Christafa

I was wondering if anyone here was willing to share their stories of when they first took up snowboarding - what fun/scary experiences you had, how bad you got beaten up by the hills, how quick you managed to get onto the intermediate runs(and maybe expert/black diamond? ). Whatever you want to share, please share it!

I'm planning a trip for next year and wanna find out what it's like as a noob.

isak_9

i remember the first time i went. i started out on the greens, taking it nice and easy. eventually my buddy who was sorta teaching me but letting me figure it out for the most, says we should try a blue. i was up for it, but we didn't know the place that well, and ended up going down a black diamond. good thing it wasn't that long, but i remember just staring down this steep hill and thinking wow, just wow.

on the way down i was doing ok, but started panicing halfway down. i started to lose control, and right at the end i fell straight onto my head. and this was right at the end in front of the chairlift. i remember getting up and getting to the chairlift somehow, i was really dazed. when i got back my buddy had the biggest shit-eating grin i've seen.

mpdsnowman

Well being born and raised in an area known for winter climate I always enjoyed winter. Used to be a downhill ski racer when I was 10-17 years old. I liked going fast. I also liked sledding which was always fun. About 6 years ago these kids at the local sled hill had a snowboard. They let me try it out. I went down a small hill and hit their jump they made at the bottom. Of course being 40 years old they though that I hurt myself when I crash landed...I did, it hurt.

So the following year I decided to give it a try. There is this local ski hill with a tow rope system that has been in my neighborhood for years. Run by the town type thing. They have lessons for both skiers and boarders, all volunteers. But one could go any weekend day and pay $8.00 and ride or ski all day(keep in mind this is a tiny place but fun and steep non the less ).

Well u could imagine its mostly kids of course. The parents would stand along the property and watch thier kids. Well here I am at the ripe age of 40,never ever been on a tow rope system, yet alone a hill. first time going up that tow rope I made it...2 feet the kids were nice about it i mean its an old man give em his due.

But I practiced and practiced on that hill. I fell alot and crashed into the breaker safety wall a few times, caught many edges while slowing down to the line waiting to get towed. Had snow all over me and the funny thing was, there were the parents, my age, standing there. It was sort of embarrassing but I kept going, kept trying, not too many bruises and soon I mastered that place. Even to the point they asked me to volunteer.

Since then Ive gone out west, did some bc, visited some sweet resorts. Been back to my old skiing grounds in Vermont and the Adirondacks. I do credit the internet forums for helping me move along more rapidly. Thats why I am a big avid fan of this place. The meets we put on, the people who know what to do, all that combined makes you progress faster.

Ending this rant, Ive suffered no injuries to speak of since I started. thats the important thing, dont get hurt.

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con3593

Ok, I firt stepped on a snowboard when I went on a 3 day trip to wisp... I'm stoked. I strap in both feet... don't realize you need to skate to the lift. so I hop my way over to the lift. I eventually get my turn to get in. the lift comes around, and for smoe short second I must have shrunk because that thing decked my right in the back of the head...I was seein stars...They stop the lift and put me on...(this was 2 years ago) I get to the top, and attempt the bunny hill..I start going down, then realize "SHIT I don't know how to turn!" So I'm going down the hill trying to learn to turn, when I realize I'm going a good 30 MPH. So like the retard I am, I get down so I can try to "sit" on the ground...then right as I'm about to take myself down i think "shit, this might hurt. whoa SHIT!" *BAM*...apparently the slope ended and I was in the lift line...whoops. So yeah, I eventually figure out turns, and start linking them get cocky and try a blue. I'm going down, get about halfway down, and come up to the steep part...RIGHT at the top, I catch an edge and tumble all the way down. A month later I got to West Virginia, and I magically got better in my downtime? I don't know but now I could do blues pretty consistantly. Then I don't go boarding for about 6 months. Then this February I went to Vermont to sugarbush...It was easy, I was just dicking around the blues....Then I took a cattrack...SHIT, I'm stuck in the flats and tired of walking so I decide to take a lil black diamond shortcut..through woods....BAD IDEA.

here is what happened
left
right
hit a tree
right
fall on my ass
left
right
left
too much speed, ramp off a root...into a tree
take of the board
walk out

Yeah, that was NOT fun.

