Top 10 Snowboarding Tips for Beginners and Intermediate Snowboarders
Snowboarding has a come along way since it was invented in 1964 by a young surfer (this is disputed though). Sherman Poppen thought it would be awesome to ‘surf’ the Rockies. The first board he built was children skis tied together as a present for his daughter Wendy. Now, fast forward almost 60 years and snowboarding is enjoyed across the world by approximately 125 million people!
Most of these people are not the daredevils you see in the viral GoPro videos jumping out of helicopters on their board and sliding down some terrifying mountain side! They are of all ages & abilities who enjoy hitting the slopes.
Snowboarding Tips For Beginners
1. Book Snowboarding Lessons
The first and most important snowboarding tips for beginners to learn the correct safety and technique is to book snowboarding lessons.
Snowboarding, like driving is best taught by a qualified instructor. Invest in a couple of lessons, this will allow you learn at your own pace. The instructor will teach you the fundamental techniques to snowboarding.
You will know exactly how to fix what you are doing wrong and will help avoid developing bad habits. You will learn about keeping you and others safe on the mountain, so it is important to remember the snowboarding tips you are given.
Most places who offer lessons will have group and private options. So, a group lesson may be the best option if you are learning with friends and a more fun experience.
2. Learn to Skate on your Snowboard
Not the Tony Hawk style of skating, but the same idea.
Skating on your snowboard is necessary to get around on flat areas and when exiting the chair lift.
You keep your front foot strapped in & use your unstrapped back foot to push the board. The trick is to take long strides by pushing hard, rather than shuffling along.
3. Practice Balance while Snowboarding
Prepare to fall repeatedly. This is completely normal until you get comfortable on the board and find your balance.
To do this, don’t be rigid and keep your knees bent, back straight, head up & hands in a balancing position above each end of the board.
Don’t put your weight too much forward or back and keep your hips in a central position to the board. Your feet should be just a bit wider.
Prepare to adjust your form as your skills progress.
4. Learn to Fall
As mentioned above, you are going to fall A LOT. Of course, as a beginner you are more likely to fall compared to a pro, but even they do!
So, it’s important to fall in a manner which is less likely to cause injury.
Falling forward:
Try to land on your knees first. Don’t stick your arms out as you would instinctively do. This can lead to a wrist injury. Instead keep your fore arms in front of your body.
Falling backwards:
Land on your butt and then your back to reduce the impact of the fall. Keep your chin tucked in to prevent your head swinging back.
Other snowboarding tips to reduce injury include:
Always wear safety gear & don’t try to do jumps/ tricks you’re not trained to do.
5. Strapping in to Your Snowboard
Don’t make yourself look like a noob by sitting down to strap in. This means a wet behind and you need to exert a lot of energy to stand.
Instead, stay standing & keep the board in place with your foot. Loosen the straps & remove any snow in the foot hold.
Strap your first foot in, making sure your heel is well placed, secure it with the straps & keep your back foot loose. These are some snowboarding tips for beginners that are especially important.
Pro tip: If on a hill, face upwards and dig your heel into the snow. This will allow you to strap up without the board slipping.
Snowboarding Tips For Intermediates
1. Off Season Training
Hit the gym and do squats, squats and more squats! They strengthen all the muscles you use while boarding, allowing you to stay on the slopes longer. Endurance, strength and flexibility training are all important for serious snowboarders.
Skate, Surf or Wakeboard are great ways for balance training. Your footing will of course be different but the principles are the same and you can adjust accordingly.
2. Snowboarding Advanced Routes
Are you feeling confident and eager to advance to the Black or even Double Black routes? The jump in difficulty level from a green to blue is a much smoother transition than going from blue to black.
The Black route should only be undertaken when you are 100% confident in your abilities. Sharp turns, avoiding obstacles and rapid reflexes are a must. You should also have knowledge of snow conditions and be able to recognise every type.
Seek advice from a more advanced snowboarder or book a lesson and ask them to assess your abilities. A large part of advancing is the mental game. Knowing your strengths and believing in your abilities is a good recipe for improving.
3. Switch Up Your Snowboarding Style
‘The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result’- Albert Einstein
The third of our intermediate snowboarding tips is to switch it up! If you are repeatedly doing the same twists and turns all the time on the mountain you are unlikely to improve.
If you switch your lead foot to the back, this will allow you to ‘start again’ almost and learn how to do everything from the start again. You will be an all-round better snowboarder.
4. All About the Knees
When you are first taught to snowboard, you will most likely have been taught to turn using your shoulders. After you sharpen your skills and become more advanced on the slopes you will find this is not necessarily correct.
The lead leg should be used, this will provide more precise & controlled turns. By exerting and releasing pressure on this leg you will see a big improvement.
5. Be Honest About Your Snowboarding Ability
Only when you have mastered the basics should you advance, both as a safety precaution and to develop your skills.
You must recognise your own ability and know where your weaknesses lay and work on them before attempting more advanced manoeuvres or routes.
Get feedback from other snowboarders or take an advanced lesson to assess your ability.
Back in the 80’s when snowboarding was becoming popular a backlash emerged from the skiing community.
Snowboarders were seen to be young adrenaline junkies who mostly grew out of the skateboard community.
Skiers complained they were unaware of etiquette on the slopes, causing a bitter rivalry. A vast number of ski resorts would not allow snowboarding, even after it became an Olympic sport.
Nowadays though, snowboarding contributes 30% of revenue to these resorts.
Like anything in life, practice makes perfect. If you are a beginner or an expert snow boarder, you should be constantly adjusting and looking to improve. This does not happen overnight but through persistence, training, and the right frame of mind. Confidence is key.
Watch YouTube clips of the top snowboarders and take note of their technique. Alot of them also offer tutorials on how to improve and give general snowboarding tips.
Speak to other individuals who are better than you and find out what they are doing. General research (like reading this article 😊) will also help. Knowledge is power!
Related Questions
What is the record for the longest rail?
The longest rail ever ridden on a snowboard was 275.5 feet.
How dangerous is snowboarding & skiing?
The risk of death from snowboarding is only half of that of skiers
Where is the biggest indoor ski slope?
Shanghai is home to the World’s largest indoor ski resort at over 1 million sq. ft!
What’s the highest air?
The highest air on a snowboard ever achieved was 32.2 feet.
When did Snowboarding become an Olympic sport?
Snowboarding first became an Olympic Sport in 1998
What’s the different styles of snowboarding?
Over 10 have appeared since it became popular. Some of which are Jibbing, Freeriding, Freestyle, Alpine Snowboarding, Slopestyle, Half-Pipe, Big Air
Fastest recorded speed on a snowboard?
Edmond Plawczyk from France reached a speed of 126mph!
Top male & female snowboarder?
Shaun White is considered the greatest male snowboarder. Hannah Teter is the best female snowboarder.
Implementing our top 10 snowboarding tips for beginner and intermediate snowboarding will help get your started and improve your technique.