This is a step that you’ll find yourself just feeling it out. It is exhausting to move on any semi-flat surface. What do you do when you find yourself stopping while going up a hill?

Well, once you lose momentum on a upward hill there is nothing more you can do. You will end up stopping. The best way to prevent this is obviously having enough speed but sometimes we might fall, slow down too much, or didn’t know there was about to be a hill.

There is nothing special to do here. You can remove one foot and move up the hill. If you hate strapping up on the board, you can do what I do and use the board to slowly push yourself up. It will take some energy but you can start going down faster with no need to un-strap. Your board becomes your feet in moments like these. You don’t want flat feet until you get to the top or you will go down the wrong side. Use the edge and use your booty, scooch up that hill.

When scooching, always try to move towards the ends of the routes to avoid becoming an obstacle. Be smart in these situations. First thing should be moving out of the way. The scooch technique has helped me overcome countless hills. I hope you can use this to get you to the top.

When you go on a ski trip, you have to worry about more than just yourself. Everyone is there to have a good time. It is important to remember rules and guidelines so you can help keep people safe. If it’s a rule about staying out of certain areas, breaking them may be appropriate.

Snowboarding takes some skill to be able to have full control. This is especially the case at high speeds. If you aren’t able to have total control just yet, maybe hold off on going super fast. Not even for your own sake. There could be some little kid just chilling and you just smack into her. No jokes, little kids will pop out of nowhere on the mountain. You’ll find yourself asking, “Where’s the parents?” too many times.

Another guideline to keep others safe is to take caution when coming to drop offs or places that you can’t see. This is where other riders could be resting or down because they fell.

A general rule of thumb, always be cautious and no where you’re riding. If it’s late and your alone you can definitely get more crazy with it at your own risk. If it’s busy, maybe just focus on not crashing into anyone cause it pretty much sucks.

If there is tape that suggests you stay out of a certain area. Ask yourself how good you are. Sometimes untouched snow is the most satisfying to ride on. I do it all of the time and it is peaceful to create your own path through the trees. Don’t do this without being able to control your board. You’ll probably hit a tree.

Snowboarding is a difficult sport by itself. When you make these common mistakes it only makes the experience tougher. I will share some common mistakes with reminders on what you should do. This should help make sure you are prepared for your next trip.

Not Bringing Enough Gear

Always make sure to have the essentials and any extra gear depending on your skill level. Beginners would want to remember the extra padding while for more standard riders we just need to remember the wool socks. Wool socks keep your feet warm and you will find that snowboarding boots don’t keep them that warm alone. My advice, make a list and check it twice. You won’t want to find yourself panicking to buy gear in town after realizing you forgot a necessity.

Work Out

You will be extremely sore and tired after a full day of snowboarding if you aren’t a remotely active person. There is a lot of work on the legs and being in the mountains makes breathing that much more difficult. I found myself burnt out multiple times when I went boarding after having an injury. Keep active before your upcoming trip, you will feel good and enjoy the mountains without dying for air.

Falling Wrong

This one is harder to fix without training in person. However, you want to land on your butt rather than your face. Try to keep yourself falling behind. Obviously, there are occasions that you can’t prevent a fall forward. In this case you want to be careful and use your hands to guide yourself down rather than hold yourself up. Using too much power to hold yourself can sprain your wrists or worse.

Alright here it is. This is the single most horrifying part of snowboarding. If you have skied before and are familiar with this, it doesn’t seem that bad. But for any first timers going to the mountain, it’s terrifying.

What makes the ski lift so scary? You have to get on and off with your board attached. I have fallen too many times trying to get off of this thing. It takes time to get the right amount of balance and direction to get off properly. The ski lift never stops moving and there is constant pressure to get off and get out of the way due to more people coming right behind you. Falling sucks because everyone at the top will see you tumble and get covered in snow before even going down the mountain. Use these tips to help. this won’t immediately make you a pro, but will help.

Face your board forward.

Where your board is pointing is where you will go. If you try to get off sideways the board will snatch the snow and you will end up falling pretty much immediately. Put your board forward and focus on standing on the board until you are away from the lift.

Plan which direction to go towards.

