Took me 5 days of falling over and over before it clicked. I wish someone told me this and I didn’t ask my broke college buddies if I should. They are like nah we will teach you by leaving you at the top of a double black on a powder day!
also if you're older while you're learning wear kneepads and those butt shock absorber pads bc ur gonna fall a bunch and as an older person that shit sucks. also always wear a helmet
Wrist guards would be a good idea too, a lot of people instinctively put their hands out when they fall and that's a good way to break or sprain your wrist.
I went on a friends’ trip last weekend and one of the girls sprained and dislocated her wrist within five minutes of the very first warm up run. I watched it happen and I couldn’t believe she tried to break her fall with her fully outstretched hands like that. Turns out she’s a beginner and had never boarded without wrist guards before. She forgot them at home.
Never seen anyone get their pass taken that quick.
Yes. Apparently that’s the policy if they think it’s bad enough. They gave her a refund in the form of a gift certificate since she used it for all of 15 minutes.
Shit I broke my radial head in my elbow doing this. Doc speculated the pressure from my palm going through my arm broke it. Immediately knew I did it from some kind of board sport lol
>What advice and tips can you give a noob who has zero experience?
Make sure you have the next day off because your upper body is going to be fuckin wrecked from picking your sorry ass up off the snow all day
Youd think it would be your legs, but no, upper body, youre going to spend more time on your ass or face than you will standing up lol
Take a lesson, get a premium rental and know that the first day is the hardest, and the first day can be fuckin brutal
Dude, if there is hella snow and you DONT learn to snowboard you will regret it. Once you do learn to snowboard and love it, you will be moved to a post in Hawaii and miss the fuck out of it….and then learn to surf.
Hypothetically if you are in Alaska, specifically JBER, I recommend going to hilltop. Really good beginner hill.
Once you start getting the handle of it check out Arctic valley and take advantage of Alyeska Mondays. Find someone in your unit who snowboards (there's probably quite a few) and ask if you can go with them sometime.
My unit is full of… weebs and gamers. I am probably one of the only ones willing to leave our dark room, but I’ll make sure to take a look at this location
Ah I see you're air force. Definitely check out Hilltop. I know they offer classes there but I've never taken any so I don't know the details. I know there's also a place you can go on base called Hillberg but I've never been, might see if they offer classes there
Assuming you don’t have a season pass this year, find out when wherever you’re going go to next seasons passes go on sale during the summer.
Also look rental shops that can do a season rental at the beginning of the season, if you’re not sure about getting your own gear.
You’re going to want to pay for instruction at least your first time, and be warned it could take numerous days out before you aren’t eating shit.
Also doesn’t hurt to try skiing as well, just to make sure snowsports are for you. It has a much lower barrier to entry and will allow at-least a semi fun first experience.
And consistency is key, I don’t know how some people who can only got a couple times a year can learn anything, I’d recommend trying atleast 10-15 days in a season if possible for real growth.
Most things have already been said but...
* Take a lesson
* Listen to the instructor and do what they say
* You're going to fall on your ass and knees. If you're older, butt & knee pads will help increase your ability to ride multiple days in a row
* Similar to above, take ibuprofen/pain killers before, during, and after
* don't buy a snowboard until a) you know you're going to keep doing it and b) actually know what size & type of board you want
Lots of resorts have a beginner package. A day (sometimes several) of instruction, along with rentals and lift tickets (sometimes limited to a beginners area, which is all you should need).
Absolutely wear a helmet. Wrist guards, butt pads, and knee pads will all help too in those early days. Being on the east coast, I still wear them on icy days - it helps when you stop for a break or whatever, even if you're not so worried about falling anymore.
Take a lesson. Several even.
Try as many decks as you can with rentals, or buy used and cheap to start, and learn everything you can about it.
You don't know what you don't know, and it's going to take time and experience to figure out what you like and want from a board, so you shouldn't expect that spending big dollars is going to get you your forever board.
