First time Snowboarding?!?!?!?

Chong1

Hey there,

I'm goin snowboarding for the first time in january! I have been skiing before, but this will be the first time i've ever strapped into a snowboard, and i cant wait. As a skateboarder, i was just wondering if there is any1 who could tell me wat the learnin curve is like???

What i mean is, will snowboarding be completely different from skating, or is being a skater an advantage?

If any1 could help, or give me any pointers that would be sweet

Cheers guys

Peace

Breezer

From what I can see, be prepared to spend a lot of time on your arse Seriously though, I've never snowboarded, but my experience with skiing was that it's well worth getting a few dry slope lessons before you go, around 4 maybe. Just so you don't waste half the week learning the basics. Also talking to people who snowboard regularly, the consensus seems to be that there's a steep learning curve, and the basics are harder to pick up than in skiing - so I wasn't entirely joking at the start!

There's a dry slope in Kilternan on the Dublin/Wicklow border, have a look at www.skiclub.ie. There's also one up North somewhere but not sure exactly where.

Kenjd

Hey Chong,
never been snowboarding myself but if you can skate i wouldnt worry to much about it...I'd say you'd be grand!!
Longer board softer terrain...easy!!! Well thats what i've always thought. One thing I do know is that speed, high ramps + jumps can be a very dangerous factor!
there are some safety pads available like hip pads that fit under your trousers, I think bmx users were them.
Report back bud and let us know how you got on. As my budget is tight I was wondering how much is a trip costing you? Id love to go and the wife said she'd hate it so I was thinking of getting my m8's on a trip...PAAAARTY LOL
Are you back from the dam? How did that go? Very well if my own experiences there tell me anything

Chong1

Cheers for the comments guys. Hopefully i'll get the hang of it pretty sharpish, And ur probably right about spending alot of time on my arse.:D

Ken,

Yeah the dam was wkd! As always, the cannabis cup was just finished when i arrived, so there was alot of stoner hippies around which was sweet. The whole vibe/buzz around the place was so chilled out it was unbelievable! Every1 was really friend, it was just a serious smokin session! The last ime i went was in april, it was queens day that time, which was awesome aswell, but in a different way, more of a go mad and get ****ed buzz, and much alcohol involved. Both were awesome, just different vibe ya know.

Well the cost is gonna be pretty cheap for me, thakfully. 1 of my mates rented an apartment for a month some where in fraance, and he's got loads of mates comin over on different weeks, so accomadation is only like 50 euro for the week! Happy days. I only recently got my flights, which were ****in expensive as its so close to the time i'm actually leavin. Also theres only like 2 to 4 flights a week that go to the airport that i'm flying to, which bumps up the price even more. Turns out i paid 300 hundred yoyos for the flight. As for ski pass and board/boot rental i'm told i dont have to pay for these till i get over there, and the prices for a package is about 200 to 250, something like that. So i reckon the whole trip will cost me grand, including spendin money for when i get over there. I dunno if thats cheap or not, but i'm pretty happy with. Considerin the last ime i went its cost me 900 punt or somethin ridiculous like that.

You should try and organise something for easter, seen as though its so close to jan, u might get it a bit cheaper. If u do organise anything let me know, i might be interested in goin again.

Peace

Kenjd

So no skating in the dam?? Shame on you!! Understandable though
Have a good time snowboarding and dont break your neck buddy! You need to be fit for the road trips in 07!!!
Later

Curran

Spend time learning how to get about on a flat area with one foot strapped into the binding and one without - should be easy enough being a skate boarder but its hard than it looks. Practice moving about and also how to stop - will be useful when you go up the ski lifts as you have to have one foot strapped in and getting off can be difficult if it hasnt be practiced.

When on the slopes learn on how to get up - should get loads of experience at that cos you'll be on your arse alot
Then learn how to slide down the slope on both edges. Pick up some speed and then stop, repeating several times until you are comforable doing a resonable speed. Then you've gotta learn how to get from one edge to another without flipping out - you just gotta be brave and throw yourself at it.

Heres a site that is very good for learning the basics, with some nice animations.....
http://www.abc-of-snowboarding.com/learn-snowboarding/

Chong1

Cheers dudes

Cake Fiend

Curran wrote:

Spend time learning how to get about on a flat area with one foot strapped into the binding and one without

Be very careful doing this, at all times. It's a quick way to tear a knee ligament if you fall the wrong way. I try to keep either both feet or no feet bound whenever possible, just in case.

Curran

Thats true - but you still have to be able to get about, cos they wont let you on the lifts with both feet binded or without both feet binded - unless they dont spot ya!!

Forgot to add the link to my last comment.....

Here it is http://www.abc-of-snowboarding.com/learn-snowboarding/

Chong1

Kenjd wrote:

So no skating in the dam?? Shame on you!! Understandable though
Have a good time snowboarding and dont break your neck buddy! You need to be fit for the road trips in 07!!!
Later

Yeah i skated the big outdoor bowl! But as know can imagine only for about an hour cuz i was far too stoned and couldnt balance for ****. You'd be suprise how hard it is just to stand on the ****in board after you've had a few cakes and smoked the finest ganja around! Mind blowingly inspiring...just not great for the auld balance.

