Any snowboarders here?

[the]

I need some help buying some snowboards, boots and bindings.

For my 8 year old son, beginner.

And for myself, 40-something longtime skiier but beginning snowboarder (gotta switch b/c skiing is apparently teh ghey now).

We've gone a couple of times, but just rented, because I wasn't sure if he (or I) would like it, but it looks like it's a go, so I'm thinking of buying something used off eBay. The rentals start to add up, and it's such a hassle.

What I want is something easy to ride, not the lastest, high tech, high speed, etc. stuff.

It seems when we rent, they give him 130s and me 155s, which seem to work.

Any advice appreciated!

[stevepaa]

Well, I would buy your boots new, and you will need a completely different set of attire for boarding. That's all the advice I can give. My kids and I have boarded for ~10 years. I really have no clue on current boards.


Yeah, a helmet is a must. Did not get mine until after I whacked the back of my head on ice.

[red-beard]

Snowboard size is Height/Weight based. I ride a 165, but then I'm over 200 lbs...

Advice: Buy snowboard clothing since it's designed for how snowboarders function. While learning, get some sort of knee protection. Also get a helmet. The 2 "normal" beginner falls will either put you on your knees or your back/head.

Switching from skiing has it's own issues. The balance is front/back instead of side to side. With skiing, you keep the weight forward all the time and then balance right/left depending on which way you are turning. With snowboarding, you weight your forward foot about 70-80%, then roll your weight from the front to make a toe side turn (right if 'regular') and weight your back when making a heel side turn (left if 'regular').

The toes are a good way to help you learn balance. Sit down on a chair in bare feet. Place your feet flat on the ground. Now "grip" the floor by arching your feet and digging your toes into the floor. This is what you should do in a "Toe" turn. Now, keep the heel on the floor, but pull your toes up and point them. The whole front of your foot should come off the floor, while leaving your heel in contact. It sometime helps to use your hand to mimmic this. Make a fist when you are "grippping" the floor with your toes and stretch your finger out when you lift your toes.

Once you can do this while sitting, start practicing this same exercise while standing. Stand with about a 30-45 bend in your knees. Put 70-80% of your weight on your forward foot. Now, practice going from toes to heels. Hold the toe position for 10-15 seconds, then transition over about 5 seconds and hold the heel for 10-15 seconds.

Finally, add upper body transition to this. When on your heels, turn your upper body towards your forward foot (this is left, if 'regular'). Turn your upper body the other way. The twist is in the belly button area, not your shoulders. Keep the shoulders straight.

These exercises should help learn the snowboard balance.

[Seahawk]

Went through the same drill six years ago when my kids started boarding.

I went to a ski store and bought boots new. I asked the sales person for advice on buying used equipment. He was very detailed. I bought used equipment on Ebay and from the store.

[Flatbutt1]

You MUST wear a helmet. IMHO

[Jims5543]

+1 on the helmet. Be prepared to get whiplash, when you make a mistake on a snowboard you dont just fall, you slam into the ground. I hot so hard a few times my goggle shot off my head and flying away and I smashed my noggin pretty good too.

It would not be a bad idea to wear some wrist guards too, there is a high incidence of broken wrists from the slamming falls.

I tried it for 4 hours and returned the rental gear and got back on skis and never looked back.

I can basically ski anywhere I want to and never fall all week long. With the snowboard I was stuck on a begginers slope flailing around getting beat up. I felt like I was wasting my money, and not seeing the mountain thats why I switched back.

I was in Vail at the time and the cost to ski per day was staggering. Next year in snowshoe I might give it a try again, with lessons.

[red-beard]

I took 5 days of lessons. I went from killing myself on the bunny slope to all intermediate trails in those 5 days. By the end of the season (about 20 more days out) I was in a mogul competition down "Outer limits" at Killington.

On equipment, unless you are planning to get into the half-pipe, you want the three strap bindings and fairly stiff boots. I ride using hard boots and a race setup. I do everything on the mountain with this.

I wouldn't worry about wrist guards. But you might want to consider gloves with thumb guards built in. Snow board pants have built in pads and reinforcement in the knees. Remember, the normal stopped position is kneeling.

[Jims5543]

Originally posted by red-beard
I took 5 days of lessons. I went from killing myself on the bunny slope to all intermediate trails in those 5 days. By the end of the season (about 20 more days out) I was in a mogul competition down "Outer limits" at Killington.

