2008 Snowboards

Good Preparation pays dividends

If you are interested in skiing snowboarding it is important to learn some safety tips before you hit the slopes or the hills. Like any other physical activity, this type of snow sport makes you susceptible to injury. The good news is that with the right precautions and correct gear you can significantly reduce that chance of injury and be sure you have a pleasurable day on the slopes.

Prevention Techniques

Many skiing snowboarding injuries commonly occur in the upper extremities of the body as well as the ankle. By and large, sprains are the most common type of injury followed closely by fractures and contusions. Due to the fact that snowboarders tend to fall forwards or backwards upper body injuries are also common. Instead of throwing your arms outward as many snowboarders are prone to do, try to keep them tucked in and then roll with the fall. Throwing your arms outward to try to stop your fall will ultimately result in fractures to the wrists, elbow and shoulders. Tucking and rolling with distribute the impact of the overall fall over a larger portion of the body.

When lower body injuries occur it is primarily due to the snowboarder’s feet being strapped into the board. This localizes knee movement. If you do a lot of aerial movements the chance of spine, chest, and abdominal and head injuries greatly increase. Be aware that ankle injuries are also quite common. It is also possible to attain head and spinal injuries if you lose control of the board at a high speed.

Get to the Doctors Fast!

If you do become injured while skiing snowboarding it may be difficult at first to determine the extent of the injury. First, be aware that anytime there is swelling this is a good indication there is a serious injury and it needs to be addressed promptly. Always make sure you visit a physician immediately to obtain a correct diagnosis of the injury. Anytime you sustain a sprain it is advisable to rest your body and stay off the hills for at least 24 hours and possibly up to 48 hours.

Protect yourself!

You can also protect yourself while skiing snowboarding by insuring that your body is in good condition. Following a fitness routine on a regular basis can help to ensure your body has the flexibility it needs for snowboarding. Wearing the right equipment is also a good way to protect yourself. At a minimum, you should always make sure you are wearing a helmet to protect you from head injury, quality boots to provide your feet and ankles with good support and stability, wrist and elbow guards, knee and tailbone pads as well as a padded jacket and pants and of course, goggles to protect your eyes from wind and snow.

Don’t forget Quality

When you begin to snowboard not only will you need a good quality snowboard but you will also need good quality clothing, especially a good snowboarding jacket. There are many different types of snowboarding jackets on the market so it can be difficult to determine which one is right. Read on for details regarding the most popular snowboarding jackets to determine which one might best suit your needs.

Very Popular

One of the most popular snowboarding jackets at the current time is the convergent jacket. Special features that make this jacket so popular include an interior iPod pocket, snap-away powder skirt and a goggle pocket. The outside of this jacket features HellyTech fabric as well as an adjustable hood and pit vents. This jacket also has a relaxed fit to make comfort ideal while riding the hills.

The Sessions Istodis jacket is also very popular. It features Active 10K twill fabric along with plenty of features including an articulated fit, pit zips and a Surround Sound pocket. This snowboarding jacket is available in a variety of colors; however, the most popular at the current time are brown and heathered gray.

Real Warmth?

Looking for something really warm? Consider the DC Shenlong Snowboarding Jacket. It features a powder skirt, stowable face mask and faux-fur trim. The entire jacket is insulated with down and also includes pit zips that help you to cool down quickly if you should become overheated.

The Bonfire Diffuse jacket is no-nonsense at its best. It features an interior removable liner that is also reversible. The TWINTEC constructed shell holds both wind and snow away from you. The hood can also be removed. Like other quality snowboard jacket it features pit vents that can be opened.

Good All-Rounder

For all around weather conditions consider the Oakley Axel jacket featuring a removable Theermoloft liner. Flow-thru venting also helps to control temperatures while a hidden pocket outfitted with magnet snaps gives you a place to store your phone, iPod and anything else you might want to take with you.

The 686 Troop snowboarding jacket features a signature Smarty system including a removable camo jacket along with 10K waterproofing and 100% seam taping. This jacket also includes a removable hood and powder skirt as well as plenty of pockets to store all of your gear and gadgets.

A bit Different?