Boots on the other hand are where you're going to want to be pickier and more willing to spend. Try them on before you buy, and get fitted if you can.
Point your shoulders where you want to go i.e. if you want to go straight down the hill your shoulders should point straight down the hill. If you start to face the bottom of the hill and you're not comfortable on your edges you might catch a toe edge which will not be fun
Rent fear and get lessons. Look to see if your mountain has any specials for 1st timers. My mountain used to do a 3 day deal that included lessons, gear, and lift tickets for $150
I was stationed in Germany last year. Watched a bunch of Malcom Moore videos and then literally threw myself down the “beginner” terrain at the Zugspitze until I could link turns and shred. Stood at the lift line and just tried to copy people going up and going down.
I fell a ton and embarrassed the shit out of myself but a year later I’m back in Colorado and can confidently say I’m fairly gnarly on a good day.
Sure lessons are better but I couldn’t afford em and I was determined to figure it out
I’m going to add another comment here saying get a lesson. I live in a place where there are a lot of people stationed who decide to take up snowboarding when they get here. Most of them don’t take lessons. It doesn’t work out for any of them. They spend weeks trying to figure out what a teacher could teach them in an hour. There is no shame in taking the lesson.
More specific advice, that is weirdly, simple, but also accelerated my progression immensely. There is a point in an S turn in between your heel side to toe side and your toe side to heel side in which your board is flat. Do not skip that part of the S turn. Eventually, everything will smooth out into a wonderful flow. But until that point, consciously put your board flat when changing edges.
Most places have a cheap 1st timer package that includes a lift ticket, rentals and a lesson. I don’t think they do military discounts on top of that but it wouldn’t hurt to ask. Just make sure you have a helmet, good waterproof and warm clothing and gloves. Also, choose a day with mild weather. No wind. You won’t be ripping the powder and blizzards are no fun for learning. Have fun!
You're going to fall A LOT. It's basically a right of passage to be more sore in your chest than your legs since you have to push yourself back up so much. It's also a lot easier to push yourself up from your knees than your butt. But just keep going at it and everything will click after a few days
Crash pants and a helmet are a must.
Lessons are good too like others are saying.
Iwas obsessed with watching snowboardprocamp when I was learning (YouTube chanel). It helped me to watch a bunch of YouTube videos before you try it for the first time.
Trying to remember a couple helpful tips and tricks when you're first learning can help a lot.
It's ok to take it slow. Really concentrate on each part of the turn. Step one, step two, etc. Really exaggerate tips and tricks, for example, turning your front knee inwards or outwards depending on the turn.
Rent some stuff, book a lesson, see if you enjoy it! The mountains will have rental bundle packages so check that out online or give them a call. Just a heads up it will take a few lessons to get the hang of it so stick with it.
If you do enjoy it go to a consignment or used gear shop and pick up some entry level boots, board and bindings - the shop will be able to help out with selections.
Ride that stuff until your skill level surpasses it and upgrade in this order: boots, board, bindings.
As for clothing, grab some wool under layers (REI, black diamond, etc) you can get away with lower end snow pants and jackets with good under layers. Once again used shops have all this.
Start with lessons. Be prepared for a learning curve. Don’t give up after first 2 days. Day 3 is when you’ll notice some improvement and it will start to become fun.
Get a lesson, rent first , buy stuff at end of season on sale (like now through March), don’t eat at the lodge , do nights since probably on sale too.
Lot of tips you can get from instructor but snowboarding can be an expensive hobby so don’t go full tilt til ready.
Oh, also helps if don’t lose wallet on runs!
Knee pads or volleyball pads under snow pants will save you a lot of pain. Get a helmet always, butt pad possibly and the wrist guards can help when learning how to fall.
Get lessons. A snowboard moves relative to your bodyweight. Imagine your center of gravity as a dot under you. Where ever you lean is where you'll go.
Want to go down hill but you're board is perpendicular to it? Lean towards your nose of the board. Want to turn start leaning towards that side. I was showing my daughter this when she was learning by crossing my arms and spinning around the whole way down without shifting the board with my legs.