I tried to teach myself like I did skiing and surfing. I figured, since I surf, I could easily teach myself to surf on snow. Was I wrong. Its very hard to get the hand of and from a surfing prespective a lot different in weight transfer.

Next time I will take some lessons and give it another try. Honestly though, my motivation is not to be cooler, I think skiing is great and love to carve perect lines down the slope, I just like trying different things.

[Seahawk]

Originally posted by Jim Cesiro
I tried to teach myself like I did skiing and surfing. I figured, since I surf, I could easily teach myself to surf on snow. Was I wrong. Its very hard to get the hand of and from a surfing prespective a lot different in weight transfer.

Next time I will take some lessons and give it another try. Honestly though, my motivation is not to be cooler, I think skiing is great and love to carve perect lines down the slope, I just like trying different things.

Jim,

Funny how I felt exactly the opposite! I thought the techniques I grew up with as a kid surfing helped tremendously when I learned how to snowboard.

I was off the kids slope by noon the first day...something just clicked. I still had the occassional yard sale, and was going slow, but it felt great.

Honestly, with my mangled left leg and foot, I found the softer fit of the boots and the stance on the board sooo much better on my back

[the]

Yeah, I've skiied for a long time - I was really into in in HS and college, but to be honest, got kind of bored with it and haven't done it much in the last 10 years. I'm still a good skiier, still go every other year or so, but I'm pretty neutral on it. I can take it or leave it these days.

It is fun trying to learn boarding, though, and it seems like it might be more fun/interesting than skiing. Certainly the process of learning, though, it fun and challenging and I think will keep me interested for a bit.

I took a lesson the first day, it helped, I guess. They said boarding is harder the first few days than skiing would be the first few days, but once you get past the initial learning curve, it is easier to become a proficient/very good boarder than it is to become a proficient/very good skiier.

They said the first day is a painful disaster, the second day a 100% improvement. That was our experience. We were getting killed the first day, but our second time, we were getting the feel of it and working the lower slopes pretty good.

Do agree on the "snap" falls. You catch that downhill edge and you are going down hard. You do generally get slammed harder than on ski falls, which tend to be more predictable and progressive.

What I'm looking for is info on specific brands/styles that would be good for beginners, stuff that is now a couple of years old that I can search for on eBay, etc. They seem to have slightly different shapes, etc.

[Seahawk]

Originally posted by the
Yeah, I've skiied for a long time - I was really into in in HS and college, but to be honest, got kind of bored with it and haven't done it much in the last 10 years. I'm still a good skiier, still go every other year or so, but I'm pretty neutral on it. I can take it or leave it these days.

Exactly how I felt.

Originally posted by the
What I'm looking for is info on specific brands/styles that would be good for beginners, stuff that is now a couple of years old that I can search for on eBay, etc. They seem to have slightly different shapes, etc.

No help...my stuff is six years old. Kids stuff is four.

[Porschephile944]

For your son you might consider leasing equipment at the beginning of the season, especially if you think he will outgrow it in a season. Instead of buying off eBay you could also go to the ski and board swap meets that most ski areas have in the fall before the season starts.

I have never skied but I've been boarding for a few years now and talking to friends most of them say that boarding can be more difficult to learn but it is much easier to become proficient. I also think as a general statement that i see more snowboards falling than I see skiers falling. The only explanation that I can think of is that you have more edges on skis than on a board and thus a better margin to save yourself. Thankfully it appears to be much easier to get up from a fall on a board than on skis.

[pdx944]

I dont see what the appeal of snowboarding is. With skiing it is easier to learn, you can always improve, you can ski in powder, you have poles to move so you dont hop, it is faster, and you have more control. And to the people who say you cant go to the parks, thats not true. I go to the parks all the time and i am much better than pretty much all the snowboarders.

[Dave L]

hopping does suck but I dont see skiing as easier to learn and certainly cant see why you cant snowboard in powder.

From what I have seen you can learn to snowplow and "ski" fairly early on, but the road to being a solid intermediate is a long road. On the opposite side Snowboarding sucks the first day or 2 but the progression to running blue runs etc is fairly quick.

As far as powder goes flotation rules and a wider base will give you that.

I have been Snowboarding for 17 years, skied for 2, always incontrol and always trying to improve.

[herman maire]

SKING IS "GHEY"!!!!!!!
What the F%7k DUDE.....
check out the link and if thats " GHEY" your retarted.... If you look "GHEY" on skis you aint gonna loose that look because your on a board.

http://mi.oakley.com/media/brochures/news/video_vault/qt/conscript_large.mov