Newbie in Portland

Hup · 10-29-2007, 02:21 PM

Hello,

My apologies for the newbie thread. I usually visit the Ridemonkey forums and an email from there lead me here.

I have lived in the NW for several years and every winter I tell myself that I am going to get up into the mountains and try some skiing or snowboarding and every year I never do anything about it. So this year is going to be different.

I grew up in London (not a lot of skiing there) and none of my friends ski or snowboard. So I have no idea how to get started. I am looking for a place to start that is near Portland and is good for a beginner. I am 36 and want something mellow to start off with. What kind of gear do I need? What is a good discipline to get started with? Snowboarding, skiing, cross country?

Any help, comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for you patience.

J

RenegadeRick · 10-29-2007, 03:22 PM

Did you ever roller skate or skateboard as a kid? If you had a strong preference for skateboarding, try snowboarding, otherwise...
beginners should probably try skiing first.

Just show up at your local resort and take a lesson. It shouldn't be very expensive, and if you look around you can often find places that have free beginner lessons and rentals.

Just get out and do it!

Hup · 10-29-2007, 03:26 PM

Thanks for the reply.

To be honest I am more comfortable on a bike than a skateboard. But snowboarding looks like so much fun.

RenegadeRick · 10-29-2007, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hup

Thanks for the reply.

To be honest I am more comfortable on a bike than a skateboard. But snowboarding looks like so much fun.

Skiing shares the same orientation as biking. You may find it more comfortable.

Me, I prefer snowboarding over skiing, but I can do both. Better at snowboarding. I was always a lot more comfortable on a skateboard than roller skates.

riverside73 · 10-29-2007, 06:27 PM

As for your location....check out Mt Hood Meadows or any of the other Mt Hood Areas. Should be less than an hour away from you.

Hup · 10-29-2007, 07:44 PM

I just checked out the Mt. Hood Meadows web site and they are having a sale on beginner lessons. Nice. It looks like this is going to be the year I actually get out there.

Thanks for the responses.

stevensrider03 · 10-29-2007, 11:04 PM

hey man portland is awsome. i would for sure go up to hood and to mt bachelor it is so nice great snow

zane · 10-29-2007, 11:13 PM

Mt. Hood Meadows will definitely be good for you, take one of their 3-hour lessons with rentals for $99 total. It will give you a good idea if you have the knack for snowboarding...... I've ridden bikes all my life and I caught on to snowboarding after about 20 minutes. I think you either have it or you don't.... some of my friends who ride bikes never skated but once they got on a snowboard they were awesome. It's all up to you.

snowkat · 11-28-2007, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zane

Mt. Hood Meadows will definitely be good for you, take one of their 3-hour lessons with rentals for $99 total.

Definitely stick with Meadows. In theory, any of the three resorts would work for a beginner. But Meadows will be fun for you for a long time, whereas Timberline has the nickname Timberflats for a reason, and Ski Bowl apparently has some sweet steeps (haven't ridden them yet, but might this season) for when your skills improve, but also ices up a lot due to lower elevation. As someone who learned to ski there, I can tell you that learning on ice is not fun.

As for snowboarding versus skiing, I actually found snowboarding more fun during the learning process, though maybe it wasn't especially easier. But I'm hooked on snowboarding and haven't gotten on skis since my first snowboarding lesson.

See you on the hill, maybe! I live in Seattle now but plan to get down to ride Hood just before or after Christmas.

Buck Fever · 11-29-2007, 05:53 PM

Don't be talked out of snowboarding if you haven't spent a lot of time skating or surfing. Just go and give it a shot.

My honest opinion is that SkiBowl is better for learning turns than Meadows for the only reason that the beginner run at SkiBowl is just a teeny bit steeper and actually allows you to find your edge. The bunny hill at Meadows is so shallowly sloped that I think it's hard for beginners. My wife *still* has trouble with the Meadows bunny slope...it's such a head game for her. She's much better on steeper terrain but feels that since she hasn't mastered the bunny hill yet, she shouldn't move on.