I Learned How to Snowboard

Snowboarding is my favorite winter activity. Learning how to snowboard was incredibly fun. For years I had strapped on a pair of skies and ripped down the mountain. I love taking a vacation to the mountains and hitting the slopes. I had watched these kids surf down the mountain on a snowboard thinking that it looked pretty fun but it seemed that it was for the younger set. Boy was I wrong.

My brother had moved to Colorado years ago and had taken up snowboarding. He learned quick and was always trying to convince me to give it a try when I would come out for my annual visit. I would fly into Denver and we would load up and head West to one of our favorite resorts like Keystone, Copper Mountain or Steamboat Springs. He would bring his snowboard and I would rent a pair of skis and off we would go down the slope.

He finally convinced me to learn how to snowboard. I decided during one visit I would only snowboard for the week. We decided to snowboard at Keystone and Copper that week. So when we arrived into the Dillon, CO. e went and rented a snowboard at one of the shops outside the resort areas. I got a good deal on a rental and the guys in the shop were careful to make sure I would be riding the right one for my first time.

We decided to start out at Keystone. I had made the smart decision that I wanted to take snowboard lessons. I can generally pick things up fairly quickly but I knew that it would be a lot harder to actually do than how it looked. I was right. Learning to snowboard is no joke.

I got signed up for the class for the day. It was reasonably priced. We took the gondola to the top of the mountain to the beginner slope area. They had a gentle slope fenced off with a cool escalator that you would ride to the top. The instructor was fantastic and the class was small.

We went over the basics of how to stand on the snowboard. How to balance. Then it was time to actually ride the snowboard. We learned the basics of sideslipping both heelside and toeside. She would have us simply traverse the width of the slope and then stop. Which of course stopping at first was more like crashing down in the snow the first few times. Sideslipping was a great way to learn how to snowboard. So let's say you were pointed toe first into the slope, you would glide down the slope at an angle to the other side and stop. Then you would kneel down and rroooollll over flipping the board until your heel was now into the slope, with your back to the slope. Then I traversed back to the other side. Stop. Sit on my butt. Then flip over again.

The one thing that took a lot of work was actually being able to make the traverse without stopping. It took some courage to force yourself to make that turn. As you were going from toeside to heelside you would have to trust that you would make the transition because during the maneuver you would end up pointing downhill, if just for a split second. A couple of times I wasn't able to make the smooth toeside to heelside transverse, or vice versa, smoothly and panicked because I was pointed straight downhill and gaining speed. I ended up bailing into the snow many time.

It basically takes a little bit of courage to make that turn from toeside to heelside and vice versa. You just have to commit. Eventually it gets easier.

Of course we had limited access to a chairlift and learned how to mount and get off the thing. That was humbling the first couple of times. You remain strapped onto your snowboard and let the other foot hang off. When you get ready to come off the chairlift you have balance on your one foot and let the other foot stand on the board, not strapped in. The first couple of times was tough to keep my balance. But like everything involved with riding the snow, with enough practice you learn how to effectively dismount the chairlift.

My first day of snowboarding lessons didn't really go beyond those lessons. At the end of the day we were supposed to get back on the gondola for a ride back down. I skipped the class and headed down the intermediate slope with my brother. I didn't go fast but I had a great time trying to make my way down with minimal falls. The one thing that got me was catching a front edge from time to time. The problem with that when learning how to snowboard is you simply come to a dead stop.

I spent the rest of the week practicing my skills. I have gotten to the point now where I can make nice turns down the slope. I still have to work on my speed as I'm not that comfortable going flat out. But I have managed to learn to how to do an ollie and switch to fakie fairly easily. Nothing exciting but fun anyway. I doubt I'll progress to any more advanced tricks.

The best thing about learning how to snowboard is the feeling of simply surfing down the slope. I find it more enjoyable than skiing now. I haven't felt like going back to skiing since I first stepped on the snowboard.

Before you go out to the slope you should take a little time and get yourself in shape for the activity. Snowboarding will work your thighs. Doing leg specific exercises like squats, lunges, legs extensions, etc., will help greatly. You will still be sore after your first day on the slope but you will recover faster and feel fresher longer if you workout prior to your trip. Unless you are going to be on the slopes every weekend and can realistically 'board your way into shape, you will have to prepare for your week long vacation on the slopes.

Before you go to the slope make sure you have the right gear for the snow and cold. You can always take off layers if/when you heat up on the slopes. Make sure you have goggles to protect your eyes from the snow, wind and potential limited visibility. A helmet is seen as a necessity these days. You will also want to carry a water pack/bladder of some kind as well. even though you might be cold, staying hydrated is very important. Plus with a pack you can stash gear you do not need when you want to. It sure beats heading off the slopes and storing your stuff in a locker.

Other than having your equipment ready and preparing physically there is not much you can do to be ready until you start sliding down the slope.