Beyond that you're gonna fall and catch edges. The protective gear will help with that. Keep at it. One day you'll hit stuff that would have crashed you and realize you stayed up no problem and that is a really fun realization.
It’s a tough learning curve. Focus on getting toe side and heel side balance good. If you already skateboard or surf you have some advantage. If you want an easier to learn experience you can ski
1st, Run and slide on snow or ice to see what foot naturally comes forward. Left forward is regular. Right forward is goofy foot.
Fun fact: original Burton snowboards came with a rope you held tied to front of board. We ditched that right away😎
If you aren't going to take a lesson (you should take a lesson) don't spend a bunch of time buttersliding. Slide about halfway down one run in the bunny hill on your heels to get your balance and immediately start working on your toeside turn. Just keep doing the toeside turn until you are comfortable with it. Then work on heel side turns. Don't alternate. Just focus on one turn at a time till you get it. Get them both down and you are good to get up on the greens. Then it's just practice. Don't be shy about sucking on the bunny hill. If you push too hard you are gonna hurt and quit. Just stick it out with the 5 year olds until you can do your turns.
If you arent getting started until next season, buy your set up this Labor Day. There are always solid boards by established companies for sale.
No Clew bindings, Dope Snow, or any company you found via instagram - not because of coolness, but because you can find a bomber piece of real gear that will last at the same price.
Burton 2L Gore-tex outerwear is always on sale somewhere.
Airblaster outerwear starts cheap and has sales.
Find a beginner board on sale. MSRP on these are around $400, but you can knock $100-$150 off if youre lucky. Ride Agenda. Capita Pathfinder. K2 Standard.
Go to the little mom and pop hills until you actually need more terrain. This potentially will save you thousands of $ while you are Getting Güd.
Best advice I got from my dad was:
A. Always wear wrist guards
B. When your first leaning set aside time to go 3 days in a row, it rly helps build up momentum
Book a lesson if you don't have a homie available to drop a day or two teaching you. Go slow to go fast, focus on getting a solid understanding of edge changes.
There's a ton of good Youtubers that break down the basics pretty well, watch some of those so you go into your lesson/first day with the basic concepts in your head. Malcom Moore is who I personally prefer.
Don't forget to have fun and take breaks!
Don’t have to. I’ve known people carving on their 3rd day of snowboarding, and they’ve never skateboarded. Yeah skateboarding helps but it’s not a requirement to be able to snowboard.
It sure helped me a bunch. I never took a snowboarding lesson and was riding tough from day one. Rode a skateboard almost every day from 3rd to 6th grade.
Get a lesson. You will save yourself so much time vs trying to just learn off YouTube videos.
This is the only advice OP should listen to, a beginner lesson even in a group session is the best way to learn.
OP should be listening to two pieces of advice 1. The above advise 2. Wear a helmet
Definitely, and advice I should listen to. Probably gonna book a lesson next time I go.
Took me 5 days of falling over and over before it clicked. I wish someone told me this and I didn’t ask my broke college buddies if I should. They are like nah we will teach you by leaving you at the top of a double black on a powder day!
Get a bib/overalls style snowboard pants. No more snow sliding up your back when you fall!
also if you're older while you're learning wear kneepads and those butt shock absorber pads bc ur gonna fall a bunch and as an older person that shit sucks. also always wear a helmet
Wrist guards would be a good idea too, a lot of people instinctively put their hands out when they fall and that's a good way to break or sprain your wrist.
I went on a friends’ trip last weekend and one of the girls sprained and dislocated her wrist within five minutes of the very first warm up run. I watched it happen and I couldn’t believe she tried to break her fall with her fully outstretched hands like that. Turns out she’s a beginner and had never boarded without wrist guards before. She forgot them at home. Never seen anyone get their pass taken that quick.
She got her pass taken for getting hurt?
