Learning to snowboard, how hard?

Learning to snowboard, how hard?

Author
Discussion

Contract Killer

Original Poster:

4,381 posts

182 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
quotequote all
I'm off to some snowy parts of the USA and Canada in January (Colorado, Calgary etc) and would like to have a go at snow boarding out there as it looks pretty good fun.

I have never ski'd or snow boarded before.


Is it the sort of thing I can just hire a board etc and give it a go?, or would I really need some lessons first?



There is one of those fake snow places not that far away from me, would I be best to get a few lessons before hand to get the basics?


Also what bits of equipment is usual to hire, and what bits should I buy?

Cheers

tumble dryer

1,996 posts

126 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
quotequote all
Contract Killer said:
I'm off to some snowy parts of the USA and Canada in January (Colorado, Calgary etc) and would like to have a go at snow boarding out there as it looks pretty good fun.

I have never ski'd or snow boarded before.


Is it the sort of thing I can just hire a board etc and give it a go?, or would I really need some lessons first?



There is one of those fake snow places not that far away from me, would I be best to get a few lessons before hand to get the basics?


Also what bits of equipment is usual to hire, and what bits should I buy?

Cheers
Defo this in bold. Otherwise your first day may not go quite as anticipated. smile Well worth the effort!

Timbuktu

1,953 posts

154 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
quotequote all
I think you will find it fairly time consuming to get to a standard or snowboarding where you can actually enjoy going down a slope without repeatedly falling over.

Unless you are 100% set on boarding rather than skiing I would strongly recommend skiing, where you can get to a basic level far more quickly and actually enjoy yourself rather than having to slide down the run on your bum.

I have done quite a bit of both but skiing is much easier to pick up in a day or two whereas boarding will take much longer. It depends how long you're planning on doing it I suppose.

Maybe try both?

Edited by Timbuktu on Sunday 18th November 10:47

Wobbegong

15,077 posts

168 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
quotequote all
Definitely get lessons before you go. I think Tamworth do an intensive course to get you capable of the basics.

popeyewhite

19,622 posts

119 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
quotequote all
If you're under 30 you should be OK biggrin

Above that and all the falling over and minor injuries can become tedious.

deckster

9,630 posts

254 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
quotequote all
FWIW my lad's school stopped taking beginner snowboarders on their trips as they were dealing with at least one broken wrist every time they went. Make of that what you will!

Mr E

21,583 posts

258 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
quotequote all
tumble dryer said:
Defo this in bold. Otherwise your first day may not go quite as anticipated. smile Well worth the effort!
This. All day.
You will not just be able to “turn up and I’ve it a go”. It’ll be horrible and you’ll be a potential danger to others.

Do a few lessons, learn how to stop and the basics of turning. Then go to the snow.

And wear wrist guards for the first couple of weeks. They’re uncomfortable but you might avoid the most common injury.

Enjoy!

AdamIndy

1,661 posts

103 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
quotequote all
I’ve done the skiing course at the Tamworth snow dome and since been back on my own. I picked up skiing at a basic level very quickly. The biggest annoyance was people learning to snowboard. You’d think someone had been at the bottom of the slope with a shotgun, bodies everywhere lay on their back with a snowboard strapped to their feet!

I really wouldn’t underestimate how hard snowboarding is. Skiing seems a piece of piss in comparison.

Their courses there are very good though and not expensive in the great scheme of things. I would definitely do that before you go.

Heartworm

1,922 posts

160 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
quotequote all
I ski quite a lot, and used to work at one of the indoor snow centres. The rules were that you had to be up to a set standard before you were allowed on. A few people used to think it would be easy enough to do without the lessons and it was a disaster each time, most never got it up the hill but those that did found it painful on the way down!


Depends on the person but most people could get the basics in 4-6 hours of lessons so that they wouldn't injure themselves, either boarding or skiing - personally I found boarding was much easier to learn, but that was coming from already knowing how to Ski and the general feeling was whatever one you do 2nd was the easier to learn.

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
quotequote all
I would suggest you don't go anywhere near a slope in the UK and don't even think about taking a lesson in the UK if you ever want to snowboard with any level of confidence. Those places are too small and too crowded to learn anything but very bad habits. If you go to Canada first then book on a CASI-ACMS course, you will be snowboarding in a day and you won't spend a week smashing your head into the floor. I assume there will be lessons in the USA but I don't know what the teaching methods are, if they are anything like Europe I would try skiing and save the snowboard for Canada.
Buy a good helmet and have fun!

