fox_686

im new to snowboarding this year and i can make it up t bars and chairs of course but i cant make it down very good i was jus wondering if ne of u could give me some tips

Brton161

Begin by maple leafing on a bunny slope (so you dont piss people off by pulling the snow away from the steeper stuff).
Maple Leafing: heel edge, point and shoot across the run, back and forth. You will begin to realize the pressure/angle you need to get where you want on heel.

When your ready to do true carves, make sure you commit to toe side turns. ANGLE YOUR BOARD! If you attempt to toeside on a flat board, you'll be on your ass.

I think you will be surprised how fast you pick it up, especailly if you have experiance skateboarding/skiing/surfing. Wear a brain bucket your first few time out too and wrist guards if you want. (no one will see them under your jacket). Just take your time and dont get frusterated, and stay off the **** thats too steep for ya, theres no shame in the bunny slope.

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(Ride) fast, take chances.
-John Egan

gurp

Or learn how I did. Have your friends take you up to the top of a gnarly icy black run on your first day ever

gurp

Seriously though, take a lesson. You will learn more in a couple of hours with an instructor than a whole season of your buddies telling you what you should do.

philsthrills

I agree with gurp. There is no better way to learn snowboarding than to pay a pro who teaches people every day. To learn on a forum like this would be extremely difficult. A pro can get you started with good technique that hopefully will last for your whole riding career. That is better than having to unlearn a lot of useless movements later when you decide that you want to really engage the sport.

__________________
Y.A.F.R.O. (York Area FreeRide Organization)

www.philsthrills.com

Favorite bumper sticker: It's not the tune, your riding sucks.

MAC Tracks '06

surfingdude686

Definitly get some lessons. Also dont give up. It may seem really hard and you will most likely fall alot just like anyother sport but dont give up. Youll eventually pick it up if you stick with it. Good luck man.

Pat...

When I was 10, my first time snowboarding, I took lessons at Mamoth for a few days. In those few days I got all the basics. Then I figured the rest out; then I starting jumping off everything in sight.

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9.8m/s/s

First, figure out how to stop. This is going to take a litttle bit of time, but you can't commit mentally to a fall line if you don't know how to eventually stop yourself. Get really comfortable stopping. You are going to fall. Getting one of those butt and hip pads is not a bad idea.

Resist the urge to saw down the mountain back and forth switching from regular to fakie. Most people think this is making a lot of progress, but you are actually developing bad technique. Find a gentle slope and force yourself to commit and make the turn.

Once you are at the point where you are comfortably up and running, be very aware of your front shoulder. Tuck it in so you are looking over it. By doing this toeside turns get much smoother and you can use your heelside edge to slow down. Heelside carving is mostly about pressure so that might take a little longer.

Good luck, have fun.

electricblend

yeah, i agree with gurp, just take a lesson til you feel you can start boarding on your own, and then progress normally like that on to big and harder stuff

RenegadeRick

You should probably wear one all the time...

Last night the park at Wilmot was rock solid ice. Much different than the fun soft park that we enjoyed last week. Anyhow, that little jump that I tossed the 180 off of last week in the video, bit me this week as I attempted the same trick. I hooked my heelside edge and went down on my head... hard. Even with the helmet on, I whited out, and still have a bit of a headache, but I was able to ride away, and kept riding for another 1 1/2 hours afterwards. If I wasn't wearing it, I might not be typing this today...