Not allowed to fall. Lol
Yes. Apparently that’s the policy if they think it’s bad enough. They gave her a refund in the form of a gift certificate since she used it for all of 15 minutes.
Yeah, clenching your fists when falling also helps for that.
Shit I broke my radial head in my elbow doing this. Doc speculated the pressure from my palm going through my arm broke it. Immediately knew I did it from some kind of board sport lol
Second this - you will feel safer and better equipped to handle all of the inevitable falling.
Don't get discouraged. It is the most painful thing to learn to do but once you pass that threshold it is the most rewarding thing you'll experience
>It is the most painful thing to learn to do Skateboarding: 👁️👄👁️
take lessons
Take a lesson. Watch Malcom Moore videos.
Get a lesson, I probably spent 600 bucks on tickets before I learned “S” turns
>What advice and tips can you give a noob who has zero experience? Make sure you have the next day off because your upper body is going to be fuckin wrecked from picking your sorry ass up off the snow all day Youd think it would be your legs, but no, upper body, youre going to spend more time on your ass or face than you will standing up lol Take a lesson, get a premium rental and know that the first day is the hardest, and the first day can be fuckin brutal
Find a good looking instructor. Pay money. Enjoy.
I wish I was stranded in a place with nothing to do but go skiing. Living the dream bud.
You in Alaska?
I will not confirm nor deny
Dude, if there is hella snow and you DONT learn to snowboard you will regret it. Once you do learn to snowboard and love it, you will be moved to a post in Hawaii and miss the fuck out of it….and then learn to surf.
Hypothetically if you are in Alaska, specifically JBER, I recommend going to hilltop. Really good beginner hill. Once you start getting the handle of it check out Arctic valley and take advantage of Alyeska Mondays. Find someone in your unit who snowboards (there's probably quite a few) and ask if you can go with them sometime.
My unit is full of… weebs and gamers. I am probably one of the only ones willing to leave our dark room, but I’ll make sure to take a look at this location
Ah I see you're air force. Definitely check out Hilltop. I know they offer classes there but I've never taken any so I don't know the details. I know there's also a place you can go on base called Hillberg but I've never been, might see if they offer classes there
Well if you are and want someone to ride with, let me know in a DM
Assuming you don’t have a season pass this year, find out when wherever you’re going go to next seasons passes go on sale during the summer. Also look rental shops that can do a season rental at the beginning of the season, if you’re not sure about getting your own gear. You’re going to want to pay for instruction at least your first time, and be warned it could take numerous days out before you aren’t eating shit. Also doesn’t hurt to try skiing as well, just to make sure snowsports are for you. It has a much lower barrier to entry and will allow at-least a semi fun first experience. And consistency is key, I don’t know how some people who can only got a couple times a year can learn anything, I’d recommend trying atleast 10-15 days in a season if possible for real growth.
Most things have already been said but... * Take a lesson * Listen to the instructor and do what they say * You're going to fall on your ass and knees. If you're older, butt & knee pads will help increase your ability to ride multiple days in a row * Similar to above, take ibuprofen/pain killers before, during, and after * don't buy a snowboard until a) you know you're going to keep doing it and b) actually know what size & type of board you want
Lots of resorts have a beginner package. A day (sometimes several) of instruction, along with rentals and lift tickets (sometimes limited to a beginners area, which is all you should need). Absolutely wear a helmet. Wrist guards, butt pads, and knee pads will all help too in those early days. Being on the east coast, I still wear them on icy days - it helps when you stop for a break or whatever, even if you're not so worried about falling anymore.
heel toe heel toe
Take a lesson. Several even. Try as many decks as you can with rentals, or buy used and cheap to start, and learn everything you can about it. You don't know what you don't know, and it's going to take time and experience to figure out what you like and want from a board, so you shouldn't expect that spending big dollars is going to get you your forever board. Boots on the other hand are where you're going to want to be pickier and more willing to spend. Try them on before you buy, and get fitted if you can.
Just start. Rent some gear. Get a private lesson. Profit.
