Any snowboarders? Need advice.

[chapo]

Get some good boots. I wear a 13 and had problems where the top of the boot hit my calf, cut off my circulation. Burton makes a nice all purpose wide board for big feet. My toes still hang over, but the kid who sold to me said if I carve enough to drag my toes, he wants to watch! never been a problem. Get a helmet, they are warm and I hit my head HARd trying to catch my 50 yr old buddy( I'm 38) He can board as good as an 18yr old. first day at Mammoth, had to sit for two more days. I had Liquid step in bindings, but went back to conventional straps. They alays froze up on the lift, would have to chip ice out to lock em in, or they would pop on the way down, hence the helmet need. Been hit twice by out of control speed suit skiers, so much for the safe skier image. Have Fun

[deanp]

Richard - sent you PM.

[Joe Bob]

Snowboarders....at least 10 years ago when I said finally, Fuchit, I quit....should as a group be tied to a tree and shot.

I sincerely hope that has changed....and I agree, no snowboarder would ever get near me speed wise.

It was when they turned into me while I was passing, crashed into me when I'm in a lift line, huddled under a mogul in the ******* middle of the slope smoking a spleef, and other stoopid skate/snow boarder moron moves that I detested....

But hey....times change....

[the]

Times have changed. 10 years ago, there was a lot more "sliding down the hill sideways" on snowboards. The cuts and flexes of the boards have changed, people have gotten a lot better, and now snowboarders do no more damage to the hill than skiers. Snowboarders carve like skiers now.

As far as speed . . . show up at your local mtn with some $100 bills and ask if anyone in the lift line wants to race down the mtn for some cash! I think you'll be surprised.

[Rich76_911s]

I found that when I learned how to snowboard the biggest trick was getting on something steeper than a green. The steeper the hill the less likely you are to catch that downhill edge, OUCH. I would shoot for a relatively steep blue. In my humble opinion the hill you were on in the video is not steep enough. When you were leaning over nearly touching your toes you were doing that to avoid catching the downhill edge. On a steep slope setting your uphill edge comes more naturally. At least that was my experience.

I tried boarding 3 times and couldn't go back to being a beginner again. It was fun and was a new challenge, but the falls were too hard and trusting people not to hit me was not comfortable.

Bad skiers and snowboarders both do some severly obnoxious stuff. Just bad snowboarders do MORE obnoxious stuff ha ha ha.

For those of you that are serious skiers / boarders. I highly suggest you go to Silverton Mountain. http://www.silvertonmountain.com/ Southwest Colorado is getting hammered with snow so far this season, and if that keeps up you will have the time of your life. On a good snow day there is nowhere in North America that can compare. Unless you have a helicopter or want to spend your day hiking and not skiing. Just be in shape when you go, otherwise it is a waste of $100.

[Z-man]

As an old school knukle draggin' but scrapin' boarder, here's my $0.42:

Gear:
1. Snowpants with a high back and suspenders -- you'll be sliding on your butt often in the beginning, and you want to keep the snow from working it's way down your pants. I found wearing three layers on cold days worked best: long underwear, spandex long pants, and the snowpants. If it was really cold, I'd get a pair of sweatpants on underneath the snowpants as well.
2. Comfortable, loose fitting top (layers of tops, actually), is best.
3. Knee pads. Just get a pair of volleyball knee pads and you'll be set.
4. Hands: I prefer mittens, as they keep the fingers warmer.
5. Boots: as said before, comfortably fitting boots are imperative. If you can get a set of those battery powered heated socks, that would really help your comfort level.

Board:
Query: on skis, are you a carver or a jumper? Depending on what your style is, you should get a board that is best suited to your style. Like to carve? Look for a longer, stiffer board. Like to hit the half pipe and jump alot - a shorter, more flexible board is better suited for that. Boots and binding come into play in this regard as well...

-Z-man.

[Eric 951]

motion,
As a former instructor, I will throw in my lot:
as peter mentioned, with your larger feet you will want a "wide" model board--prevents toe/heel drag which will trip you up once you start laying carved turns. The board model you go with should depend upon your weight and the type of boarding you are going to be doing. The heavier you are, the stiffer your board should be. There are alot of "all mountain" boards which should fit the bill for most any terrain. Board length--should be no taller than your forehead and no shorter than your chin.
Bindings--pretty much all snowboard bindings are good nowadays--I personally don't like the step-in/click in style--I feel a traditional strap type provides more control, but that is me.
Boots--most important piece of equipment you will buy--try on differnt mfg. till you find ones you like, wear around the store for awhile to see if they are comfortable over the long run.
A great source for economical gear is the House--huge selection, they offer packages, and many of their deals are on last-years model boards, which alot of times is the same as the current year, with a different topsheet/graphic.

Also, take a lesson. A good instructor should have you turning in both directions and controlling your speed in an hour.

have fun.

[stevepaa]

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

Faster than most skiers? That is funny

I gaurantee that I can ski more difficult terrain, ski faster, ski bumps better and jump some big stuff better than "most" snow boarders and on top of that, I don't cut lines, don't run over peoples skiis and don't scrape all of the fresh snow off the double blacks while sliding down on my @ss thus quickly ruining the slope for others.

Ooops, I guess I am peeing on Motion's thread, but I grew up on skiis and I loath "most" snowboarders I encounter on the slopes. I am sure there are some decent folkswho have made the switch these days, but my opinion of snowboarding is deeply etched in my mind for life.

Tim, you did not get the jist of my comment. He should get a better baord when he goes faster than most skiers, just as a skier would get better skis when he got faster.

