Snowboarding is a sport that doesn’t seem like its’ that difficult (to the untrained eye). You observe people snowboarding, and because they know what they’re doing, it seems easy to you. You say to yourself, “I can probably figure this stuff out by myself, I don’t really need any training.” You reason, “I’m a great skateboarder. I can probably pickup this snowboarding thing up right away.” And you know what, that may be true for some, but not likely in my opinion. You should never approach something that is so potentially dangerous as is sliding down a snow covered slope standing on a flat board reaching speeds that are capable of breaking bones or even resulting a life ending event. It seems to me, that common sense should tell you that some type of instructions should be done before you test your metal on that big downhill slope. There are a lot thing to learn. Preparation before engaging in any sport should be a ritual. Be armed with good solid knowledge about the sport before you start.
You should also prepare your body for the type of maneuvers and stresses that will occur with this kind of sport, much like someone preparing to go skiing. Seasoned skiers warm up and prepare their bodies well in advance of actually skiing. Do exercises to strengthen your legs, stretch and prepare your body for the rapid maneuvers and stresses you will experience while snowboarding.
Protective gear is a must. Over 100,000 people worldwide suffer from snowboarding accidents. The most common of these are wrist injuries. I mean really, what’s the rush, take a little time to learn the ropes from a qualified instructor. They can show you a great deal more about this sport than you would ever believe. A professional instructor will make your experience, enjoyable and safe. It is also necessary to learn and adhere to the rules referred to as the “Official FIS Rules”. Anything that involves a large volume of people engaging in an activity which can cause bodily harm and/or death, quite naturally need to be regulated, in order to help reduce the occurrence of accidents and mishaps. You can find the official fis rules at this link: Official FIS Rules
If you want to know where to get some tips or a few lessons before you begin your snowboard adventure, you can usually talk to someone who books the slopes for snowboarding and/or skiing. There are classes for children as well as adults. Inquire about their membership rates if available. Group classes of course are less expensive than having a private instructor. Private instructors can cost as much as $50 an hour, or $180 for the entire day.
One of your primary concerns is staying warm, and of course, safe. Try to find cold weather gear that is water proof. As soon as your gear gets wet, you get cold. A retailer who specializes in cold weather activity might be the best person to talk to about the best gear for snowboarding or skiing. Your clerk may even be an avid snowboarder or skiing enthusiast, and could share some of their personal insights into your cold weather needs.
Whether on the slopes or in the big city, you probably already know the effect snow can have on your eyes. A sunny, snowy covered, landscape, can reek massive damage to you eyes. This is commonly called “snow blindness”. You definitely don’t want this to happen. Especially when there is an easy way to prevent it. A good pair of UV protected sun glasses designed for high intensity sports activity is the perfect solution for this common dilemma. This is something you shouldn’t mind spending money on. Quality is highly encouraged!
Make sure you really enjoy the sport before you start investing in expensive boards, and other expensive gear. Snowboarding is really great sport, but it’s not for everybody.