Beginner boarder

[jade 0]

Hi everyone

 

I'm brand new to snowboarding and was hoping that some of you more experienced boarders could give me some quick advice.

 

I have only been twice and have had one lesson. The problem is that I have no confidence and find the whole experience a little terrifying especially, when standing at the top of a steep mountain (I'm a wuss. Hate to admit it). I really want to get over this and was wondering whether it would be better to have more lessons or just get out there and go as much as I can? Any advice?

 

I have recently moved to Sapporo so I now have the chance to go often. Does anyone know of any good resorts/ski grounds near Sapporo that are good for beginners to practice?

 

Hopefully by this time next year I'll be racing down the slopes.

Thanks guys

[sava 0]

Try out teine

[nzlegend 1]

keep away from flat slopes to learn, they are hard to do anything on, you need some moderate speed up to do anything effectively.

Its like riding a bike its harder to ride really slowly than to ride with some speed

[TJ OZ 0]

The more you ride the better you will get and your confidence will grow. Just go ride as much as you can.

[Ocean11 0]

Being a little terrified is a good thing. It will help you to avoid doing foolish things and getting hurt.

 

Just keep going to the slopes whenever you can, and perhaps set yourself little targets to reach. Watch other people of different levels to see what they do and how they do it. Watching somebody else take a lesson is a cheap way of getting a lesson. Analyze what you're doing yourself and what you're frightened of. I used to be terrified of toe side turns on steeps, but I managed to talk myself out of it by saying firmly "Make the turn!" each time.

 

Good ruck!

[krotch 0]

HIT THE HALF-PIPE!!! Best way to learn is to go all out. Broken leg, broken arm, whatever. It's a small price to pay.

[misorano 1]

Happycat,

Glad to know I'm not the only one.

I've been 4 times this week, and felt more confident each time.

First time was a bit of a disaster as I was keen to get going and went up in terrible conditions.

 

After that I've stayed to the days where the visibility has been good.

 

On the last day things seemed to click, and as my wife was picking me up at part of the field that wasn't open yet, I got to slide down some virgin territory. (I think I finally know what people are on about, as it was bliss).

 

One thing I've found is that the groomed runs are harder on your feet and knees (and backside when you crash). On about the 3rd day I tried out the ungroomed areas and it was a lot less stress on the body (and more fun too).

 

Anyway, good luck.

[tsondaboy 0]

Hi there, welcome aboard.

 

It was also hard for me the first time I ve tried it, but I got addicted fast so I forgot about the pain. I was trying only by myself the first 2-3 times I went and it was a disaster.

So I found a group of people that were having lesson and I was watching what they were doing from some distance.

After that it didn’t take me much to stand on the board and start linking my turns.

There are some basic steps you have to practice in the following order.

a) Before start going on the lifts, strap only your front foot on the board and practice some scatting at a flat point.

Get at a moderate steep slope, strap your self and practice going down with the board across the slope. First with you back towards the slope and then with your face towards the slope. The trick is to shear your body weight on both legs.

c) Like snowglider said, you need some speed in order to turn the board easy. Start with the board across the slope like and slowly move your body weight to the front leg till the board becomes parallel with the slope (you will gain some speed). Then tilt your body in a way that your face starts facing the slope and then move your bodyweight towards your back leg till the boards becomes perpendicular to the slope again. Try the opposite next, ie tilt your body in a way that your back starts facing the slope and then move your bodyweight towards your back leg.

Also try not to do the mistake that most beginners do. If you start going fast, don’t move your body on you back leg, you will only go faster and probably crass-land in the end. First tilt your body towards 1 side like c) and then move your body weight slowly towards the back leg.

Hope this is enough to keep you going. Have fun!

[Ocean11 0]

Yeah, not putting your weight on your back leg is good advice!

 

To overcome that, try centering yourself over the middle of the board, bending your knees more than you think is necessary, with your arms up sticking straight up sideways like a scarecrow. You'll look like a proper pillock, but you won't have to do it for very long. Then as you pick up speed just point your leading arm in the direction you want to go when you turn, by twisting at the waist. Amazingly, your whole body and the board will follow your arm without any effort at all, and soon you'll be calmly linking turns. After a short while you'll be able to achieve the same thing without the arms up.

