Greetings, my fellow snow lovers! I hope you had a great weekend and were able to get out on the slopes to enjoy this great weather we've been having. It's important to find the time to do the things you love, so if you're itching to get out there - then GO! Here are some final words of wisdom to get you ready for the hill. Remember, it's never too late to start!
Goofy or Regular?
If you are a beginner snowboarder, the first thing you should figure out is whether or not you're goofy foot (right-foot forward), or regular foot (left-foot forward). If you feel comfortable being regular, that's great. Think you're goofy foot? That's okay too. But what if you don't know what you are? Not to worry, here are a few tricks to help you figure that out.
- If you were to kick a soccer ball, what foot would you kick with? Whichever foot you kicked it with will likely be your back foot. This is because you want the balancing foot in the front to support you.
- Go to a staircase and walk up it. What foot did you use to step up the first step? That's likely to be your back foot on a snowboard.
- This one's difficult because once you read it you'll know the trick. Grab a friend and then stand with your feet together. Get them to push you from behind. Do this now before reading further! Hopefully you have good reaction time and didn't just do a face plant. Okay, which foot did you stick out in front of you to prevent yourself from falling? This is the foot you should put in the back.
In the end, the only thing that matters is that you are comfortable.
The Basics
The weather conditions at Brimacombe were awesome last week, which made me super excited to get out and begin my first private lesson. Nicky was kind enough to take me out on Tuesday afternoon to show me the basics. And when I say basics, I mean the basics. I didn't even know how to put my boots on properly!
We all know that snow is cold, so it was only natural for me to make sure I was warm before beginning my lesson. Dressing in layers underneath a winter jacket and snow pants will help you stay warm and protect you from wet or harsh weather conditions. In particular, thermal shirts and pants both consist of fabric that will keep you warm and dry by transferring moisture to the next layer. The advantage of wearing layers is that you can remove as much clothing as needed according to weather. The last thing you want is to be too cold.
So there I was, bundled up from head-to-toe. I was getting ready to go when Nicky stopped me and told me to take off one of my pairs of socks. She said when it comes to your feet, one pair of socks is all you need. Having two pairs on is only going make you uncomfortable because it will cut off circulation - making your feet colder. Hmm. I didn't know that.
My First Experience
Let me just say that for all of you wondering what it would be like to be an astronaut, you can feel ¼ of the experience by simply trying on a pair of snowboard boots. Those things are so huge and awkward you'd think you were heading to the moon instead of the ski hill. That being said, they do take awhile to get used to. Now where was I? Oh yes. My first experience…
It was Tuesday afternoon. The sun was shining and when I stepped outside, I was greeted by a chilly air that would soon give my cheeks that pinkish glow. I had my goggles, my boots, my snowboard and most importantly - my helmet. This is what it all came down to. It was me against the hill.
Before we began the physical part of the lesson, we went through a little Snowboarding 101: Getting to Know Your Board. Nicky introduced me to the nose, tail, heel-side and toe-side edges of my board. Pleased to meet you, I thought.
Nicky and I strapped on our boards and in seconds I was off to learn the first move of the day. Okay I lied. Nicky strapped on her board and waited while I spent ten minutes fighting with my bindings, muttering under my breath. Once I was up, the first task was to learn how to "skate".
Learning to skate was important because it showed me how to maneuver my board with one foot strapped in. I got comfortable gliding on my board while using my toe and heel to stop. This trick was useful because I would use it to get to and from the chairlift without falling.
Next, I learned how to climb up and down the hill with one foot strapped into my snowboard. This was another basic move which would be useful in case I dropped something on the hill and needed to go back to grab it.
Once I was comfortable standing on my board, it was time to practice side-slipping. I skated my way over to the magic carpet (similar to a conveyor belt and is used to bring people to the top of the training hill). En route, children half my age were whizzing by me. In my head, I was convinced they were all yelling the infamous Nelson quote "Haw Haw!".
Once Nicky and I were at the top of the hill, I strapped myself in again. She then taught me how to side-slip down a hill on my heel-side edge and toe-side edge. This required much practice but about an hour (and a dozen-spills) later I was quite comfortable. I was happy to have learned the most important thing - how to stop!
Side-slipping concluded my lesson and I was pumped to have survived the day without any injuries. I must admit that snowboarding was much more difficult than I had anticipated. As I took off my board and boots, I was a little sad to have it end. But I was leaving knowing I wanted more, and that was a great feeling. I was looking forward to my next lesson out! Thanks Nicky!
Good luck!
Laura.