I skied for 25 years, before going to a board more than 15 years ago. Now at 58 I can not keep up with my son of 23 as my knees and body just can't peform like they used too. The best advantage for a boarder is boarding in 3 foot powder which a skier can't even try.

I may go back to skis at some time, because skiing is certainly easier. And besides, I wont have all the skiers with their long sticks cutting the top of my board.

[85eurocarrera]

[QUOTE=9dreizig;3641932 and you KNOW they've got the best pot on the mountain!![/QUOTE]

All my Burton gear I have; gloves, jackets and bibs, all have built in roach clips! Actually they are attached to terry cloth rags for cleaning your goggles, but they do come in handy for other uses.

[motion]

Originally Posted by Brian 162

I have a Burton Bullett board with Flow step in bindings. My boots are from a company called Thirty Two.The boots are very light and keep my feet dry and warm. I'm 48 and love the step in bindings. I never have to sit at the top of the hill to put my boots in the bindings.

A beginner lesson would be a good idea. Helmet knee, and wrist gaurds are a must in the beginning. Falling when snowboarding is very different compared to skiing.

My friends call boarding the dark side, I haven't skiied in over 10 years and I don't miss it.

Perfect. I am leaning towards this combo based on your recommendation and also a couple of friends. The step in bindings sound great. I hated dicking with the straps yesterday. Lili had to wait forever for me to mess with them. Gracias.

[motion]

Originally Posted by 911Rob

Rob, these are on my list, also. I'm really feeling it today!!!

[Z-man]

Originally Posted by motion

Rob, these are on my list, also. I'm really feeling it today!!!

Ya know, the whole point of the snowboard thing, is to keep the board between you and the snow - ie: don't fall, and you won't need all that protective gear.

Ok, if I go snowboarding this year (haven't gone in about 5 years), I'll probably invest in a helmet. But as far as putting on a fat suit -- unfortunately, I've already done that -- the natural way...

-Z-man.

[motion]

Originally Posted by Rich76_911s

I found that when I learned how to snowboard the biggest trick was getting on something steeper than a green. The steeper the hill the less likely you are to catch that downhill edge, OUCH. I would shoot for a relatively steep blue. In my humble opinion the hill you were on in the video is not steep enough. When you were leaning over nearly touching your toes you were doing that to avoid catching the downhill edge. On a steep slope setting your uphill edge comes more naturally. At least that was my experience.

OK, cool. That is completely counter-intuitive to my noob-thought, but of course, I will take your word for it. My runs on the first day were all on the beginner hill. Next time out I'll have my own equipment and will try something steeper.

One thing that is really throwing me: On the not-steep hills, I spend most of my time worrying about how not to get stuck on the wrong side of the slope where I would have to unbuckle and walk back over to the slope to get going again. I think a steeper hill might fix that.

[dan79brooklyn]

Good advice has already been given...But let me add my 2 cents.
I've been snowboarding since 1989 (it was only allowed at a handful of resorts back then!).
Snowboarding IS a lot more fun than skiing.
Burton STILL makes the best equipment, but you will be fine with their mid-line gear.
Get Snowboard style pants, jacket, gloves etc.
Take a lesson for the first day it will speed up the learning curve and avoid some pain and frustration.
You WILL have sore, knees, neck and butt after first day.
You WILL have FUN!

[motion]

Originally Posted by Eric 951

Also, take a lesson. A good instructor should have you turning in both directions and controlling your speed in an hour.

have fun.

Yep, lesson first time out & will do a private next time as well. No sense in learning the hard way!

[stevepaa]

wear a helmut. I won't board without one.

you never know when some skier is doing a head over heels fall

[CarreraDan]

I learned to snowboard about 8 years ago from my brother who was a professional snowboarder for a few years during/after college. Two years ago I got back into it and asked him about gear. He told me above else to get a good helmet--I am glad I did as last year I got hit so hard by a skier I still got knocked out for a few minutes, I was going down a narrow blue and a kid skiing was totally out of control and decided I looked like a good way to stop. Personally, I have Morrow bindings and boots and one of his Salomon boards that was way out of my league when I started as it is an Olympic level board--it basically feels like someone kicks you in the butt when you go down hill (I would not recommend starting with this level of board but it was just sitting in a spare closet and free.

As far as speed goes, I am sure someone like my brother could keep up with most all skiers, personally I get scared as I have spent too much time in the ICU and I know what can happen if you lose control (here we have trees everywhere). Have fun and take a private lesson as they will tailor it to your needs.

[carambola]

punked out after i broke collarbone, you maybe an inspiration.

dude, what cha gotta learn to do is hydroplane

[85eurocarrera]

I always like to be on an edge, never on the flat of the board.

[Z-man]

Originally Posted by carambola

punked out after i broke collarbone, you maybe an inspiration.

dude, what cha gotta learn to do is hydroplane

Years ago, I broke my leg pretty bad snowboarding. Stratton, Vermont. Went off a tiny jump, landed in wet snow and twisted. I heard/felt "snap snap" and it felt as if I hyper-extended my toes. Incidentally, Stratton has excellent medical facilities -- not that I would want to visit the med center again!

I was in a cast, then brace for a total of 6 months. Five separate breaks along the front bone of my left leg. Fortunately, I didn't need any pins or extensive surgery. But it was bad.

I wound up proposing to my wife with my leg in a brace!

The day I got out of my brace, my snowboarding buddies threw me a party, and gave me as a gift a Burton PJ race board. When there was enough snow on the ground and on the slopes, I strapped that puppy on, and never looked back.

My snowboard buddies said that after breaking my leg was the best thing for my snowboarding -- I was much less "stiff" on the board, and I started "going with the flow." Both of those are essential elements of good boarding -- too bad I learned that the hard way!

-Z-man.