How to Learn Snowboarding Techniques

The decision has been made, you want to learn to snowboard. You have bought everything you need, and you are ready to go to the mountains and "Board!" This article will give you ten easy steps to learning to snowboard.

Things You'll Need

• Warm clothes, preferable ski gear (ski pants, ski coat, goggles, and weather-resistant gloves)
• Snow board (these are purchased at a sporting goods store according to your height and weight)
• Sunscreen for exposed skin
• Lip balm

Instructions

Snowboarding

1. It is important to dress comfortably, yet warmly. Wear loose-fitting snow clothing. Beginners should protect their wrists wearing a pair of wrist guards. One may also consider wearing a helmet, but it's not necessary.

2. With the snow board in front of you, in a flat area, place your front foot in the front binding. For strap bindings, strap both the toe and ankle strap snuggly in place. For step-in bindings, step in and roll foot around to make sure it is properly secured. Repeat with your back foot. Then bounce up and down a little bit to see what it feels like to be strapped into a snow board. Then, leaving your front foot in it's binding, take out just your back foot.

3. Take a few small steps forward up a slight incline with only your front foot in the binding. Your shoulders and toes need to be pointing in the direction of the incline. The snow board must be going perpendicular to the incline. Slowly, take a step with the unbound foot, then lift the foot that is bound to the snowboard attached to it, taking a step with the entire snow board, making sure to keep it perpendicular to the slope. Repeat this several times, going part way up the incline.

4. In a sitting position strap both feet into the snow board. The snow board should be perpendicular to a small slope, slowly stand up and look down the slope. Most of your weight will be on your heels. Point the toes of both feet just a little bit, until you start to slide down the hill. To stop sliding, pull back up on your toes. This exercise is called a "Heel Slide." Repeat the heel slide until comfortable pulling up on your toes to come to a stop.

5. An essential skill to have when getting on a chair lift and maneuvering, is skating. Skating refers to the way snow boarders move along using the back foot while the front foot is in the binding. Skating should be practiced for 10 or 15 minutes before getting near the chairlift! Skating can be done by pushing off the snow with the back foot and sliding the front foot forward with the snowboard. The back foot may push from either side of the board. Try one side first and then on the other. One side may be more comfortable than the other

6. Getting on and off the chair-lift isn't always easy and will take some practice. In an area with a slight incline, secure only the front foot in its binding. Point the snowboard down the incline, and place your weight on the front foot. Then start to glide down toward the flat area. As you start sliding, place your back foot alongside the rear binding on the stomp pad. Then glide to a stop. Practice this step until comfortable with it. Then head to the chairlift!

7. To skate into the lift line the back foot should be out of the binding. Upon your turn to ride the lift skate forward, calmly to the line. Have a seat, once the chair comes around. Keep your snow board pointing forward until it lifts off the snow. Then prop it up with foot rests, the chairlift has them or use your back foot. At the off-loading ramp, to get off the chair lift, twist sideways, slightly in the seat, so that when making contact with the snow, point the snowboard straight. The nose of the snow board should be up.

8. At the top of the slope, preferably a slope for beginners, slowly slide back and forth across the hill staying on your heel-side edge the entire time. Press down with the toes of the front foot to begin sliding. Pull back up with the same foot to stop sliding. This is done much like using a gas pedal in a car. To start sliding in another direction, at the edge of the run, stop and press down with the toes of the other foot in the opposite direction you were going. Always remember, pull up to stop. Continue to the other side of the run. Repeat this back and forth pattern all the way to the bottom of the run. This is called the "falling leaf" pattern.

9. Now that you are comfortable doing with the falling leaf on both your toe side and heel-side edges, you are ready to try something new. The you J-turn. This turn uses the same technique as the falling leaf, the goal is pointing the snowboard down the slope, directly, just before turning and coming to a stop. To begin, start on your heel-side edge. Press on the on the toes of your leading foot, while looking down the slope, to begin sliding. To guide yourself down the slope, keep pressing on your toes, then to go into a heel side turn, pull up on your toes, before coming to a stop. Repeat the J-turns, all the way across the run, on your heel side edge. The J-turn can also be done on your toe side. To do this, flip over so that you are standing on your toe side edge. Then to begin sliding, press the heel of your leading foot. Continue pressing on your heel, so that you are going directly down the slope. To go into the turn, press on your toes, then come to a stop.

10. Once the J-turns are mastered, turns can be linked. To this, put the toe side and heel-side J-turns together. Before you can head down hill, you will have to complete a heel-side turn. To go downhill, press down on the toes of your front foot, continue to press down on your toes right into a toe side turn. Then press your heel down to start heading downhill. Keep pressing with your heel until you have finished a heel-side turn.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice makes perfect

• Don't give up the first time you fall, there is always a second time.

• Beware of moguls (bumps on the ski run) that can cause you to loose balance and fall.

• Stop if you feel yourself losing control