Bowl was sick, really deep, really fast, couldnt do much, a few rock and rolls, 5-0's, 50-50's **** like that! deadly buzz tho!

youcancallmeal

Just got back from a skiing trip myself. I have never been snowboarding or skiing and had planned on skiing cos I heard it was easier to pick up. Anyway we got there and the only lesson available was a snowboarding one so change of plan then. The next two days I spent either on my arse or on my face. I was starting to pick it up but it was just getting too sore and I just wasn't enjoying it at all so I changed to skiing and after that the holiday was far more enjoyable. I only fell once or twice on the ski's and even then it was nothing compared to the falls on a snowboard. My friend who was a beginner too stuck with the snowboarding and he was definitely enjoying it towards the end of the week.

I found the best things to concentrate on are trying to stop on your heel edge then turn the board and stopping on your toe edge. The main thing is to take it very slow and try to remain in control otherwise you just start building up speed and shi**ing yourself wondering how your going to stop/slow down. Also as somebody else mentioned using button/t-bar lifts is a nightmare with snowboards. Anymore questions just ask

Cake Fiend

Chong wrote:

What i mean is, will snowboarding be completely different from skating, or is being a skater an advantage?

You might have an advantage with balance, but the way a snowboard works is quite different to a skateboard (edges).

Your first trip will be the hardest (although I don't know anyone who didn't want to go back!) - you'll have muscle aches and bruises all over by the time you're finished. Snowboarding is much harder to learn initially than skiing, but much more fun when you get good, IMO (to me, skiiing is like just travelling down a hill - how boring is that?). Lifts are a pain in the arse at first, but like anything, a bit of practice will sort that out.

Once you start to gain more control over the board, it becomes a lot more fun. When you get good enough, you can start trying tricks or off-piste freeriding.

TriWannabe

I have snowboarded many many many times. I have also been skiing a good few times. If you are a good skateboarder you will pick up snowboading no problem. It is unforgiving if you make a mistake but so what, think of all the times you f****d up skateboarding. Skiing is too easy and boring. Once you get the hang of both I think you would never ski again. Snowboarding is pure magic.
Don't worry about getting pointers until you get to the slopes. I bet you'll love it.

Chong1

Cheers guys for all your comments.

TriW - I agree with you, skiing does get a bit boring after a while, but i still loved it when i went! The whole snow thing just buzzes me out! I wouldn't say i'm a particularly "good skater" but i can skate confidently, like i am really comfortable on the board, just dont have a huge bag of tricks! To be honest, I think i'll be much better at snowboarding than skating as i will be strapped to the board, taking ollieing out of the way. But we'll see how it goes, i'll take some pics and post, i'll post some links for vids if i get any!

One more question: Ski jacket, my old is fu()ked, all ripped up from wearing in out all the time, any good jackets about that i should know of?

JahEerie

One more question: Ski jacket, my old is fu()ked, all ripped up from wearing in out all the time, any good jackets about that i should know of?[/QUOTE]


TK Maxx homie
- have bought 2 or 3 jackets there over the years (Rusty/Quiksilver/etc)
Look for somethin with 10,000 mms waterproofing - you'll be happy ya did when your sittin in da snow with a dry ass.

Brands to go for: Bonfire/Analog/Foursquare/etc, etc
Don't go mad payin big bucks for the coolest of labels, try to get somethin from last season & you'll save 30-50%.

See ya up da hill

JohnBoy

Chong1

nice 1 johnboy, theres a TK Maxx not to far away from me!

Cheers

C

CyberUnch

Chong wrote:

Hey there,

I'm goin snowboarding for the first time in january! I have been skiing before, but this will be the first time i've ever strapped into a snowboard, and i cant wait. As a skateboarder, i was just wondering if there is any1 who could tell me wat the learnin curve is like???

What i mean is, will snowboarding be completely different from skating, or is being a skater an advantage?

If any1 could help, or give me any pointers that would be sweet

Cheers guys

Peace

Hey chong, having skateboarded before this will help with your balance, the first day boarding is a bit harsh on the rear end but once you master the basics you will love it and never ever consider going skiing again..

I do suggest bringing some pain killers! they are a must!! also if you can get access to a bath this will help big time after your first day on the board..:D

You should check out Irishsnowboarder.com if you want to hook up with other boarders once you get back, the guys on this site will help you out with any questiosn you may have..

Enjoy your trip!!

Cyber..

TriWannabe

Elites,
It seems I have offended a sensitive soul. Let me apologise. I didn't mean to offend anyone. I am much better at snowboarding than Skiing. That is because I found skiing too easy to start with and decided to try snowboarding. Actually found it easy enough too but way more fun.

I acknowledge that just because I find snowboarding more fun than skiing doesn't mean eveyone else does.

Again, my apologies.

robinph

I think that it is probably easier to stand up and get down a green slope on ski's but on a board you are more likely to fall over a lot until you get the knack of balancing right, so to start off with a board is maybe harder.

But once you've got the basics of either you can then get down pretty much anything on a board but there is still a lot more to master to get down the trickier runs with any style and decent technique on a set of ski's. To look really good on a set of ski's is possibly harder than on a board once your no longer a beginner.

Jonnykitedude

You will be fine if you have been skateboarding before..........trust me skating is a lot harder.