Snowboarding Extreme Sport Action

snowboarding. If you want adventure take the risk.

Using your Snowboard

Before you start your snowboarding experience you should know a bit about using the snowboard. If you’ve not snowboarded before it may be better to rent a board before you buy. This way you can try out different models and ranges of snowboards.

The first thing you require to do is get the correct stance. Which foot do you put to the front of the board? There are a number of ways to find this out but if you try sliding across a slippery floor in your socks the foot you put forward first is usually the one you would put to the front of your board. If it’s the left foot this is called regular stance, if it’s the right foot this is called “Goofy” stance. Either way is correct it depends on whatever stance you feel most comfortable with. You will also notice when you first step on your board that your feet will be at an angle. They do not point straight forward. Whatever is comfortable for you is where you start. For balance you should have your feet just slightly further apart than your shoulder width.

The nose of the board is usually the front of the board when you are travelling downhill, although it is not unusual to go downhill backwards with your toes pointing uphill after some practice.

The tail of the board is the back end.

The toe edge of the board is the side where your toes are pointing.

The heel edge of the board is the side of the board where your heels are.

Snowboard bindings. To stay on the board you have to have your feet bound to the board. This is done with the snowboard bindings. But one tip is to buy your snowboard boots first and then look for bindings which will fit your boots.

Like most sports you should have your knees slightly bent and flexible. You should always keep pressure on the uphill edge of your board so when going downhill this will be on your heel edge. Of course if you go down the hill backwards then the pressure will be on the toe edge of your board. If you are going downhill forwards putting pressure on the toe end of your board will cause the board to dig into the snow. This will cause the board to slow or stop dig in too much and your momentum will carry you forward causing you to tumble in a heap into the snow (not recommended unless you like lots of snow). If you are travelling downhill backwards and your heel edge digs in the same will happen. Not nice especially if you have an audience.

Balancing correctly is one of the most important things to learn when snowboarding. Your balance point is transferring your weight central relative to the surface area of the board. If you lean too far forward the board will shoot out behind you and if you shift your balance too far towards the tail of the board it will slip out in front of you. Try standing on a board on a slope without moving. Now use your ankles to shift your weight and tilt the toe end of the board up and down. Where you feel most secure that you will not tip over is your balance point. Your balance point will be slightly different depending on the type of surface you are on. In soft snow you will have to tilt the board upward slightly away from the slope more so than you would with hard packed snow.

Your weight should be evenly distributed between both feet without too much weight on the uphill foot. Mainly the steering of you board is from the surface of the board underneath your front foot. If you impart weight on either side you will start to turn but if the weight is more to the back of the board then you have lost the ability to steer. Which is not good?

So now you are gliding down the slope and steering in the right direction, but how do you stop? Being able to stop on your heels or toes is another essential skill.

To stop with your toes keep your balance, lower your weight and lean forward. Lean with your face towards uphill and your back downhill to prepare for the toe stop. At this stage your board should be perpendicular to the slope. Keep balanced lift your heels and turn sideways to lose momentum. Dig your toes into the snow slightly but not too far as you will loose balance and come to a sudden stop. Level the board out as you are slowing and coming to a stop.

 To stop with your heels again keep perpendicular to the slope and dig your heels in, this will slow you down. If you want to stop faster apply more pressure on your heels. It’s probably easier to stop with your heals rather than your toes when just starting out.

Another important part of snowboarding is turning. After all you will want to move out of the way of that tree that is looming up at you at a tremendous pace. Again face perpendicular to the direction of your travel. Initiate the turn by moving your body weight in the direction of the turn. Continue leaning in the direction of the turn until the old free edge of the board is engaged in the snow. The rider controls the turn by the inclination and the amount of rotation of the body. You can also practice on a gentle slope by sticking your arm out in front of you like a rudder. Point your arm either right or left depending which way you want to turn. By pointing your arm you will be shifting your weight in the direction you require to turn. You can also turn by again riding perpendicular to the slope and either dig your heel or your toe into the snow. If you dig your heel in you will turn heel side and toe side if you dig your toe in. Allow your head to turn in the direction you want to go because this tends to be followed by your shoulders and torso by doing this your hips and feet will follow.