Beginners’ Tips For Snowboarding

If you’re looking for an experience that is somewhat different from your standard holiday, then snowboarding is an incredible winter sport to try your hand at. If you’re booked onto one of our dog sledding holidays or are heading off on your first snowboarding holiday, then our beginners tips for snowboarding is here to set you on the right foot!

What To Wear

First things first, you’ll want to have the right gear for snowboarding. You want to focus on layering up with the first layer consisting of thermals made of wool or silk, cotton next to your skin is a no go as it will absorb sweat or snow and make you feel much colder. Followed by a fleece jumper and joggers as the insulating layer, then waterproofs for the third protective layer to guard against the icy conditions.

Snowboard boots along with one pair of thick socks are the perfect way to keep your feet dry and warm. Knitted hats, gloves and scarves will give you extra warmth. As you start to get more confident with snowboarding, you’re going to want to wear a helmet and goggles to protect you further.

Take A Beginners Lesson

Book yourself onto a snowboarding lesson for beginners to learn the basics; you can either do this on the slopes themselves while on your trip or head to some dry slopes beforehand. Snowboarding is one of the harder winter sports to master, so a beginner’s lesson will teach you the basics. From how to stand up on the board, sliding downhill, the essentials of turning and stopping.

Are You A Goofy Or Regular?

It’s key to determine which your front foot and back foot will be on the snowboard. If you lead with your left foot, you’re regular footed, and if it’s your right, you’re goofy footed. A simple way to discover which is your lead foot, get someone to give you a gentle push, then the foot you step forward with first will be the front foot on the snowboard.

Bend Your Knees

Stiff knees are common when snowboarding, by not bending your knees or not bending them enough you have less control which is likely to lead to more falls. By bending your knees, you absorb the bumps which will give you more control over your board. Practise bending your knees on the board and consciously try to keep this position when riding.

Ride Across The Slope

Snowboards can pick up quite some speed! Before you attempt riding straight down the slope, try riding across the slope. Snowboards can reach between 25 and 35 miles per hour; beginners can become easily panicked if they start to reach these speeds and become out of control. By riding across the slope, you’ll have more control over your speed and can focus on mastering the simple techniques first.

Don’t Look Down

It’s common to want to look down at your snowboard when riding, but naturally, your body goes where you look. So, if you’re looking down, that’s where you’ll end up. Instead, look where you want to go, and you’ll get there much smoother!

Have Fun!

Last but not least, have fun! Snowboarding is an adrenaline filled activity which at times can be challenging but is one the most rewarding winter sports. It’s said that skiing is easier to learn but harder to master, whereas snowboarding is harder to learn but easier to master, so stick with it and you’ll learn a new skill in no time!

We hope this blog has given you some tips into snowboarding and has encouraged you to give the sport a try, either on the alps or on a dry ski slope. If you’re interested in other winter sports, we cover how to improve your skiing and a beginners’ guide to dog sledding in our other blog posts. If you’re looking for an experience which is something different or somewhere different, then browse our experiences here at Untravelled Paths!