Getting on Board
For your first few snowboarding sessions it is sensible to hire the equipment you need. Lessons usually include the cost of hire but you should wear suitable clothes and footwear. Check with the centre before you go to see what you need.In your first lesson you will be told all about the snowboard, how to secure the bindings and how to get on and off. You will also practise some of the basic skills you need to be able to snowboard. If you fall off, as you most certainly will at some stage when you are snowboarding, try to roll with the fall or land on your bottom.
Getting on and off the board
This is not as easy as it sounds. First you must decide which is your leading leg. Your instructor will give some exercise to do so that you can work out which leg to choose. Attached to the snowboard is a leash that you fasten to your leading leg. Next you secure the bindings while you are still sitting down and finally you practise rolling over and standing up. If you have any energy left when you have completed this, you are ready for the basics!
Basic Skills
When you are standing up you will practice the three simple snowboarding techniques - edging, pivoting and pressure control. Edging is the skill of rolling the board on and off its edge. This is important when you start to move and turn. Pivoting helps you change direction and pressure is about shifting your weight on the board as you move to enable you to do certain manoeuvres.
Gliding
Your first real movement will be some simple glides on a gentle slope. As your confidence grows, you can move higher up the slope and practise some of the basic techniques you have been shown. Listen to your instructor and do exactly as he/she tells you if you want to snowboard safely. Concentration, a good sense of balance and some basic fitness will help.
Moving On
When you have mastered some of the basic skills you can go on to side slipping, traversing and turning and carving.
Sideslipping
Sideslipping is sliding down a slope almost sideways by rolling the board on and off its edges. You need good balance and control to do this properly.
Traversing
In traversing you glide across the slope. You use this movement between turns.
Turning and carving
To turn you must reduce the pressure on the board, pivot and steer the board to the new direction and finally roll the board onto its inside edge to complete the turn. You have practised all these manoeuvres as basic skills - turning is simply putting them together. Practise turning in both directions and make sure you can stop.
Carving means executing turns one after the other, without moving sideways in between. The harder you press on the board and the more you edge, the sharper you turn. As you learn to snowboard faster, you will find it easier to do carved turns.
One-step further
Most people are happy with the basic manoeuvres and will spend many hours mastering turns and manoeuvres on more demanding slopes. If you are feeling more adventurous watch some of the freestyle and racing snowboarders in action to see what's possible!
Freestyle
Freestyle is all about tricks and stunts in the snow. You may even try some yourself on a simple level. Advanced freestylers love jumps and acrobatics - the more theatrical, the better. At snowboarding events you can see freestylers in halfpipe competitions. A halfpipe is a snow structure built for freestyle snowboarding. It consists of opposite walls of the same height and size. Snowboarders use the halfpipe to catch air and perform tricks by travelling back and forth from wall to wall while moving down the slope.
Racing
There are races at all levels up to World Professional standard. Your local club may hold events that you can take part in. Courses include slaloms and speed contests.
