jojotherider

I wish someone was sitting here with me when I read the OP. I think I said out loud that you probably need to get (and keep) your weight forward. What I tell people I see struggling with that is to just keep that front knee bent. Over do it in fact. Then you'll start to see what pressing the edge into the snow really feels like. You'll also start to see what the board is designed to do and that's turn. I think the hardest things for me when I first learned was getting my weight forward and trusting the equipment.

At least now you know the problem and that's a huge thing. Eventually you'll overcome it and then the world will open up.

fwiw, I went out riding after a heavy stint at the bar and had some of the best riding of my life. Granted, I wasn't just learning, but I was having trouble on jumps because of my fear. The nice thing about boozing it up is that its easier to make bad decisions you wouldn't make sober. I didn't come up short on that jump the rest of the season. but if you're still learning, I wouldn't recommend it.

BeachLegoGal

I just had my first-ever snowboarding experience yesterday, at Wintergreen in VA. My husband is a very good skier and he was telling me that it was one of the worst snow conditions he's ever seen..very icy. I feel very discouraged and it may not have anything to do with the ice, maybe I just suck!

I had a one hour private lesson and by the end of the lesson, I still had not strapped in both feet into the bindings. This, coupled with my husband who doesn't know how to snowboard, he was on skis trying to "teach" me for the rest of the day and I'm just so confused.

While sitting on my butt in the middle of the hill, I've heard some instructors tell their class to face the board perpendicular to the slope and face down the mountain, get up off your butt and try to go down that way and try to stop doing a heel side J turn. I heard someone else say always get up from your knees facing up the mountain and do a toe side turn to stop. I don't know what to do!

My issue is whenever I start going down, no matter which way I get up, I try to make my body lean over to the slope of the mountain and when I try to slightly raise my toes to turn and stop, nothing happens, I slide, get scared and default fall on my back, butt, wrists etc. I tried it with varying degrees from toes slightly up to way up and it all ends the same, slipping, me scared of picking up speed, not being able to stop/turn, and just falling on purpose.

In a way I'm glad my husband bought me a snowboard, because if it were a rental, I would just say forget this and give up. My upper body is sore today, with my quads just a little sore, but I'm for sure bruised and banged up. I'm glad I had wrist guards as I'm sure they would have been a lot worse. We are going to Snowshoe, WV this Friday which should be better conditions but my fear is, no matter what the snow conditions, I just can't learn to snowboard. I am new here and I'm not sure the etiquette whether this post should be on this thread or a new one so please forgive me if I'm not doing this correctly.

poutanen

Sounds like a combination of poor conditions, and the typical first day blues (make that black and blues!)... Hopefully next time you head out there's better snow, because that'll make all the difference in the world for somebody trying to learn. Ice/hardpack is not fun to be constantly falling on!

Also, I'm sure he has good intentions but the best thing I did for my GF when she learned was left her alone! She took lessons every few days out, and then she'd just go off on her own and work at her own pace. She felt I was rushing/pushing her when in my eyes I was trying to guide her down the slope the easiest way without any long traverses.

I hope you stick with it and have fun, it does get better!

There's no right or wrong way to stand up. Some (most?) people sit on their buts, stand up on their heel edge, and learn to control that edge first. Others do the same on their toe edge.

If you didn't get much from that lesson it may be worth doing a lesson at another hill. We found large differences in instructors at different hills.

Have fun!

mixie

another vote for having a cocktail or two (or three)

helps with fear, helps with pain. Highly recommended!!!

__________________
if a cat fucked a shark, the babies would be called women. snowklinger

mixie

I too have issues getting up heelside. I rarely sit to strap in but when I do I have to flip to toe side.

I uh, have a feeling it's due to the female weight proportion compared to males and our much lower center of gravity.

__________________
if a cat fucked a shark, the babies would be called women. snowklinger

jojotherider

lol, I don't recommend it for a beginner. just want to be clear about that.

JBthe3rd

Grey Goose helped me conquer my fear of the steeps. Thanks Grey Goose or Geese ...lol

Donutz

Doesn't matter how good you get, icy conditions will always suck.

__________________

Illegitimi non carborundum

Mountain Days: 30

jojotherider

^^^truth

Sometimes it also depends on the board design. My park board is good enough in icy conditions. My all mountain board is terrible in icy conditions.

learning in softer snow conditions is way better. the board does what you tell it to (with body positioning, talking to it never helps ) and crashing doesn't hurt...as bad.

-joel

NSI

A few words of encouragement to fellow newbie boarders.... If you truly want to learn please do not give up! I started boarding two years ago face planted hard and broke my tailbone on one of my first times out all in the same day. Determined to learn I stuck it out 3 different boards and two years later this last weekend was my fifth time out on my newest board (NS Infinity) and it finally clicked! It's the best feeling in the world!! I never tried lessons as my husband is a great teacher and has great patience as long as I was willing to try and have fun with it. So please please please understand it takes time and many people have said it just clicks one day and they are so very right!


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