Hey Gang, here's the deal. I know how to snowboard and I consider myself quite proficient. My wife has decided she wants to learn to ride this winter, with the hope to eventually join in my snowkiting adventures.

For the purpose of learning, we're going to start on a local 'bunny hill' so this isn't actually about snowkiting per say....just riding. I want her to be comfortable on the board before adding a kite to the equation.

Well it's been about 15 years since I started snowboarding, so I don't remember the introductory stuff. Does anybody have some good tips or exercises on the board that could help my wife get started on the right track? I've never had to teach a total beginner, only help those advance that already know the basics.

So what's the quickest way for me to show her the basics??

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Hi bb, since I'm still in the process of learning, a lot is still somehat fresh in there amongst the cobwebs. My instructor at Snow Ridge was 16! He started me off just getting comfortable with front foot strapped in and kicking with back on the flat, paying attention to what pressure, heel/toe, inside/outside, did to the board. Then it was hump up the hill, front foot still strapped in, step ahead with rear foot, bring board up parallel to slope, dig in, etc., about 100' or so (at the time, it was all I could take, 240#, just quit smoking). Took it heel side and falling leaf down a couple times, to get feel for hown to brake, then it was free fall, with falling down at bottom trying to turn the board to brake,haha, only lasted about 8 or 10 trips up the hill that day, didn't even get as far as the chairlift! Practiced those skills in a farmers field for the rest of the snow season. 2nd lesson got more proficient at stopping, gained confidence to get on chairlift. Now putting it all together. Whew, bag o wind. Wait, I can use that...

Lucky guy, I suggested equip. for my wife for Christmas, and the only kind she is interested in is shiny and wearable around her neck!

Hey give her the "tray" analogy. The hardest part for alot of people is learning how to get the back end of the board to slide a little so a low speed turn can be made.

Tell her to put her hands out in front of her, palms down, as if she is holding a tray on top of them. When she wants to turn right, instruct her to move her "tray" and upper body to the right, and physically look back up the hill. Tell her to keep twisting until that turn/slide begins to happen. This is an over exaggeration of the movement that I've had work quite well. Once it happens a few times she will get the hang of what shes trying to accomplish and will be able to do it without needing to look back.

I would suggest having her turn to her heel side first, so shes learning how to apply brakes at the same time

Turning the board (well sliding the back out really) is one of those things you can only talk about so much before a demonstration is needed to drive it home

Good luck, let me know if you have any rough spots!!

for getting off Chairlifts stand tall and look where you want to go keeping your head up Don't look down.

Thanks for all the tips everybody, this is good stuff. I like the 'tray' analogy, that makes a lot of sense. And Bob, that a good idea to get some basic stuff worked out on flat ground.

This is exactly the kind of tips/tricks I was looking for, keep up the suggestions!

Repeatedly tell her not to roll when she wipes out. It is habit for me when doing anything and wiping out. Just wiped out of the chairlift and pop went my ankle. I could have just slid but I didn't and my ankle still isn't 100% 2 weeks later. Good luck and lucky you she might want to kite with you.

PS other people who paid for a lesson spend several times down the hill with the board perpendicular to the hill. I tried it and it helped me learn how to ride out a sliding stop better.

YUP

You go where you look !! VERY important in many sports + driving.

Get her as comfortable as possible with the kites as well. It is better if you don't have to think too much about the kite. So you can ....... look where you want to go!:roll:

Bend your knees, center your weight!
Edge and carve, don't slide!

Bending your knees lets you put pressure on edges, acts as shock absorbers and gets you closer to the ground so you don't have so far to fall :D
Snowboards and skis are designed to turn naturally - all you have to do is change from one edge to the other. IMO snowboards (compared to skis) have minimal longitudinal stability when sitting flat on the snow - keep it on an edge, even just a little ...

I see so many people here with straight legs bending at the waist sliding down the hills thinking they're snowboarding ... as soon as they hit deep snow or ice, they're on their asses and hating it.

I taught myself to snowboard (and ski :D ) and this is the page that got me from a sliding down the hill falling over don't know why, into a carving down the hill ripping it all up ice powder you name it ...

http://www.extremecarving.com/tech/tech.html

Obviously, you may not want to be polishing your underarm hair on the snow, but the basic techniques WORK - like a charm!

Quote:

Originally posted by Kamikuza http://www.extremecarving.com/tech/tech.html Obviously, you may not want to be polishing your underarm hair on the snow, but the basic techniques WORK - like a charm!

I was thinking what the H#!! :puzzled:are you talking about until I saw the pic. So is polished pit hair better than unpolished?

:D that carving technique means you hardly ever fall on ice again and in fact, you pay almost no attention to the surface cos you know you're gonna slice right through it
Powder is impossible to hit too if you're trying to slide the board around ...