Can someone answer some snowboarding questions for me?

Question

I am going snowboarding for the first time in March. I am going to the Copper mountain area in Colorado. I have no idea what kind of gear I am going to need to buy before I go, and I don't want to get raped by the retailers there. What can i expect? The more thurough the information the better. Please advise.

Answer 1

Well snowboarding is a very expensive sport. If you are buying a board Now and jackets and such now then your gunna get raped. but if you buy in the spring/summer you will be able to save 30-70% on jackets,boards,bindings,boots everyting.

Anyway things you are going to want to buy are...

Boots....150 would probably be a good price for a beginner

Bindings...150 and up.

Board...300 and up

Jacket...150 and up

Snow pants...200 and up. YOU want a GOOD PAIR. NO joke. Its no fun having a wet *** for 8 hours. Spyder makes some amazing pants. but very expensive. I got mine in the summer for 50% off.

Wool Socks i think they are. They absorb moisture so your feet dont sweat.

Goggles...50 and up. Make sure you spend at least 50.00 because you want ones that dont fog up. oakley, spy, dragon, annon are good makers.

If you are done growing id buy good equipment because if you buy S****y bindings and boots when you get good at snowboarding then you are just gunna end up dumping another 200 dollars into boots and bindings so you might as well just buy good ones now and wont have to upgrade later on when your skill level improves. YOu want stiff bindings by the way. and i wouldnt spend anything less then 150 on bindings or boots.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

just buy your jackets and rent the rest at the resort your going.

the average price for a package rental(with board, boots, bindings, helmets) is about 35-50. i think the price depends on the time of the day. but idk about colorado.

anyways when i first went snowboarding i rented my stuff for 30 bucks(board and bindings)

Answer 3

a ton of people i know have all said they REALLY want to go snowboarding, but when they do, they end up quitting because it is difficult to learn at first. so see if you want to really keep doing it after your first time; rent your hard equip (board boots bindings) from the resort or from a shop or something, for maybe the first few times you go. after that if you are still doing it, dump a lot of money into your gear, i spent 500 on my board, 200 some on my bindings and close to 200 on my boots and they are WORTH IT. the feel is just 200X times better than the usual step in rentals.

for clothes, depends on your blood circulation. i just wear long cotton socks and my feet dont get cold. for a jacket, get something waterproof, from say LL bean or something. you dont have to pay $300 on a jacket if you don't want to, any waterproof jacket will do. same with pants, i bought a pair from Zumiez (lol) for only $90 and they come complete with vents, fully taped seams etc. i can even sit in the snow for hours waiting for my friends to finally make it down the hill, and not get the slightest bit wet. -so theres jacket and pants.

Goggles are a must, they keep your eyes from drying out. just find a pair that have dual lenses, i got a pair for 40 bucks and they are amazing (Smith's).

Most important for dressing...A HAT. get something that covers your head, and your DEFINITELY your ears. otherwise you will have a horrible time on the mountain.

Answer 4

This is a really common issue for many first time riders, what equipment to get and from where.  The first question that you have to answer is this a sport that you will continue to enjoy for years.  Also how frequently will you be able to enjoy hitting the slopes?  Finally what kind of rider will you be, park, big mountain, moguls?

All of these questions need to be answered before you look for equipment because it will determine what equipment you will get.  Just like most things in life you get what you pay for.  If this is something that you are going to do just a few days a year, then less expensive equipment will work just fine.  If you are going to be moving to the mountains and sleeping on peoples couches so that you can spend every waking hour on the mountain, then you needs are very different.

For your particular situation, you don’t know what kind of experience that you will have so I would recommend renting everything.  Copper will have it all at the rental shops both on the mountain and in town. Ask your hotel for recommendations. That way if you do not enjoy yourself or will not spend many days on the mountain each year, you do not have a lot of money invested in equipment that will just get dusty in a closet somewhere.  Good quality synthetic/wool socks, a comfortable beanie hat, and possibly some thermals are all that I would buy.  

If you do love it, talk to the people around to see what they like, notice the brands on the mountain, rent different boards.  As you gain experience you will be able to buy a great set up for you.  Check out ebay for multiple examples of people that did not buy the right equipment or thought that they would get more use out of it.

Copper is a great mountain and a great place to learn, you should have a blast.  Be sure to take a few lessons to speed the learning curve.

And to Don above, Spyder does make great stuff but is a ski equipment company and designs their stuff for skiiers.