Anyway, skip forward another month, I go to Big mountain Montana (right outside of whitefish)

I spent the first two days on blues just killing, One day I decide I want to try another tree run, shit was easy, so I spend the next two days giong backcountry doing trees moguls. I got good overnight..literally. But now I learn my form is bad, so time to relearn EVERYTHING

so far Ive gotten a sprained wrist, tendinits, and a concussion

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I voted buckethead asshole,

cabNO40

The first time I went snowboarding was at this shithole called Mt. Brighton in Michigan (Michigan is famous for blowing snow on old landfills and calling them ski resorts).
Because I have been skateboarding just about my entire life my friends started me out on blue and I was not doing that bad, it was just a bit freaky for me at first being strapped onto the board.
There were rumors that Evander Holyfield was there that day learning to ski. Wouldn't you know it - While I was trying to concentrate on not breaking my ass, one of my friends yells to me "Look, Evander Holyfield is next to you!". Sure as shit, I look over and he is skiing right next to me!
Needless to say I lost all concentration, caught an edge and cracked the back of my head (ouch!)
I woke up the next day dizzy as all hell and had to go to the hospital - I had a concussion.
Go figure - I ended up with a concussion because of Evander Holyfield while snowboarding...What a riot!

TigerWolf

The first time I went snowboarding was at Falls Creek in Victoria. I had been to the snow two times previously as a skier and this time I wanted to try snowboarding.

First day on the snow and I was so excited to be there. We take the lift and I had no idea what I was doing. We are crawling down this run that is very skinny and I find it very hard to turn and I keep falling over. I just remember that when I was learning I just fell on my ass all the time, not like skiing.

Then after two days of boarding I got progressivly better. I took a lesson or two and then on day 3 - I cracked it, this is what I remember, going really fast along a blue run and absolutely loving it. Cool air rushing at my face and knowing that I could stop and turn.

Fourth day was show off day and went to a lesson. The teacher was really cool and taught us some tricks. Did a flat land 360 and some other cool stuff. I just cant wait to go again and progress even more!

NickNorth11

If you take it slow, you'll be fine. If you try to expedite your learning process, like most, expect pain. I thought I was hot shit cuz I was doing pretty well my first time. Then I caught an edge going pretty damn fast and left the resort with a bloody face. Good luck!

mpdsnowman

Yea im still waiting for my son to have his first hard crash. So far he has been lucky. I put him in a lesson program two years ago. Honestly because of his size I had my doubts. But suprisingly he was good enough for them to take him on the actual mountain after the first 45 minute lesson(if u dont make the cut they give u another 45 minute lesson).

Well since the three lesson package he has done way past what I thought he would. He has his own equipment, has gone on our local entire mountain(which isnt all that big compared to out west but non the less) and even goes to the park and stuff and has remained injury free.

Everything is great but he hasnt crashed enough yet. I mean if your not falling your not learning and I havnt seen that "mistake" yet.

Me I still fall alot. If I get too concerned I will take a safety meeting

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con3593

I don't fall anymore until I go to the park..... Last time I went to the park I was going up to a ramp when i was like
Oh shit I have too much speed. So i try to shave off some speed real quick, never get straightened out and end up landing on my ass right at the knuckle on the landing...OW

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I voted buckethead asshole,

Christafa

Good to hear you haven't hurt yourself! I hear lots of people just getting too sore from falling over that they don't want to get out of bed the next day.

How'd you get tendonitis from snowboarding? Curious. I already have something resembling tendinitis in my elbow from playing too much speed metal, but I'm guessing this is somewhere in your knees or ankles?

That's something to be proud of!

That's really cool. It only took you four days to get into the real swing of things. I know people who went there for a whole week and still, they were stuck on the green beginner runs, falling over at least a dozen times a run.
I'll probably try going for a 2 week trip to the snow, or maybe that's too much? Most people manage to advance to the point of enjoying the snow around day 4 or 5, so I figure why not double my time there!

Falls Creek seems pretty nifty, heard better things about Mt Hotham though - big place apparently? And it has a neat little lay out too. The village and the main road is on top of a hill/ridge, and all the ski runs come off the side of that ridge. Becomes a shit if you miss the last lift though. Hahaha.

I think I'm keener on going to New Zealand to be honest. The cost difference isn't that much and you get to see the beautiful surrounds of NZ on the trip to and from the ski fields. Looks unreal.


I've been skiing for 5 days before at Perisher and I only ever tried a blue run once or twice. I fell over way too much. I did enjoy getting the slopes to myself when the heavy snow came through because everyone was too scared to go out. Lifts were still running, so who cares!

What muscles do you guys tend to find get sore/tired the quickest/most?