TrickerZ

iTrader: (6)

I agree with faeflora on going on blue instead of green. Greens tend to get you stuck as a snowboarder, too. Basically, you need to be comfortable going faster, which sounds counter intuitive, but it's actually easier the faster you go. As he said, control is all in your weight balance. You'll notice toward the end of the day when you start to suck (or suck more), you put more weight on the back leg. It's not good, but it's hard to avoid when your muscles are fatigued. I know for me, it takes a lot of concentration toward the end of the day to keep my weight forward. I try to ride switch more toward the end of the day since I naturally put more weight on that leg.

If you're dealing with poor equipment, make sure you at least have a good edge. Really flexible boards are horrible, though. My first board you could practically bend in half and it felt like I was going to lose my edge all the time. There's nothing you can do but buy a better board.

My favorite board that I demoed (albeit like 10 years ago) was the Palmer Carbon Circle. Amazing design - flexible honeycomb tips for pop and lightened weight while spinning, carbon strips across the front and back for torsional rigidity, and honeycomb in the center to reduce weight. It felt so stable, I would have dropped the $600 to get one if I had it. It was $300 for me since I worked at a shop, but I still didn't have that. If you find a chance to go to a demo day, do it. There are usually reps from just about every company if it's a decent demo and you can try out every board and boots to see what works for you.

Oh, I should probably mention, to test torsional rigidity, take the board and sandwich it between your legs, then grab the end and twist it. The less it twists, the better. To test the lateral rigidity, jam one end of the board into the ground and push your knee into the center of the board while holding the top. Stiffer boards torsionally are better for everything I would say (some may disagree, but I don't see why), but lateral stiffness is better for carving and bad for pipes. You want a pipe board to be springy.

Edit: Correct term is longitudinal, not lateral flex.

Fireindc

iTrader: (13)

Snowboarding is basically my reason for living. Its absolutely the best **** ever. Seriously, ever since i started 4 years ago ive been addicted and have gone at least 30+ times a season. In the summer its hard not to be bummed and waiting for the winter. OTOH i have my car, and i like to bmx in the summer, but snowboarding imo is better than both.

+1 on seirrasnowboard.com, you can get all your gear 50-70 percent off if you shop pre season.

Park boards are shorter and softer, all mountain terrain boards are longer and stiffer. I prefer the mountain to the park, but kickers are sure fun.

TrickerZ

iTrader: (6)

I wakeboard like crazy in the summer to cope. It takes a hell of a lot more fitness, though. I never really breathe hard snowboarding, but wakeboarding, I have to lay in the water and rest between runs to catch my breathe. In my opinion, it's just as much fun as snowboarding. Wakeskating is another option.

If I had the time and money, I'd definitely be snowboarding 30 times a year. I have to drive a few hours to get anywhere, though and the size and conditions suck.

fooger03

iTrader: (2)

One of my first points when trying to teach friends how to snowboard...whichever way you lean, you will go that direction as long as gravity agrees...if you lean uphilll (back foot), you're fighting gravity, and gravity wins every time.

Fireindc

iTrader: (13)

Ohh man i love wakeboarding too. Ive only done it a few times though.. when i lived in texas.

If i had the means to go wakeboarding(A boat, lake, gear, and other people to go with) i definitely would in the summer. The only way i can get away with snowboarding 30+ times a season is i switch to part time on my job, and get a season pass(before i go part time so i can afford it). The rest of the time im on a tight budget, but get to snowboard my *** off.

Faeflora

iTrader: (2)

I love snowboarding dearly as well. We are hopefully going to relocate and one of our prime criteria is situating ourselves within an hour or so of great slopes. It's looking like Seattle is choice. Plus then, my 3071 can ride it out with jay's 3076

Another tip-- Snowboarding on ice sucks. If you are good, just try to get over the ice as quickly as possible. If you're not, and you're going slowly, ice can easily make you crash.

You want to crash on a snowboard the same way (I think) you want to crash on a motorcycle. You want to lay down. You do not want a heel or toe edge to catch and for your face or the back of your head to slam into hardpack. Wearing a helmet keeps you from KO'ing yourself but you can still get whiplash, mild to severe. If you feel you are going too fast or are getting out of control, depending on your edge, lean backwards or forwards into the hill. If you are on heel edge, just sit down. If you are on toe edge fall slowly into the hill and break your fall with your forearms. Do not try to break your fall with an outstretched hand or you might sprain your wrist. Practice falling backwards and forwards a few times while stationary. Falling is not that bad if it is done on your own terms, and it is immensely superior to crashing.

mann

Great advice as well--I just went to blue "ice" mt a week ago and it was an ice skating rink as usual. I still can't fathom how its so popular with those horrific conditions.

Artie, camelback is the best in the poconos short of elk...I go to all of them and they are always on top of things and the first to make snow.

Elk in union dale has the best conditions by far but the lifts are super slow. The trails are great and tons of powder but its quite a ways away.

