Basic Snowboarding Tips for the Beginner

Snowboarding is a great way to make the best out of bad weather. Once you get into the sport, you may surprise yourself into wishing for more snow! Don't let the first practice discourage you though, snowboarding takes a little time to master. You will eat a lot of snow the first time out, and maybe the second time.

Tips for snowboarding

Snowboard stance
Determine your stance by first figuring out what foot you lead with naturally. Regular stance is left foot forward, goofy is right leg forward. If you are unsure, slide on a wood floor, or an icy driveway to see what foot goes forward.

Snowboard the edge
Remember to always ride on one edge or the other by pressing down with your toes to ride the front edge, press back on your heels to ride on the back edge.

Balance on the snowboard
This may seem obvious, but be sure to stand so that your weight is equally placed on both feet. Keep your arms at your side for balance. As you go, you may want to put your arms out slightly as well and keep your head turned toward the tip of the snowboard.

Snowboard skating
Before you can go down a hill, you need to move around on your snowboard, which is called skating. Put your front foot securely in the binding and stand balanced in your basic stance. Move forward by alternately pushing with your back foot, toe edge then heel edge.

Snowboard turn
Turning while snowboarding is an important skill to master. Once you start moving, lift your heels while balancing on the toe edge. Gradually move your hips over the toe edge in order to keep your balance, this will turn the board.

All this is well and good, but you also need to know how to stop. The best way to stop is to have your board pointing across or slightly up the hill, if it is still aimed down the hill, you will keep going down. If you start sliding down, try lifting up on the edge going down to stop the board.

Resources:
Personal experience
Brandywine ski resort