So you want to know how to snowboard for beginners, eh? The first thing to wrap your head around is that it’s not easy. Even if you’re an OK skier, learning to snowboard can be a challenge. But the cool thing is that, once you get over that initial hump, you’ve got one more thing to do in Blue Mountain when you visit.
Before You Start to Learn How to Snowboard
We’re going to start at the very beginning. That means making sure you have the right clothing, equipment and protective snowboarding gear. While we recommend maybe borrowing a snowboard while you’re learning just in case it doesn’t work out for you, you ‘ll need to find out what size of snowboard you need.
For warmth, its the three-layer rule, with a base wicking layer, under a thermal layer for warmth all covered by a windproof, water-resistant snowboarding jacket and pants. For protective gear, gloves, snowboarding boots, a helmet and goggles are the basics.
6 Tips to Learn Snowboarding for Beginners
Some of these are common sense, some you might never have thought of. Either way, they will help you get on the slopes sooner.
- Take Lessons – Yes, you might be able to teach yourself. But the time and frustration you save with proper lessons is well worth the cost.
- Find Out if You’re Regular or Goofy Footed – It will tell you which is your front foot on the board and which is the back foot. Left foot forward is regular footed and right foot forward is goofy footed.
- Learn the Right Way to Fall – It’s going to happen a lot. Learning to fall properly, with your hands and arms in close to your body, will reduce your chance of injury.
- Learn to Skate on the Board – When you’re on a flat, and you want to get somewhere, like to the lift, take your back foot from the binding and push yourself along like you’re on a skateboard.
- Look in the Direction You Want to Go – Oddly enough, we tend to go where we are looking, even when driving a car. On the snowboard, unless you are looking where you want to go, you might never get there.
- Get Edge Control – The natural “edge” is the one under your heel. You will start to learn to snowboard with your heel edge dug into the snow and your body facing down the hill. As you slowly take the weight off the heel and transfer it more towards the toe edge, it will release the board and you will start moving.
If you enjoyed this post, check out our recent article about why Blue Mountain is called Blue Mountain.