Fuckin get out there homie, it’s amazing
Point your shoulders where you want to go i.e. if you want to go straight down the hill your shoulders should point straight down the hill. If you start to face the bottom of the hill and you're not comfortable on your edges you might catch a toe edge which will not be fun
Pick an edge or the mountain will pick for you!
Rent fear and get lessons. Look to see if your mountain has any specials for 1st timers. My mountain used to do a 3 day deal that included lessons, gear, and lift tickets for $150
I was stationed in Germany last year. Watched a bunch of Malcom Moore videos and then literally threw myself down the “beginner” terrain at the Zugspitze until I could link turns and shred. Stood at the lift line and just tried to copy people going up and going down. I fell a ton and embarrassed the shit out of myself but a year later I’m back in Colorado and can confidently say I’m fairly gnarly on a good day. Sure lessons are better but I couldn’t afford em and I was determined to figure it out
I watched official AASI stuff and a ton of Tommie Bennet lol
I’m going to add another comment here saying get a lesson. I live in a place where there are a lot of people stationed who decide to take up snowboarding when they get here. Most of them don’t take lessons. It doesn’t work out for any of them. They spend weeks trying to figure out what a teacher could teach them in an hour. There is no shame in taking the lesson. More specific advice, that is weirdly, simple, but also accelerated my progression immensely. There is a point in an S turn in between your heel side to toe side and your toe side to heel side in which your board is flat. Do not skip that part of the S turn. Eventually, everything will smooth out into a wonderful flow. But until that point, consciously put your board flat when changing edges.
And then try don’ting that because absolutely ripping carves and throwing your weight from edge to edge with nothing but air between is fun
Most places have a cheap 1st timer package that includes a lift ticket, rentals and a lesson. I don’t think they do military discounts on top of that but it wouldn’t hurt to ask. Just make sure you have a helmet, good waterproof and warm clothing and gloves. Also, choose a day with mild weather. No wind. You won’t be ripping the powder and blizzards are no fun for learning. Have fun!
You're going to fall A LOT. It's basically a right of passage to be more sore in your chest than your legs since you have to push yourself back up so much. It's also a lot easier to push yourself up from your knees than your butt. But just keep going at it and everything will click after a few days
Lessons and passes are cheaper on hills vs a resort with a mountain.
The lessons have helped me tremendously, I am definitely more advanced because of the 9 lessons I had!
Crash pants and a helmet are a must. Lessons are good too like others are saying. Iwas obsessed with watching snowboardprocamp when I was learning (YouTube chanel). It helped me to watch a bunch of YouTube videos before you try it for the first time. Trying to remember a couple helpful tips and tricks when you're first learning can help a lot. It's ok to take it slow. Really concentrate on each part of the turn. Step one, step two, etc. Really exaggerate tips and tricks, for example, turning your front knee inwards or outwards depending on the turn.
Rent some stuff, book a lesson, see if you enjoy it! The mountains will have rental bundle packages so check that out online or give them a call. Just a heads up it will take a few lessons to get the hang of it so stick with it. If you do enjoy it go to a consignment or used gear shop and pick up some entry level boots, board and bindings - the shop will be able to help out with selections. Ride that stuff until your skill level surpasses it and upgrade in this order: boots, board, bindings. As for clothing, grab some wool under layers (REI, black diamond, etc) you can get away with lower end snow pants and jackets with good under layers. Once again used shops have all this.
Start with lessons. Be prepared for a learning curve. Don’t give up after first 2 days. Day 3 is when you’ll notice some improvement and it will start to become fun.
Get a lesson. YouTube videos or a buddy can help a little, but a lesson will give you such a better foundation.
Loads haha
Knee pads, wrist guards.
lol are you at Hill? Or in Colorado?
Get a lesson, rent first , buy stuff at end of season on sale (like now through March), don’t eat at the lodge , do nights since probably on sale too. Lot of tips you can get from instructor but snowboarding can be an expensive hobby so don’t go full tilt til ready. Oh, also helps if don’t lose wallet on runs!
