Snowboarding
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Snowboarding is a sport that involves one attatching themselves to a long thin board like object and then hurling themselves down hills. Or off of ramps made of snow (kickers). Or what large elongated bowl like structures created out of snow (the pipe and/or half-pipe)
The snowboard (deck) itself is, in reality, not a board at all, although some manufacturers do use wood inserts, for the most part it is plastic, or laminates, or somesuch thing. But it is really shaped like a board, sort of. well if you use your imagination. and imagine a board roughly 8inches to a foot wide. With inward curving edges. Made of sharpened metal. And an upturned tail and nose.
Well, not every snowboard looks that way, but for the most part they do. Different riders claim that different shapes of decks are good for different things, however in my expierience, I have found that only two shapes really matter. Those shapes being the board described above (all purpose) and the back country board. The back country board looks similiar to the all purpose, save its tail forks into a Y, for control and manueverability purposes while plummeting uncontrollably down a mountain side. I once saw a catalog that said something along the lines of "there are two kinds of boards, the funny looking ones with the split tail that no one ever rides, and the ones the rest of us ride". I think that pretty much sums it up. Well okay, a third important shape in snowboarding would be the small child (sprout)on ski's, that is either bowling down the hill directly in your line, or falling off of the chair directly in front of you.
Now, the strapping in part of boarding can itself be intimidating to the first time boarder. Once your feet are securly strapped to the board, you are stuck. After you have managed to stand up though, do not worry, as it only gets worse. The general rule for first time boarders is 10 feet up, then a fall (you WILL be sore the next day).
If one wishes to take up such a sport, there are a few things you will need. Obviously a snowboard and bindings. If you are looking for cheap, as most travelers are, that can be accomodated with a little shopping around. I personally got my board from a company that was going out of business, so they were liquifying everything at cost, or less than. My bindings were the year before edition, and on sale as well. Boots, on the other hand, are not cheap. 2 or 300 dollars is what you can expect to pay out for them, if you want a good pair (which means dry, comfy feet). So, for roughly 500 dollars you can equip yourself with better than average gear.
That leads us to the second requirement. Clothing. You need warm water proof clothing. Trust me. When jeans freeze they are most uncomfortable. But again, your needs can be met rather cheaply. Mostsport shops sell waterproof pants, for about 20 dollars. Of course they are uninsulated, but hey, thats what long johns are for. The jacket may run you a bit more, but i Dont know, I wear a windbreaker and ALOT of sweatshirts myself. Apparently, you also need a chirpa hat, as every snowboarder that I see looks at me crossways 'cause i aint got one.
And lastly, and I would say most importantly, you need a mountain covered in snow. Fresh uncut snow (powder) would be preferrable, but thats usually only available in back country outings. So if you dont want to hike many many hours, up a steep steep hill, with your gear strapped to your back, or if you dont want to pay for a helicoptor or snowcat, I would suggest you travel to the closest ski resort and just use the chair lifts. And be wary of sprouts.
The snowboard (deck) itself is, in reality, not a board at all, although some manufacturers do use wood inserts, for the most part it is plastic, or laminates, or somesuch thing. But it is really shaped like a board, sort of. well if you use your imagination. and imagine a board roughly 8inches to a foot wide. With inward curving edges. Made of sharpened metal. And an upturned tail and nose.
Well, not every snowboard looks that way, but for the most part they do. Different riders claim that different shapes of decks are good for different things, however in my expierience, I have found that only two shapes really matter. Those shapes being the board described above (all purpose) and the back country board. The back country board looks similiar to the all purpose, save its tail forks into a Y, for control and manueverability purposes while plummeting uncontrollably down a mountain side. I once saw a catalog that said something along the lines of "there are two kinds of boards, the funny looking ones with the split tail that no one ever rides, and the ones the rest of us ride". I think that pretty much sums it up. Well okay, a third important shape in snowboarding would be the small child (sprout)on ski's, that is either bowling down the hill directly in your line, or falling off of the chair directly in front of you.
Now, the strapping in part of boarding can itself be intimidating to the first time boarder. Once your feet are securly strapped to the board, you are stuck. After you have managed to stand up though, do not worry, as it only gets worse. The general rule for first time boarders is 10 feet up, then a fall (you WILL be sore the next day).
If one wishes to take up such a sport, there are a few things you will need. Obviously a snowboard and bindings. If you are looking for cheap, as most travelers are, that can be accomodated with a little shopping around. I personally got my board from a company that was going out of business, so they were liquifying everything at cost, or less than. My bindings were the year before edition, and on sale as well. Boots, on the other hand, are not cheap. 2 or 300 dollars is what you can expect to pay out for them, if you want a good pair (which means dry, comfy feet). So, for roughly 500 dollars you can equip yourself with better than average gear.
That leads us to the second requirement. Clothing. You need warm water proof clothing. Trust me. When jeans freeze they are most uncomfortable. But again, your needs can be met rather cheaply. Mostsport shops sell waterproof pants, for about 20 dollars. Of course they are uninsulated, but hey, thats what long johns are for. The jacket may run you a bit more, but i Dont know, I wear a windbreaker and ALOT of sweatshirts myself. Apparently, you also need a chirpa hat, as every snowboarder that I see looks at me crossways 'cause i aint got one.
And lastly, and I would say most importantly, you need a mountain covered in snow. Fresh uncut snow (powder) would be preferrable, but thats usually only available in back country outings. So if you dont want to hike many many hours, up a steep steep hill, with your gear strapped to your back, or if you dont want to pay for a helicoptor or snowcat, I would suggest you travel to the closest ski resort and just use the chair lifts. And be wary of sprouts.
