Snowboarding with friends and family is a great activity to enjoy during winter on the mountain. There’s nothing quite like spending the day with some fresh snow, great weather and the thrill of carving up some trails. But, before you can start expertly cruising the slopes, you will have to learn the basics. Learning how to snowboard can be difficult, but with a little practice and the right instruction, you’ll be riding the slopes in no time. We’ve put together some snowboarding tips for beginners, but lessons are always the best way to learn quickly and safely.
Gearing Up
Before you can even hit the trails, you must first get the right gear. You’ll need warm winter clothes that can handle a few falls, protective equipment and the correct size snowboard so you can shred safely. The best way to stay safe and warm is to add layers like long underwear, a light fleece, thick socks, durable pants, gloves, and a neck gaiter or balaclava to protect your face. Staying warm and dry on the slopes is not just for personal comfort, getting too cold can be dangerous. Once you are warm and ready, the next step is making sure you have all the protective equipment you need. Beginners should bring sunscreen and wear a helmet, goggles, knee pads, elbow pads, and butt pads. Finding the correct size snowboard is not just fun, but also helps to keep you and everyone else on the mountain safe. When choosing a board, riders should consider their weight, riding style, ability level and height. If you need help finding a snowboard right for you, Ski Apache has a knowledgeable staff that can help assist you find the perfect board. Snowboarding for beginners can be very expensive, especially if you are new to the sport. We recommend renting your gear and equipment your first time snowboarding.
Preparation
Like any sport, snowboarding can be physically demanding. It requires strong legs, ankles and core to stay on the board while riding. Working out and increasing your flexibility can also make learning to snowboard a lot easier. When preparing your body to ride, mobility exercises are a great way to increase your range of motion. This will help you move freely without any pain or strain. While working out, focus on building strength in your lower body. Muscles like glutes, quads, hamstrings, thighs and calves are all essential when it comes to longer and better rides. Snowboarding takes a lot of stamina. Your legs will get tired, and you might not be able to cruise on the mountain for as long as you like. Regularly performing aerobic exercises that challenge your lungs and heart are a great way to improve your endurance. For best results, start training about six to eight weeks before you learn to snowboard.
Brush Up on Safety
Safety should always be your number one priority while snowboarding. Before hitting the slopes, you should identify trail boundaries, practice awareness and learn about hazards you might run into. In order to stay safe and on the trail, it’s important to be able to identify trail boundaries. Before riding the lift up the mountain, get a hold of a trail map and familiarize yourself with the terrain. It’s good to know your surroundings so you don’t get lost or out of bounds. Being aware of other skiers, snowboarders and obstacles around you is a great way to avoid crashing and accidently hurting someone. Always stay alert while you snowboard so you can identify hazardous condition signs and keep track of where you and your party are. It’s important to familiarize yourself with the possible hazards you might experience while you learn to snowboard. Learning about possible dangers such as tree wells will not just keep you safe, but all your friends and family who are learning to snowboard with you as well. Lastly, you should not snowboard alone. As a beginner, it’s very dangerous to cruise a trail by yourself. Snowboarding with a more experienced skier or snowboarder can help you pick up skills faster and learn trails quicker.
How to Snowboard
After getting all the right gear, working out and familiarizing yourself about safety on the mountain, it’s finally time to start learning how to snowboard. The fastest and easiest way to learn how to snowboard is to take lessons with a professional. Snowboard instructors are experts and will be able to teach you the fundamentals of snowboarding like proper stance, how to turn and traverse, how to move around easily, be able to give you snowboarding tips and tricks adjusting to your learning style, teach you the right way to get on and off lifts, and more. If you’re looking for expert snowboard instructors, Ski Apache has a wide range of knowledgeable professionals ready to help you. When you’re prepared for the mountain, you can focus more on the excitement of getting on your board for the first time and learning how to snowboard.