Camelback starts at about ~1400 feet and goes up to over 2200. While its not much its still enough for it to be colder and less icy then the rest of the pocono mts. If you're coming from south or east its the way to go other than NY.

Vermont is nice but a long drive and expensive. At camelback I get the $50 camelcard and the whole season I pay $20 for a lift ticket and every third one is free so I go quite a bit when work permits.

SKMetalworks

iTrader: (7)

Couple beers some great feel good music / hardcore metal put me at the top of my game. Rails i was always scared to do suddenly i am boardslide/50-50ing them. On booters id usually just ride it out but i actually throw some grabs. When trying new tricks your gonna fall but once you got it down its fun to throw them down. Damn now i really wanna go up.

Uncle Arthur

Snowboarding FTW

FRT_Fun

iTrader: (19)

Going tomorrow, we are supposed to get a couple inches of snow too so that should be good. So excited!

TrickerZ

iTrader: (6)

Awesome, have fun! I was looking at Burton's site and they have a demo at Mountain Creek Resort – Vernon, NJ, February 27–March 1, and Stowe, VT March 6-8. I didn't realize that most of the demos are only for retailers, but that one's open to the public. If you can, check out their stuff and see what you like. Personally, I'm not a Burton fan, but other people swear by them.

Some other brands to check on in order of my personal preference:
Palmer
Rossignol
Arbor
Ride
K2

rider384

iTrader: (3)

Am I the only one here who skiis? I ski a Volkl Supersport 168 80-underfoot. Great for crud, powder and packed.

TrickerZ

iTrader: (6)

I used to ski, but now find snowboarding much more enjoyable. My skis were crappy Elans. I demoed quite a few nice ones. Used to ride some twin tips for awhile and tried a few minis and ski-boards.

FRT_Fun

iTrader: (19)

Well boarding was awesome. My only major fall of the night was on my last run, go figure.

I think the next time I can start hitting a few jumps Maybe tomorrow.

spoolin2bars

iTrader: (1)

snowboarding > skiing

i miss it so much. usually had bad to worse conditions in lower pen. of michigan. but you got pretty good and when you actually went far north or out of state in some powder you were fearless. i remember many nights on ice. even saw someone crack their skull on it one time.

we used to drive 3-4 hrs. to a resort for the afternoon/evening session and get or sometimes buy the lift tickets from people as they were leaving after the morning/afternoon session. then we would get out there and make sure all the lift operators saw us. then they would take an hour break between sessions, and when we would go back out, the lift operators wouldn't ask to see our lift tickets as they remembered us. it was a good scam, and the only way we could hit the slopes 25+ times per season. even back then, at these little resorts they were 45-65 dollars!

i've been trying to talk some friends into going the past few years to new mexico or something. but they're all fat, and now i'm all fat too! lol
in michigan if we weren't mt. biking some bad *** trails, we were playing basketball, beach volleyball, or snowboarding or snowmobiling in the winter.

anyway's, enjoy it as much as you can while you can. there isn't much else you can do that gives you such a good feeling. a good track battle is exhilarating, but it's more rewarding when it's just you and a board.

-Banks-

this is making me wanna get into it! but i cant stand snow and being cold, how do u guys put up with it? i was actually planning a trip to Canada in February so i wanna know beginner tips, and attire, etc.

we have a pretty good selection of hills in new england too. pats peak, various hills in maine and new hampshire, etc...i think i might fight my tropical side and start enjoying new england

TrickerZ

iTrader: (6)

Lots of clothes. Get the right gear and you won't notice it's cold. After your first run your body will warm up. You need different options for different temperatures. For bitter cold, I have my jacket with liner, sweatshirt, turtleneck, snow pants, thermal pants, jogging pants, wool socks, a mask, goggles, and fleece-lined beanie.

Read the thread for tips, but to start out, you usually use your heal edge and go back and forth slowly, staying on your heal edge. You just add a little more weight left or right to get it going in that direction, then even off your weight again and go back the other way. After you get that down, you go to your toe edge and do the same thing. Then you transition between the two and eventually you'll feel comfortable carving.

I used to live in CT and New England has some great places. The MA ones are pretty weak, but VT, NH and ME all have great slopes.

FRT_Fun

iTrader: (19)

So just got back from some good boarding. Used my new board for the first time, first two runs were terrible. After that I got used to it.

We took my miata lol. Two boards, full gear, plus some extra stuff such as a small tool box in the trunk. We had to pull the hard top off, slide the boards through the roll bar towards the bottom of the passanger seat... then put the hard top back on.

Going again tomorrow, can't wait.

curly

iTrader: (25)

I wear my motorcycle gear to the mountain. It's waterproof, and keeps me warm at 60+mph, so I figured it'd be fine on the mountain, and it is. This is for gloves and pants, I have a winter jacket with fleece liner. My armored motorcycle jacket would look a little funny. I should note that my waterproof First Gear pants have the knee protector inserts removed.

miataliker

I went snowboarding once. And it was fun!! Going back this year forsure