CrutyRammers

13,735 posts

197 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
quotequote all
Couldnt disagree with mr whiskey more. If you learn out there, you'll waste the first few days of your holiday. Get the basics sorted here first. And i say that as someone who learned by being lobbed down a red the first time I'd ever been on a board.
I would agree that skiing is easier to learn the basics of, so that's worth considering. Learning snowboarding is like learning to drive, but every time you get something wrong, you get thrown out of the door.

Contract Killer

Original Poster:

4,381 posts

182 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
quotequote all
Cheers Guys, Snowdome do a full 1 day course for snowboarding for £170, so thinking of going for this.
https://www.snowdome.co.uk/ski-snowboard/snowboard...

If it teaches the basics, then I would say job done.

Yes I did read ski'ing is easier to learn, however boarding just looks cooler to me!


I am just under 30! (29), fairly well built and never broken a bone, so hopefully I wont break on the 1st fall.....


I may however take out a good insurance policy as I'm self employed......

Mr E

21,583 posts

258 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
quotequote all
I broke my left arm 6 hours into my snowboarding career.

If you’re buying anything, buy clothes, then boots and a helmet. Rent the board.

h0b0

7,557 posts

195 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
quotequote all
The first time I snowboarded was in the US. My friend said on Friday I should by a coat suitable for snow and the next day I was on the mountain. Rented everything and got a one hour lesson.

I’m not going to lie..........it’s infuriating. There’s a point where you will think it’s not going to happen. The key for me was getting off the bunny slopes as soon as possible.

I was boarding on green runs after an hour. I stayed too long and fell hard which was my final run of the day.

Overall, I’d say you can just show up and be successful. Have lessons and don’t lose heart. But, be prepared to fall. A lot. I bought wrist guards built into my gloves. I think they helped.

Final thought, my most painful fall without a doubt was when I wasn’t moving. I was on ice and went over slowly. My arse hurt for months!

Oh, and don’t snowboard in New Jersey. Slopes are full of idiots in jeans that have no issue with taking you out.

Jamesgt

848 posts

232 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
quotequote all

I’ve not boarded for a few years due to kids coming along but when I pick it up again I’m going to transfer to skiiing. I have a little experience of skiing and I remember being able to navigate the slope on day 1. Day 1 on a board you’re on your ass, day 2 you’re falling on your very tender ass and day 3 your ass is killing. I’d recommend impact shorts to help with that or just ski.

CrutyRammers

13,735 posts

197 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
quotequote all
Hobo has it dead right. I was ready to give up several hours in, it seemed impossible. And also about the wrist guards.
Finally youll get it. Then one day you'll find a powder slope and have to learn all over again !
Totally worth the effort though. There's little to compare with carving down a steep powder field.

S100HP

12,645 posts

166 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
quotequote all
Timbuktu said:
I think you will find it fairly time consuming to get to a standard or snowboarding where you can actually enjoy going down a slope without repeatedly falling over.

Unless you are 100% set on boarding rather than skiing I would strongly recommend skiing, where you can get to a basic level far more quickly and actually enjoy yourself rather than having to slide down the run on your bum.

I have done quite a bit of both but skiing is much easier to pick up in a day or two whereas boarding will take much longer. It depends how long you're planning on doing it I suppose.

Maybe try both?

Edited by Timbuktu on Sunday 18th November 10:47
This. Whiskey is talking rubbish.

Snowboarding is harder to pickup, but easier to master. By far the hardest thing for novice boarders is having the confidence and ability to carry enough speed for the flat bits. There is a technique to it, else you're catching an edge and going down hard.

Kawasicki

13,041 posts

234 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
quotequote all
I got a few snow boarding classes at Tamworth before I headed to Austria for a week. I had tried skiing for two days about 5 years before that. The skiing left a good memory.

The snowboarding was brutal. I got smacked down so hard and so often, after just one week I looked physically ill. High speed turns went great, from the off...but just going straight was a nightmare, and fast turns on steep descents seemed to be beyond my capability.

Since then I went back to skiing...too days of experience on skis I was good enough to go down black slopes completely in control, enjoying it.

I think I got some dodgy snowboarding instruction at Tamworth.

Jamesgt

848 posts

232 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
quotequote all
Kawasicki said:
I think I got some dodgy snowboarding instruction at Tamworth.
Could be true but what works for some students doesn’t work for others. My missus couldn’t get the hang of it even after lessons in Canada and Austria. We bought a book and she learnt twisting the board helped.

rustyuk

4,568 posts

210 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
quotequote all
I've been boarding for 14 years. Still struggle now!