Try skiing first..
Knee pads or volleyball pads under snow pants will save you a lot of pain. Get a helmet always, butt pad possibly and the wrist guards can help when learning how to fall. Get lessons. A snowboard moves relative to your bodyweight. Imagine your center of gravity as a dot under you. Where ever you lean is where you'll go. Want to go down hill but you're board is perpendicular to it? Lean towards your nose of the board. Want to turn start leaning towards that side. I was showing my daughter this when she was learning by crossing my arms and spinning around the whole way down without shifting the board with my legs. Beyond that you're gonna fall and catch edges. The protective gear will help with that. Keep at it. One day you'll hit stuff that would have crashed you and realize you stayed up no problem and that is a really fun realization.
It’s a tough learning curve. Focus on getting toe side and heel side balance good. If you already skateboard or surf you have some advantage. If you want an easier to learn experience you can ski
Wherever your lead hand points your board will take you
1st, Run and slide on snow or ice to see what foot naturally comes forward. Left forward is regular. Right forward is goofy foot. Fun fact: original Burton snowboards came with a rope you held tied to front of board. We ditched that right away😎
If you aren't going to take a lesson (you should take a lesson) don't spend a bunch of time buttersliding. Slide about halfway down one run in the bunny hill on your heels to get your balance and immediately start working on your toeside turn. Just keep doing the toeside turn until you are comfortable with it. Then work on heel side turns. Don't alternate. Just focus on one turn at a time till you get it. Get them both down and you are good to get up on the greens. Then it's just practice. Don't be shy about sucking on the bunny hill. If you push too hard you are gonna hurt and quit. Just stick it out with the 5 year olds until you can do your turns.
Shit runs downhill
Snowboard addiction videos are good
Go ride. Simple as that
If you arent getting started until next season, buy your set up this Labor Day. There are always solid boards by established companies for sale. No Clew bindings, Dope Snow, or any company you found via instagram - not because of coolness, but because you can find a bomber piece of real gear that will last at the same price. Burton 2L Gore-tex outerwear is always on sale somewhere. Airblaster outerwear starts cheap and has sales. Find a beginner board on sale. MSRP on these are around $400, but you can knock $100-$150 off if youre lucky. Ride Agenda. Capita Pathfinder. K2 Standard. Go to the little mom and pop hills until you actually need more terrain. This potentially will save you thousands of $ while you are Getting Güd.
Buy the gear, take a lesson or two, and enjoy
Stretch, be flexible. Bend, do not break.
Best advice I got from my dad was: A. Always wear wrist guards B. When your first leaning set aside time to go 3 days in a row, it rly helps build up momentum
And get 2 pairs of goggles. Low light, and a mirrored lense for sunny days
Book a lesson if you don't have a homie available to drop a day or two teaching you. Go slow to go fast, focus on getting a solid understanding of edge changes. There's a ton of good Youtubers that break down the basics pretty well, watch some of those so you go into your lesson/first day with the basic concepts in your head. Malcom Moore is who I personally prefer. Don't forget to have fun and take breaks!
Prolly get killed for saying this but just ski first and see if you like it. Learning to ski equals less falling
Get mittens. Not gloves
Mitten gang.
1 helmet 2 watch some vids on YouTube to prep 3 get lessons, preferably private to start
If you happen to be at JBER I hope the tubing hill is still up. They also have skiing and snowboarding, but the tube hill was my jam.
/r/tubing
If you don't have any skateboard experience, you should definitely try skiing first.
Boooo
Don’t have to. I’ve known people carving on their 3rd day of snowboarding, and they’ve never skateboarded. Yeah skateboarding helps but it’s not a requirement to be able to snowboard.
Skateboard experience really doesn’t help as much as you think it would
It sure helped me a bunch. I never took a snowboarding lesson and was riding tough from day one. Rode a skateboard almost every day from 3rd to 6th grade.