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An easy guide to the art of snowboarding
Step 1: Be prepared
Take this guide with you to the slops. Dress for the snow but make sure to dress comfortable as well. Do not forget your gloves and goggles. Since the wrists are vulnerable especially at when starting out, it is advised that you will wear protectors. Make sure you have all equipment required and start with a soft board and boots. Step in binders make it simpler.
Step 2: Get used to being strapped to your board
Get into your bindings and attach them (and yourself) to the board on a flat surface. Make sure your feet are snug in the binders and that you are properly strapped to the board. Jump around to make sure all is tight and tied. Get used to the feeling of having the board attached to both of your legs
Step 3: Climbing up the slope
To get a little speed you need to climb up an incline. Take your back foot out of the binding and walk up the incline. In order to avoid sliding down backwards when stepping on the foot still bound to the board, put the snowboard down perpendicular to the slope, then take a step with your free foot and repeat this process until you have gained a little slope.
Step 4: Your first movement
Put the snowboard perpendicular to the slope and with your front foot and head facing downward. Bind your back leg to the board and keep your weight on your heels. When you are ready to slide down point your toes (weight forward) a little and you will start moving. When wanting to stop, pull back on your toes. Try to practice moving and stopping.
Step 5: Skating onto the chair lift
Just like using a skateboard, riders will have to maneuver on flat land and especially when getting on the chair lift. Thus the front foot is bound to the board and the back foot is free to push the rider forward. So basically the rider is skating on the snowboard using one foot. Practice skating before nearing the lift.
Step 6: How to get off the chair lift
Go to an area with a slight incline to simulate getting off the chairlift. Only your front foot is bound to the board. Point the board down the slope and put your weight on your front foot (you just landed on it from the chair) and start sliding down. Now press your back foot on the stomp pad near the back binder and glide to a stop.
Step 7: Getting to your first slope
After you feel secure in sliding and stopping on flat ground and on a slight incline you are ready for your first slope. Find the beginner’s chairlift, every resort has one. Watch the riders get on and off the lift until you feel you understand the technique of doing so. Now it is time to ride the lift up and to snowboard down.
Step 8: The falling leave sliding pattern
The best way to get down your first slope is to slide down back and forth like a falling leaf along the trail. Make sure your weight is leaned backwards toward the heelside of the board. This is called heelside riding. Treat your front foot like a gas pedal, when you press on your front toe you slide forward and when you want to stop pull back to your front heel. Try to slide across the run and then stop while turning to the other direction, slide to the other side of the run and stop again. This is the best way to get sliding little by little and to get to know the slope and your abilities. On the next run you can try snowboarding on your toeside edge. This means pushing down on your front heel to move forward and then pulling up to stop.
Step 9: The J-Turn
Once you are comfortable with the falling leaf on both your heelside and toeside you are ready for the next step. The J turn means you are sliding facing the slope and then you turn to come to a stop. Try this on both your heelside and toeside all the way down the run.
Step 10: Link your J turn
Now when you have the individual heel and toeside turns down, it is time to link them and go on your first smooth ride down the slope in the perfect falling leaf pattern. As soon as you finish the heelside turn press down your toes to go forward again and go right into a toeside turn. Next press your heel to go down hill and right into anther heelside turn.
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What are the steps to make a snowboard??? Thanks Dylan