Tips For A Beginner- All The Important Issues Put Together In One Short Summery.

As a beginner I find that reading is great preparation for the real thing! Learn the how to’s before setting forth! This will help you learn the sport much quicker and increase your level of enjoyment! Be careful! The world of snow is a new adventure! Adrenaline will keep pumping, so keep your head on your shoulders and you will experience the most amazing ride!

The major issues are brought to your attention in this short summery. Get to know your Bindings, learn how to stand up, fall and stop, learn to use the chairlift to get on and off.

Bindings:

The bindings are what holds you and your board together. I.e. the bindings, like their name, bind your feet to the snowboard. Keep in mind, that unlike ski bindings snowboard bindings do not release your feet when you crash.

1. To get into your binding you must make sure you are located away from other riders, so you can take your time.

2. Lay board flat on the hill and put your front toot in first.

If you have click in bindings, make sure your foot is clean of snow, then put your foot in toe first and click the heal in. If you have strap in bindings, place you foot snuggled in the binding and then bend down to tighten strap.

3. Put your safety leash onto the front foot. This will keep the board from sliding away.

4. As a beginner it is advised that you sit down before putting in your back foot, so you will not slide and tip over. Check that your back foot has no excess of snow and insert it like you did your front one.

5. Before you stand up again, make sure your board is perpendicular to the hill slope, so you will not slide down until you are ready to do so. This technique is relevant when ever you are off your feet.

Standing up:

There are three ways to stand up, in all of them you must watch out that you put an equal amount of weight on both feet.

1. The push off: Easiest to do when you are sitting down to put in your back leg. place board flat perpendicular to hill and keep knees bent as you raise your bottom off the floor, push weight forward with your hands as you bring your body to stand.

2. The pull up: With kneed bent and feet close to the bottom you pull yourself up by your toes. Use one hand to push from the back if you find this too difficult at first.

3. The roll over: From a sitting position roll over so that you are sitting on your knees and your feet are at the back. Then stand up by pushing your weight backwards onto your feet.

Stopping:

Learning how to stop is essential. Stopping correctly will prevent you fro crashing into ojects or your fellow riders.

The main idea is to bring your board perpendicular to the hill and scrape to a halt. This is the same principle as stopping on hockey skates, or doing a “hockey stop” on skis. You may fall at first and that’s ok. Use already mentioned guides for standing up and practice some more.

Falling:

Any beginner falls a lot! That is just part of learning, so don’t feel bad. The following guidelines can prevent injuries even for more experienced riders, so these are some real golden tips!

1. Make a fist! Most injuries for beginners are to the fingers and wrists because your hands stop your fall and take on all your weight. No matter in which direction you fall, always!!! Make a fist.

2 .Fall forward on your kneed and forearms, not just your hands. When falling forward, blocking your fall with your knees helps your body to take in the impact of the fall and it’s force. Also this technique will prevent you from falling down on your face first, not a nice experience… Putting your forearms forwards and using them and not just your hands (in fists) helps divide fall impact and also prevents you from falling with your face into the snow.

3 .Fall backward onto your fists first and then onto your and backside. When falling backwards dividing your block between your fists and backside will help soften the fall. Land on your fists first! This will dampen the impact of landing on your backside and protect your tail bone.

The chairlift:

This is an essential tool when snowboarding and hard to negotiate for beginners. Here are some guidelines to prevent the jitters.

1. To load:

a. Take your back foot out of the binding and use it to push as you skate toward the chairlift on your board and front foot, like a skate board.

b. When you reach the front of the line look out for the chair approaching to scoop up the riders in front of you then position yourself to catch the next one.

c. Stand so your board is pointing towards the lift ramp and look back so you know exactly when to sit down.

d. When the chair comes, take hold of it and sit down. Make sure your free foot is in front of you, so you will not get tangled. also make sure your board is moving straight up the ramp, so you do not kick the rider next to you.

e. Enjoy the ride and the scenery on your way up and let your board hand comfortably.

2. To unload:

a. When you see the “prepare to unload” sign, scoot over so that you are sitting sideways, facing your directional stance.

b. As you approach the ramp, point your board forward but put your free foot on the stomt pad and hang your cheek off the edge of the chair.

c. Let your board slide forward on the ramp, then stand up and lean forward as the chair pushes you off.

d. Make sure you have moved far enough from the unloading area before you stop to strap in your back foot.