Going snowboarding...Any tips?!?

Question

My boyfriend and I are going snowboarding this weekend. I have only tried it once, and that was two years ago.

I have skied for many years but I need help with snowboarding.

Any tips on what to do to start out as a beginner?

I know im going to do the bunny hills..haha..

But other than that, tips would be great!

ESPECIALLY tips for getting on and OFF the ski lift, kind of scared about that one!

Thanks :]

Answer 1

lol...i had trouble with getting off the lifts too (i'm a beginner also) What i suggest is that you ride it out. If your left foot foward (meaning your left foot is your lead foot when you snowboard) you just keep your right foot on the board and glide. Eventually, you will come to a stop. DO NOT USE YOUR RIGHT FOOT TO STOP THE BOARD OR TAKE YOUR RIGHT FOOT OFF. I tried it, ended up doing the spits and it hurts. Also, when your getting ready to get off, you want to turn your feet so that its facing to your right and your board would be going in the same direction as the slope thing.

if your right foot foward, its still the same thing, but the other way instead.

hope it helps.

Answer 2

while actually boarding, NEVER look at your feet. you'll lose your balance and beef it. and be ready when you get off the lift.

good luck and HAVE FUN!! :]

Answer 3

I know the feeling.

1. On the way up imagine yourself getting off really smoothly and easy ( i know it sounds retarded but when you imagine yourself falling you tend to fall)

2. Let the chair push you... get up as soon as possible and the let the chair push you all the way off.

p.s feel free to message me if you have more questions!!!!

3. Put your hand out and point where you want to go.

4. Get off in an athletic stance (feet apart)

5. Last but not least put more weight on your front foot!!!

Answer 4

Yes, a big tip and it will help- if you can do it, rent and instructor for an hour! It helps immensely! Fact is, snowboarding sucks the first couple times until you get the right balance- so hang in there and dont give up!

If you cant, here are some tips"

Keep your knees BENT! If you lock them up, your whole body will stiffen and you'll bite it.

Start with heelside slides first, to get your balance, and learn how to stop. Keep your board perpendicular to the slope, so youre sliding on the wide edge. press your toes a little and go forward a bit, then pull them up to stop. do this all the way down the hill, then do it again, going backwards (its not as scary as it seems) this time using your toes to stop you. I suggest you do this a little until you start to feel more balanced, THEN let your boyfriend teach you how to turn. It feels dumb, but it makes the process so much easier!

Last of all, hang in there! You remember when you first started skiing, Im sure it sucked for a few days then got fun- its the same here.

Youre already used to going downhill on snow, so you'll pick up quick. Its just learning the differences in balance. Have fun!!

Answer 5

If you only went once and it was two years ago I'd recommend taking a quick morning lesson to get refreshed on the basics.

Stick to the bunny trails and tell your boyfriend to go do a run on his own if he's getting itchy for some speed.  It'll take you a while to get riding and get your turns nailed.

Don't carry anything breakable in your pockets because you'll spend some quality time falling over and you don't want to break your phone or camera.

For the lifts - skate into place to wait for the chair and then put the toes/ball of your back foot onto the board so you can just slide it along the snow until you're in the air.  When the lift is almost at the end turn yourself around, get ready to stand up and just concentrate on standing on the board.  Don't worry about turning or anything at all, just stand on it and it'll take you down just fine.

Have fun!

Answer 6

I hope your boyfriend is good so he can help you out! If he is decent at snowboarding, have him help get you comfortable with heel-side and toe-side turns. These are the two types of turns in snowboarding. For instance, I helped my friend with these turns by having her go toeside down the mountain; I held her hands and went heel-side. Then we'd practice the other way. That just helped her feel comfortable with it.

Also, have a good stance....bend your knees, don't stand straight; the bending helps retain control over bumps, etc. My friend who's a snowboarding coach described it as a "cowboy" stance.

For the ski lift, just try and relax, don't try and turn too fast. Just turn your body when you're almost at the landing, put your board on the snow, and let the chair lift sort of give you a little push. If all else fails balance on the BF. :)

Answer 7

well, if it's your first time in two years, you won't be going on the chairlift, so you don't need to worry about it, but when you are, i found it easiest to kind of skate off of the little hill, rather than riding with your back foot out... at least when you're learning