**snowboarding**

[diva]

the local mountain down here opens next weekend

teach me everything i need to know about snowboarding

--what kind of board should i buy
--how small does it have to be
--step in bindings...what are they
--do i need goggles?

[shorerider]

go buy some skis. much better.
Yes, you need goggles.

[diva]

^ I don't want to ski, I want to snowboard. I went once a few years ago and enjoyed it, but never had the time and money to do it again.

[ebbomega]

goggles are good, or at least sunglasses. something to cover your eyes in case of not just if it's snowing, but more importantly if it's sunny out so you don't get hit by snow blindness.

[Kenny]

For a beginner i suggest a rossignol board.

Step in bindings suck, no ankle support.

Yes you need goggles. And the board should come up to about your chin.

[stringbeans]

when you're choosing a board its important you take into account the length of it vs your height but ALSO the length vs your weight. i dont know exactly what the ratios are but you should just go into any snowboard store and ask an employee what they would length of a board they would recommend for your height+weight

dont get step in bindings because they usually suck and like someone said earlier there's no ankle support.

if you're first starting out you wont need goggles unless you're going to be on the mountain when its snowing. any pair of sport sunglasses with uv protection will do. i recommend learning to board when there's an overcast. you wont need to wear anything and you'll have full peripheral vision

[diva]

^ yeah, i've been reading up about it all morning and the experts say that weight matters a lot more than height when it comes to choosing a board because if you're too light for your board you wont be able to make it flex, and if you're too heavy it will flex too much.

thanks, stringbeans!
i'm going to make a day of it in the next few weeks.
maybe we can go together when i come back to vancouver in january.

=)

[diva]

i've also read that it's better for a beginner to get a freestyle board, not a freeride one.

i'm assuming that if i go up for the first time and have to rent one on the mountain they wont give me much of a selection, so how do i know which is best?

[justa~gurl]

buying a board is like buying a pair of shoes..

if your going to buy a board i suggest going to sport junkies or something.. thats where i got mine for like $100 and it's just fine

step in bindings.. ones that 'click' in rather then strap..

and yes, for your eyes and balance sake, goggles are good.. better then sunglasses which i find give you a wierd relocation of the ground.. if that makes sense.. they do for me anyways..

i haven't been snowboarding in 2 years and i'm hoping this will be the year that i destroy that record

[Haze]

GOGGLES. DO NOT go with sunnys... They will fog up and be super frustrating... PLUS if you get any wind coming at you, it will wrap aruond them partially and you will still not be any better off...

Boots wise, don't skimp... They are VERY important uz if your feet hurt, wet, uncomforable you will not be happy and it will make it less enjoyable. Like going out with shoes that are realyl uncomfortable :D

- ë

[clearist]

Stay away from step-in bindings at all costs. They are just more work then they are worth.

Id recomend goggles over sunglasses, not that sunglasses wont work, but goggles are specificly designed for winter sports, so they're just better.

And if you are just learning make sure you have proper snow gear... i know it sounds trivial, but if you get wet, cold, etc. its going to ruin the experience for you. Your going to spend a lot of time on your ass to start, so keep dry.

When renting at a mountain they will pick everything for you, excluding boot size of course. And it is usually around the right size board for you so look at boards around the size of what they rent you. That being said, its really about how you feel on a different size board, if it doesnt work... try somthing else. They will also probably give you step in bindings when you rent, depending on the mountain, so if you can.. ask for strap-ins... you will thank me later. hehe.

And lastly, your first board does not have to be anything special. By all means get somthing you like but dont break the bank. I spent a lot on my firt set up, and thankfully i got somthing that worked out quite well (other than my bindings), but you may need to change things up.

well thats all i can think of for now, i hope i have helped recruit another one to our side! Let me know how everything works out for ya.

SNOW SOON!!!

[diva]

^ I heard that cypress is opening next weekend.
I hope I like snowboarding, it seems like a really good solitary activity.

[Haze]

- Cypress Mountain, Top of Collins Run





snow already brotha!!! :D


- ë

[Dean]

Originally Posted by diva

^ I heard that cypress is opening next weekend.
I hope I like snowboarding, it seems like a really good solitary activity.

cypress is trying to open for wednesday

[Drazkers]

Blackcomb opened today!!! I start work on monday(work at blackcomb)!Don't buy yet! Rent afew times so then you know what you like! And if you hate it, then you don't have too much gear you have to sell.

[Play-it-hard]

Originally Posted by Haze

- Cypress Mountain, Top of Collins Run





snow already brotha!!! :D


- ë

Hell yah skiiers !!!

[justa~gurl]

Originally Posted by clearist

Stay away from step-in bindings at all costs. They are just more work then they are worth.

Id recomend goggles over sunglasses, not that sunglasses wont work, but goggles are specificly designed for winter sports, so they're just better.

And if you are just learning make sure you have proper snow gear... i know it sounds trivial, but if you get wet, cold, etc. its going to ruin the experience for you. Your going to spend a lot of time on your ass to start, so keep dry.

When renting at a mountain they will pick everything for you, excluding boot size of course. And it is usually around the right size board for you so look at boards around the size of what they rent you. That being said, its really about how you feel on a different size board, if it doesnt work... try somthing else. They will also probably give you step in bindings when you rent, depending on the mountain, so if you can.. ask for strap-ins... you will thank me later. hehe.



SNOW SOON!!!

and theres something about strap ins that make me feel so much more secure... :P

[stringbeans]

ive always wanted to try flow bindings. the combination of the ease of step-ins with the support of strap-ins all in one binding!

[ebbomega]

Originally Posted by diva

^ I heard that cypress is opening next weekend.
I hope I like snowboarding, it seems like a really good solitary activity.

it's also an exceptional meditative activity to be doing with friends. in that, even with a group you still have an element of being on your own. frankly, i think mp3 players are the greatest invention ever made for an activity like snowboarding.

[Senior]

Questions to ask yourself:

- what style of riding interests you? Do you want to learn how to ride park, is it all about free riding for you or some where inbetween
- What's your budget
- What do you have/need proper out wear will be just as important once you get up there

I haven't spent more than an hour a year in a park for the last 4 years and have my gear specific for free riding. Thus my board rides powder and ungroomed trails really nice. If that interests you I would recomend a directional board, which means the noce is wider than the tail so it rides up in powder. I would recomend getting a boot with a lot of support that goes high on your calf, something fairly stiff. This will give you the support you need to control your board smothly when going fast. I would say that toe straps are a must, I have technine's and they work really well. They eliminate heal lift and inprove board control when carving. I also find that with the combination of highbacks (the back of my binds are higher than freestyle bindings), free ride boots (DC), and toe straps I don't need any of it to be that tight making my ride a lot more comfortable.

Beyond that I'd recomend getting inexpensive goggles but not the cheapest. Until my most recent pair (Iris) of goggles I was always fine with Scott's at around the $50 price range. I'd also definitely recomend checking out Ebay for soft gear. One more thing, make sure your outwear is waterproof and breathable.

GOOD LUCK!