There will be 2 to 4 riders with you on the lift and sometimes even more. Collisions happen all the time and I have run into my friends a lot. Sometimes it helps and you can use them to push yourself up or use teamwork and hold each other like your lives depend on it. Choosing a way to go will help everyone know where they should go and prevent collisions that could bring on stupid injuries.

Get ready to fall.

These tips are not enough, the best way to learn is hands on practice. So you will probably fall a few times. Don’t be discouraged! This kind of fall isn’t painful and more embarrassing than anything. Take the time to learn how and become a pro in front of friends or family.

This post is not going to make you the ultimate snowboarder. I can only give you so many tips, the snowboarding part is all up to you. How can this post help you manage speed and maintain control? Let’s start with speed. If you have had past experience with skateboarding you will know ways to stop yourself while staying on the board. You will do that on the snowboard too, just easier to do it in my opinion. This is how you brake and slow down the snowboard. If you don’t have prior boarding experience, the general idea is to use the bottom of the board to slow add resistance against the hill. The movement for this consists of flipping the board so you are facing down the hill and lifting your toes to have only your heels and back of the board touching the ground. That sounds pretty confusing until you actually see it done or do it yourself. Do you remember Heely’s? That heel back movement is the same movement you will use to brake, except you are using the back of the board to scrape against the mountain and stop your movement. Alternating from having your left foot forward to your right foot forward will also slow you down and provide more control of your speed. This along with braking will ensure you keep manageable speeds for yourself. The more you practice, the more efficient you will be. Always start on small hills to get a general idea of how breaking works before going up on the real mountain.

To maintain control while going down, you will need balance. Stretching and working on your balance will make the experience much more relaxing. You are strapped in, you will have to bend and twist a lot. Being flexible always helps and reduces strain on muscles. Balance is what is going to keep you on the board. You will tilt back and force, you must use your core to keep you upright and strong. If you haven’t squatted before, it is time to start. Squatting not only makes you stronger but gets your leg muscles ready for the strain they’ll be put through holding yourself on the board. Not to mention you will be semi-squatting most of your way down the mountain. Squatting low and flying down the mountain is something everyone has got to try.

When it comes to preparation, having the gear you need is something you must do. Not only will you be more comfortable, you may save yourself from getting injured. Some of these items may seem like beginner items, but when snowboarding you always have a chance to fall.

Snow gear is the simplest gear you should bring. A winter jacket, gloves, and snow pants are the must-haves. This will keep you warm and keep the snow off of you. Items like wool socks and underwear are recommended if the weather is extra chilly. Boots are optional as you may want some that are comfy to walk around in but you will also receive a pair specific to snowboarding that you will use. This is if you are renting, if you choose to own the gear then you will already have them.

Some gear you may not think of includes a butt pad. Man, when you first start or have taken time off, you will fall on your butt a lot and it hurts. Having this will make these falls much more bearable. This will benefit your overall experience, trust me. Knee pads and wrist guards are also apart of this recommendation as they help make falling less painful. You may want to bring a few extra pairs of socks and underwear to have more in case some get soaking wet and you do not have a dryer nearby.

Going on a ski trip is expensive. You will want to save money in as many as possible. One way to help reduce costs is to save money on the gear you purchase. From clothing to actually snowboarding gear, I will share ways to find gear at lower prices.

Apparel

Don’t be afraid to try thrift shops for gear. I have seen whole outfits gathered at a thrift for no more than $100. This is significant when you consider most snow jackets alone can cost well over $100.

Search for winter when the season is ending. When the weather starts to get warm, prices start to get low. Keeping tabs on stores and brands will allow to catch any deals before they end.

Ask family and friends. Sometimes people close to you have extra gear they are willing to share or even give away. Having snowboarded for many years, I have jackets that are too small and I constantly give them away for others to use. Sharing is caring, especially when it saves someone hundreds.

Gear

If you don’t plan on snowboarding a lot or it is your first time, rent your gear. Renting is easy and finding the lowest price is as simple as searching for it. If you plan to snowboard a lot, maybe investing in some gear for long term is the better choice. If this is the case, consider the following.

• How often will I snowboard?
• How much do I have to spend?
• Does physical appearance matter to me?

