Advice for newbie snowboarder

[hammer]

Hoping my 15YO daughter and a friend will be joining us this weekend...both will be getting the beginner snowboarder package and doing the initial lesson stuff. My daughter has some experience skiing but never liked it, and she tried snowboarding once when she was around 8 or 9 and never made it off of the bunny slope.

Any advice other than to just go skiing with the DW and leave them alone?

 

[planb420]

A good pair of impact shorts will work wonders on reducing the pain/bruising from all the falls that WILL happen at first! Other than that plenty of healthy encouragement

 

[frapcap]

Wrist guards! (or are those not recommended anymore?)

 

[neil]

Wrist guards! (or are those not recommended anymore?)

Getting the person to fall without putting their hands down is an excellent deterrent for this too.

 

[wawawawawa]

Lesson.

 

[Kerovick]

Lesson and then leaf them alone

 

[Tooth]

Tell you daughter too only worry about using her back edge for the first few times. Tell her to look up the "falling leaf" technique. The damn snowboard companies are behind the idea of turning the first time out but I have taught three of my four kids to ride, my daughter skis, and this is the best way in my opinion. I had my 8 yo son ride off the Timberline lift at Sugarloaf when he was 2 on a Chopper 90. My 15 yo rides at CVA and was been in their weekend programs for 8 years before enrolling this past fall. I can get anyone up and riding in an hour this way. She'll feel the confidence to keep progressing. Also, tell her to screw the lifts the first few times out. She can hike for her first day or so. Once she knows her back edge she can ride the whole mountain this way for awhile.

 

[Cheese]

Lessons!

If she kicks a soccer ball with her right foot she's regular footed. If she kicks a soccer ball with her left foot she's goofy footed.

Day 1: Falling leaf
Day 2: Toe edge
Day 3: She should be extremely cautious as speed will likely increase as will the pain suffered from impacting the snow
Day 4: She should be riding fairly safely and confidently.

 

[planb420]

I agree the "Falling Leaf" is the best way to go

 

[Glenn]

If she kicks a soccer ball with her right foot she's regular footed. If she kicks a soccer ball with her left foot she's goofy footed.

I kick with my right, but ride goofy.

 

[Tooth]

If she can learn both stances equally from the beginning I highly suggest this. Use the falling leaf longer than the traditional instructors call for and I swear she'll ride switch if she wants to right from the start. Used this with my 3 sons. Was taught this by Kier Dillion long ago in the Poconos before most everyone even heard of snowboarding. Another tip of the week.

 

[MadPadraic]

Lessons!

If she kicks a soccer ball with her right foot she's regular footed. If she kicks a soccer ball with her left foot she's goofy footed.

Day 1: Falling leaf
Day 2: Toe edge
Day 3: She should be extremely cautious as speed will likely increase as will the pain suffered from impacting the snow
Day 4: She should be riding fairly safely and confidently.

I dribble and shoot (for power) with my right, but pass, chip shots, and take corners better with my left. What do you prescribe?

 

[jmorrison518]

I dribble and shoot (for power) with my right, but pass, chip shots, and take corners better with my left. What do you prescribe?

1.) Get somebody to stand behind you and (when you aren't ready) have them push you. Whichever foot you put forward to keep yourself from falling is generally the foot you put forward.

2.) Get a running start in a pair of socks and do a "Tom Cruise" from Risky Business across a smooth floor. Whichever foot you put forward when sliding, is the foot you put forward.

Goofy Foot = Right foot forward
Regular Foot = Left foot forward

 

[frameitinskis]

The only real way to get a 15 year old girl to enjoy skiing or riding is to have a good looking 16 year old male instructor! :wink::lol:

 

[jrmagic]

I dribble and shoot (for power) with my right, but pass, chip shots, and take corners better with my left. What do you prescribe?

That's easy.. ski:razz::flame:

 

[Tooth]

That's easy.. ski:razz::flame:

She's realized how lame skiing is.

 

[Boardguy]

If the beginner package includes a lesson good if not sign her up for one. Then leave them alone and as you are a skier really make it a point to leave them alone. Once she has an idea of edge control if left to her own devices she will figure it out. I watched my son who had never skied learn to snowbaord and his process was very unlike my process to pick up boarding (we started boarding at the same time) also his way looked a lot less painful. I tried to make the boarding learning process like my learning to ski process. In the end I got it but watching the way non skiers go about it makes a lot more sense.

 

[jnrzoso]

1.) Get somebody to stand behind you and (when you aren't ready) have them push you. Whichever foot you put forward to keep yourself from falling is generally the foot you put forward.

2.) Get a running start in a pair of socks and do a "Tom Cruise" from Risky Business across a smooth floor. Whichever foot you put forward when sliding, is the foot you put forward.

Goofy Foot = Right foot forward
Regular Foot = Left foot forward

#2 is definitely the best way to go! take it from a former CO instructor

 

[AdironRider]

All this advice about regular or goofy footed is moot.

They are beginners and will not know the difference. It doesnt matter what you kick a soccer ball with etc, your feet are pretty much doing the same thing on a snowboard. For someone who has never done it the dominant foot doesnt apply cause its a completely new feeling.

Get them a lesson once, dont bother with multi day or anything like that. Snowboarding is much more like riding a bike compared to skiing. They just need to fall down alot until it clicks. Lessons help skiers much more than snowboarders, at least in my experience.

Just get them some gear and let them have at it out on the hill. After a day or two theyll figure out how to link turns. I dont like the falling leaf that much either as it pretty much promotes sideslipping, opposed to just learning how to balance on an edge from the get go. I mean, its definitely a skill to know for a beginner, but the advice to have them do it for a while is off base.

 

[hammer]

Thanks for all of the advice.

Anyone ever done beginner lessons at Ragged? That's where we are planning on going.