particularly helpful chapters in this book. “Getting Hot” outlines advanced techniques for different kinds of terrain. This section gives you specific points on which to focus regardless of slope conditions. It will stimulate you to develop your own theories and techniques—a life-long challenge.
“Freestyle” is filled with detailed instructions about more tricks than most nonprofessionals will ever care to master. But now you can at least find out about how to do it all.
Finally the “Equipment” chapter is filled with design, construction, selection, and maintenance information. You could eventually pick up about half of this material from your friends and the magazines over a few years—maybe. The other half you might never learn without reading this book.
Two Perspectives
Historically, skis were conceived and designed as tools for “walking” on flat snow. They do this job very well. But using two separate boards for sliding down a slope pulled by gravity is not a perfect design concept. Would you want to surf using two boards? One strong, unified board is the easiest approach. The single surface simplifies everything. This is one reason why snowboarding is so much fun.
Learning to ride a snowboard is like learning to ride a bicycle. To someone who doesn’t know how, it looks nearly impossible. In the beginning, it is! But the balance and control needed to ride a bicycle or to ride a snowboard soon become second nature. Eventually it seems that it was always easy.
CHAPTER 1
Getting Started
Why Snowboard?
Snowboarding is the fastest-growing winter sport in the world. Its popularity has been increasing by 80 to 100 percent every year, and this phenomenal growth rate is certain to continue. Estimates of the numbers of snowboarders run in the hundreds of thousands for North America. No survey can keep pace.
So far, snowboarders represent less than 1 percent of the skiing population, but this is changing fast. Snowboarders come from the ranks of many types of outdoor recreationalists. And many skateboarders, surfboarders, and sailboarders are discovering this new way to enjoy winter. Snowboarding is comparable in many ways to the other boarding activities, and it is easier than skiing once you get the knack. And there’s another advantage: snowboarding is a “go” almost every winter day, not just when conditions permit.
If you are a life-long skier who has become a little jaded and complacent—even bored—about skiing, that is about to change. Be prepared for a fresh and rejuvenating experience. Your appreciation of snow is about to be renewed. Your attitude and love of skiing is about to be reborn.
Can I Do It?
If you have been interested (courageous) enough to read this far, you have an excellent chance. Age is no barrier to snowboarding, though snowboarding does require some high energy at times. NASTAR (National Standard Races) conducts snowboarding races for age groups ranging from the kindergarten set to those 60 and over. Like many modern sports, the percentage of women participants is growing each year.
Young adults and children may not worry about safety statistics, but adults invariably ask “Just how dangerous is this sport?” The injury rate is comparable to that for alpine skiing. Snowboarders may have slightly more injuries, but their injuries tend to be less severe. The serious and long-lasting types of knee injuries are relatively rarer among snowboarders. The injury rate for both skiers and snowboarders decreases with experience, but the injury drop-off rate seems faster for snowboarders. The sport is still too young for comprehensive or exact numbers, but because of its apparent safety, most ski areas have opened their slopes to snowboarders. This would not have happened if its safety had not been proven to ski area insurers. In just five years, the number of resorts welcoming snowboarders leaped from 7 percent to more than 90 percent. For more complete details of safety statistics, see pages 141-50.
Photo: Mistral Snowboards
Ready to go for it
What Do I Need to Get Started?
Equipment Preliminaries
The first thing you need is a board and instructions on how to use it. Borrowing a board from a friend is a possibility, but the size is apt to be wrong, and the bindings may need to be altered. You will also have to worry about beating up a friend’s equipment (though good boards are nearly indestructible).
A better bet is a rental or demo board, which can be matched exactly to your size and weight requirements by professionals. Visit several shops if possible and talk with the staff. Pick a time when they are not too busy. In many places, avoid Friday and Saturday evenings when everyone is picking up or returning rental equipment.
A good shop, with patient personnel, will give you a “ground school” and “how-to” lecture if you are renting their equipment. Many shops have videos you can watch. But do not listen to anything anyone says about snowboarding unless he or she is a snowboarder. Smile and nod, but only listen closely to people who know—other riders.
Rental shops may also give lessons, but compare their prices with those offered at the ski areas. Lessons from your destination resort may be cheaper. Renting the board from the destination resort, however, is likely to be more expensive.
Snowboards are not cheap, so know what you want before you buy. Try at least a few different brands and models before selecting your personal board.
Selecting a Rental Board
At first, you can forego the subtleties of making a perfect match between board and rider. Your size and the board’s size are the primary considerations at this time. Many other considerations are discussed in the section on boards (see pages 101-10). For now, if your weight is under 100 pounds, a 130-150 cm board is appropriate; if you are in the 100 to 150 pound range, try a 140-160 cm board; and for those over 150 pounds, a 150-170 cm board. Seventy-five percent of the models made fall into the 145-165 cm range. For starters, select one with softer flex (not too stiff) for easy turning.
Besides helping you select an appropriate board, a good rental shop will adjust the bindings for you and will make sure the board’s base is prepared and waxed. When adjusting the bindings, their first question will likely be, “which foot do you put forward?” If you’ve skateboarded or surfed, you know. If you haven’t, think about which foot you would put forward to slide across a frozen puddle. Seventy percent of riders put their left foot forward; the other 30 percent put their right foot forward. (The latter take pride in being called “goofy-footed,” courtesy of the surfers.) You will probably want your front foot angled forward 35 to 45 degrees and the back one turned forward about 20 to 25 degrees from straight across the board. Pick the intermediate positions on the bindings you are using initially. Either or both foot positions can be adjusted and refined later on to fit your style of riding. See the section on bindings (pages 123-29).
The shop will also need to know your boot size. Renting special snowboarding boots is the best way to go. If the shop does not rent boots, and yours are not suitable, you may have a problem. In years past, any old boot worked, but it is now apparent that ankle injuries are the most common non-impact injury. A soft boot, for which the majority of rental bindings are designed, can be an ankle killer. Some bindings have shin straps. These can help, but even with these (or because of them) some sort of stiffening reinforcement and padding in the boot is required. To increase your comfort and safety, solve this problem before spending too much time on the slopes. See the section on boots (pages 119-23).
There is no need to worry about poles and other paraphernalia. Snowboarders don’t use them. Back in the privacy of your home, dig out your wool socks and put your boots and board on just as though you were ready to take off down the hill. Protect the floor and the board with newspapers if necessary. Now is the time to readjust bindings that are too loose, straps that are too tight, safety straps with squirrelly mechanisms, and so forth. Some bindings have more adjustments than you can easily check out in the shop,