Questions like these help depict the gear you should purchase. If appearance matters, you might have to spend a little more coin to get the cool gear. If not, save that money and just get a well reviewed board. Either way, you’re going to have a great time.

Thanks for tuning in for another edition of Snowboarder’s Insight. I hope you got some valuable tips. Save that money and get to the mountains!

One of the most expensive parts of a ski trip to the mountains is finding an affordable location to stay. This week I am going to share the best ways to find a great spot to stay.

The first part of a trip is choosing somewhere to go. You can always start by looking up hills close by to get some practice in. If you’re looking to escape for a week or so, a ski trip to the mountains is the best way to release mental stress. If you were to ask me, I would recommend anyone to take a trip to Colorado if they haven’t already. Even if they have gone before, I’d tell them to go again. There are a lot of beautiful resorts and mountains to ski at. My favorite location being Breckenridge, Colorado. It’s a beautiful place that offers nine different peaks to ski on. Use the following tips to find a place in Breckenridge.

When you decide you want to take a trip, you’re going to want to decide on a location right away. The sooner you know, the sooner you can book your stay. Prices are always cheaper the more in advance you plan the stay. Take advantage of tools like Airbnb. I have found beautiful places that were affordable. The problem is that these go quickly. Again, you’re going to want to try to book a stay as soon as possible.

When looking for places to stay, here are some things to keep in mind. How close is your place to the ski base? You are going to have a lot of gear to carry around, so if it is a little far you may want to bring a car. You can also look for a gondola. A gondola is a free mode of transportation that will bring you to the base of a mountain. These are actually a very relaxing and enjoyable experience. Did I mention it is free? Having a place to stay near the gondola is my favorite option. A little walk and then a beautiful ride up to begin the day.

That does it for this week. I’ll be back next week to offer more advice for all snowboarders and soon-to-be snowboarders.

If you’re going on a ski trip you will more than likely be going to a ski hill to do so. The ski hill is a beautiful location that you really get to experience why snowboarding is an experience of a lifetime. Here are the basic components of a ski hill.

The Base

This is the lowest part of the hill and acts as the main hub. All skiers come from the base and leave from the base. It will usually offer food options. Expensive, but they are perfect for when you’re starving after skiing.

The Ski Lift

The scariest part of snowboarding for any beginner. This thing is intimidating and you will be nervous the whole way leading up. Luckily it is never as hard to get on. Getting off is another story. The lift is what takes you to parts of the hill that provide routes to get back down. The views from the lift are breath-taking, which sucks since you’re already on a mountain.

Routes

The routes are premade paths that lead back to the base. They have colors to represent the level of challenge. Green is the easiest and made for beginners, blue offers a challenge for the experienced, and blacks which are either physically testing or extremely impossible. Of course, there are the double black diamonds that offer pure bliss once you finally get back to the base.

I hope you enjoyed learning about ski hills and how they work. Make sure to return next Thursday for more insight.

You have just decided you want to take a trip to the mountains and snowboard. Congratulations, you are about to have the time of your life. To make sure your time is as enjoyable as possible you follow the following steps as well as future steps in posts to come.

The first step you should do when planning for this trip is to rely on your past. Have you ever skateboarded or longboarded? I have found having past experience with both allows someone to pick up snowboarding easier, it also leads to deciding what kind of board you should choose. Having familiarity with balance is also important and doing some exercises right now can only help you.

To choose a board you must decide between regular and goofy. Regular is having your left foot be the forward foot or the foot that leads you down the hill. Goofy is having your right foot forward. This is exactly like how you skateboard and longboard, so those with experience should know what is comfortable for them. If you are new, the rule of thumb is if you are right-handed, you would be more comfortable with the left foot forward and vice versa. Don’t worry, if you want to switch it up you can always go to any shop to do so. These are steps any rental service will provide you. To make sure your board is easy to control and navigate you would want to make the boots you get with it are snug, not tight but not loose. You will now have a board, get familiar with it, and carry it around. You will be carrying this with you all day and possibly for miles.

Follow up next Thursday at 19:00 for the next tip in preparing for the trip of a lifetime and have a great night!