 

I learned this by watching a lesson from a slow chairlift.

[bettyx 0]

but with the amount of powder around at the mo', won't he need to be using his back leg?

 

my back leg was killing me after a day in the powder, i swear i had my weight on it aaalll day. guess it depends when he's heading out?

 

my advice - find which part of you body you tend to land on most, & buy some protective gear to save yrself a lot of pain. some people almost always land on their knees, others their bottom & i tend to land on my hands, so i bought some wrist guards at the very beginning. i've known some people to stuff towels/bubble wrap down their pants to save their tailbone, but nowadays the protective gear is quite common.

[SydFunnelWeb 0]

If you can afford it go the lessons

It is easier for the instructor to spot what you are doing wrong than to correct and fix yourself.

[Oyuki kigan 0]

GET LESSONS. Internet advice tends to exit the mind when standing on top of a steep run.

 

If you are terrified of steeper runs, don`t do them. You obviously are not comfortable enough where you are to do them.

 

Where are you at in boarding? Can you turn yet? Or just sideslip (slide sideways down the hill, on one edge only)? If you can turn, i suggest get out there as much as you can, and get confident. If not, take lessons. Hell, take lessons anyways, there is so much to learn, and it can help you to avoid getting bad habits and a wack style.

[advantyper 0]

Welcome aboard! I think the best way to get the fear out of your mind. Is to crash hard once, not on purpose of course. Keep riding the steep hills. When you feel you are going too fast, just keep on going. After you have one hard crash, you realize thats as painful as its going to get. Then you wouldn't be afraid of it anymore, its more of a mental thing. Of course make sure you have enough ability to break hard and turn both ways from one stance. Try going as fast as your mind allows you to, on a powder day. That way it doesn't hurt at all, on an icy day avoid going fast, untill you are skill enough to control it.

 

I don't think lesson is that important, I never took any lesson, took me 2 times to get the hang of it, then another 3 times to be comfortable with going fast.

[Ocean11 0]

The idea that you cannot hurt yourself going fast in powder is completely false and should not be promoted. You can experience severe whiplash crashing in powder, you can run into other people, and you can hit trees and other objects.

 

Also believing that because you have merely twisted your ankle painfully going too fast and crashing in powder does NOT mean that you have experienced anything like the pain of actually breaking your ankle, which still exists as a distinct future possibility.

[Oyuki kigan 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by advantyper:
Of course make sure you have enough ability to break hard and turn both ways from one stance. Try going as fast as your mind allows you to, on a powder day. That way it doesn't hurt at all, on an icy day avoid going fast, untill you are skill enough to control it.

I don't think lesson is that important, I never took any lesson, took me 2 times to get the hang of it, then another 3 times to be comfortable with going fast.

Um, if she has that much control stopping, navigating a steep run would not be an issue, would it? Steep does not equal fast if you can contol it. The problem is confidence with steepness, not speed.

Trying to fall is dangerous, and painful, even in powder. I am an instructor myself, and although i am not a snowboard master myself after seeing people learn on their own, and then learn from a proper lesson, there is no comparison. I definately reccommend a lesson. It can save you A LOT of time from trying to find out the correct way of doing things on your own.

I would offer to teach you, but i see that you are in Sapporo, and have no reason to go to tochigi to learn. Try Niseko, there are a few Aussie instuctors there, apparently.

[advantyper 0]

to each its own, control you learn over time. in no means I am suggesting to crash on purpose. with snowboarding you will crash in the beginning, you can't avoid it.

 

I would rather learn on a powder day, then on a non powder, if I have to chose. Again start with bunny slope and work your way higher as you feel comfortable.

 

Get wrist guards, your wrist will thank you. I guess it depends on the person, some people learn faster then others. so even if you take lessons, it might take you several lessons, before you get comfortable. Either way do want you feel comfortable with.