Snowboarding
Start off on the right foot
SnowboardsIt seems everyone has shredding on the brain these days. Once known as winter rebels, snowboarders have surfed into the mainstream, leaving traditional skiers in their powdery dust. In 1965, Sherman Poppen hammered together two kid's skis and developed what would later evolve into the snowboard. He called his invention the snurfer. Despite the idea being a short-lived flop, he sold the idea to Brunswick , and in the 1980s snowboarding popularity exploded. Considered an indie sport and populated with questionable athletes and high-risk antics, most hills prohibited snowboarding on groomed slopes - even as recently as 1985.
Today snowboarding is as common as bubble gum, but that doesn't make first attempts at the sport any less sticky.
Getting Started
You may set your sights high on your first attempt - but don't get too cocky. The snowboard learning curve is steeper (and more dangerous) than most. Using a polar opposite approach than to alpine skiing, snowboarders slide sideways down the hill, so loosen up those square shoulders if you're used to skiing.
This initial start can be difficult for the best of athletes, but it's mostly about challenging your mind to interact differently with your muscles. It helps to break the sport into smaller techniques.
Stance and balance are fundamental. Stand feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent with one hand over the tip and the other over the tail of the board. To move, look in the direction you want to go and shift your weight onto your front foot.
The hardest position (and the most important) is maintaining your weight on the front foot while keeping your body at the same angle as the slope. Reach forward in the direction you want to move - this helps maintain the stance. As you improve balance and sliding, you can focus on other things - like big air.
Get the basics of boarding with a simple class - even an hour will help. A ski slope with a constant pitch is best for learning; flatter terrain makes it more challenging.
Snowboarding = speed. The faster you go, the better balance becomes. But keep an eye out for others on the slope. A wipeout on the slope may spell the end of your season - or someone else's.
Another challenge snowboarders face is how to disembark the chair lift. When time comes to get off, maneuver your board so that it is perpendicular to the chair. Place your weight on your front foot and place your back foot on the stomp pad. This position mimics snowboarding and allows you to glide off without too much difficulty.
Be polite when leaving the lift - inform others which way you will get off. If you plan to go left, sit on the left. The first few times you'll fall - everybody does. Just don't grab onto the guy next to you as you'll only haul him down, too. Try to move out of the way as fast as possible to avoid a five-man pileup at the top of the hill.
Be prepared for many a bruise. The first time you set off to board you'll spend a lot of time on your rump. But as you build confidence, those long swooping turns become less daunting.
