Things You'll Need:
- Snow
- Ski Resort
- Lift Ticket
- Certified Snowboard Instructor
- Snowboard boots, bindings, and board
- Patience
- A Good attitude
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Step 1
Find a ski resort that is fairly close to you for a day trip. If you don't have that option book a hotel room for a night or two and have yourself a mini vacation.
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Step 2
Once you arrive at the resort buy your lift ticket. While doing this add a lesson and a snowboard rental onto it. You can add a basic group lesson. Or you can get a private lesson where either just you, or you and a couple of friends can have there own personal instructor. Most lessons group and private last about 1-2 hours. Which ever one you choose is up to you. Go from the ticket window and get your snowboard rental then head up two the snowboard school.
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Step 3
From there your instructor will take you through the following steps.
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Step 4
Your instructor will explain the equipment and all of its different parts. So that you can become comfortable with your equipment.
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Step 5
He/She will then teach you how to get in and out of your bindings.
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Step 6
Once strapped into your front binding they will teach you how to skate. Skating is having your front foot strapped in while your back foot is free. Using your back foot you will propel your self across the snow. This is the way you get around flat parts of the mountain. Like in the lift line or at the top of the mountain before you get to the trail. Skating is used the same time a skier would use there ski poles.
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Step 7
Once you are comfortable skating the instructor will have you skate up a bit of the beginner hill. From here they will teach you how to turn in both directions and stop. All of this should be done while having only one foot strapped into the binding.
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Step 8
Now that you are fairly comfortable skating, turning both directions, and stopping. The instructor will teach you how to get on and off the lift chair. First you will skate up to the lift line. Skate through the lift line until you reach the front of the line. From there the lift attendant will tell you when its your turn. Once its your turn you will skate up to a line or a sign that says stop wait here. Once stopped the a lift chair will pass in front of you. You will follow that chair until you get to another line or sign that says load here. The lift chair will come around behind you. You will want to make sure that your free foot is out in front the foot that is strapped in. Once the lift chair comes around you want to sit down on your back hip, wait for your board to leave the ground then turn a sit normally. This sound like a lot but it really is just like sitting in a chair. And yes you still will only have your front foot strapped in. While on the Chair lift pull the safety bar down. When you are getting near the top there will be a sign on one of the lift poles that says raise safety bar. At that point you will raise the bar. When you are getting close you will want to turn your hips in the chair so that the front of your board is now pointing toward the top or the mountain. Keep your back foot out of the way until your board touches the snow. Then place your free foot up against the front of your back binding, stand up and glide straight. When you stop, skate to one side so that you are out of the way of others coming off of the lift.
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Step 9
Now that you are at the top of the bunny hill you will go over turning and stopping again until you are about mid hill. Now your instructor will have you sit and strap in your back foot. From here they will show you how to get to your feet while fully strapped in. This sounds much easier then it is. If you are on your butt dig your heel edge into the snow by chopping at it with your board. Put both hands behind your back and slowly walk them up towards your hips. Once you feel your weight starting to shift forward give yourself one good push and extend your legs till you are standing. If you are on your knees. Chop your toe side edge into the snow, extend your arms out and slowly walk them up between your knees. Once you feel your weight shifting downhill push up and extend your legs to stand.
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Step 10
Once you are up your instructor will just repeat turns and stops. till you reach the bottom of the hill. Once your lesson is over stay on the bunny slope/beginner hill until you are extremely comfortable stopping and turning. After that its just practice and enjoyment. It normally takes a few times to get kind of comfortable. Stick with it and eventually it will just start to click.
