunching under your feet. And if you know what you’re doing, you will probably be able to do it without any equipment. So let this article be your guide to getting started with snowboarding.