Looking for something a little different? Consider the Volcom A.S.Y.M jacket with the offset front zipper. This specialty zipper angles out of the way so that there are no chances it will rub your chin or allow cold air to seep in while you are hitting the hills. Other key features include a pit zip ventilation and full seam taping.

Finally, don’t forget to consider the Burton hooded snowboarding jacket. With state of the art features including an articulated cut, contour hood and stretch waist gaiter you can hit the hills with style and comfort.

Some people who come into the sport buy their snowboards; others get theirs as gifts after much pleading and patient waiting. That is a start, but now you have to figure out the hardest part, which is learning how to become a real snowboarder. In this article we're going to talk about some of the fundamental strategies of snowboarding, and some of the main things you're going to need to learn, and the equipment you're going to need to get started. As with any sport, the right equipment is vital if you want to perform properly, and you need to know how the equipment works as well. A general guide to the basics of snowboarding should include and outline of this information.

You need a board that fits you right. Boards come in all sizes, for adults and children of all ages and sizes so when you get your board, make sure it is a good fit. This way learning how to snowboard is going to be much easier.

Snowboarding works in much the same way as skiing, and the board is shaped in much the same way as a ski. For those with experience in skiing the transition should be much easier than for someone who is altogether new to the snow.

There are many types of snowboards, including freestyle boards, free ride boards and alpine or race boards. Beginners like them because they are easier to use than the other types of board. The two ends of the freestyle board are the same, so there is no front and back. This type of board is good for learning to snowboard, and for learning new tricks. Use a soft, short shoe for this type of board.

The free ride board is very versatile in terms of the kinds of conditions it can handle. Of course, an amateur or beginner wouldn’t have much use for this facility. Many different kinds of snow and ground quality are within your reach with this type of board. It is not as short or wide as the freestyle board and it is less flexible. The free ride board goes well with soft, tall shoes that have soft bindings.

Race or alpine boards are the kind of boards you will see being used in major competitions, or by professionals. Its thinness increases stability and makes the board pick up speed more easily, and make sharp, fast turns more easily. The shoe that goes with a race or alpine board resembles a ski shoe, for support and control.

Be sure to keep your legs and your whole body relaxed. If you tense up it is going to be hard going, and you run the risk of experiencing a dangerous fall. Keep your knees bent a little, but don't lock them. Instead, focus on keeping your legs loose to absorb the pressure of any bumps you encounter.

That way, the ride will be smooth and easy and it will not be difficult to keep your balance. Avoid the urge to tense up your legs, or you won't get that smooth ride and you are very likely to end up on the ground, which is not a good place to be. Look at the pros and see the way they do it, and you'll get a feel for the sport. This is a good way to avoid having to learn by trial and error, which can be a very painful process.

Strap one foot onto the board and see how you feel going across the hill, just to get a feel for it. When you think you are ready, strap in the other foot and try going down the hill for the first time. You steer with the leg that is in front. Use your front leg to guide the board, and use your hips to maintain balance. Don't forget to keep your knees bent to absorb the shocks of any bumps on the hill. You are now snowboarding. When you want to stop just turn sideways so that the board is heading perpendicular to the hill, and you are facing up. That way the board will stop moving. To start again, point your snowboard down and it will start sliding. You might want to borrow equipment the first few times to get a feel for the sport before getting your own personal shoes and board. You will also have a better idea about what kind is right for you.

For anyone who has looked at a snowboarder before and pondered just how simple it likely is to stand on a board and go down a mountain, you've never done it. Snowboarding is not simply about standing on a waxed board and sliding through snow. It might be if you are still on the bunny slopes, but at a certain point, it gets more complicated. For those beginners out there, a quick rundown of the basics of merely standing on your snowboard will suffice for showing you how even stance can be problematic.

When you first start out in snowboarding you have to make the basic decision of how you would like to stand. You cannot simply hop on and hope for the best. It's like choosing whether you're right or left handed. Simply put, you can't choose.

Basic Stance

There are two basic ways to stand on a snowboard. The first of these is to put your left foot forward. Known as a regular stance, this is the most common method as most people are right handed and feel more comfortable like this.

However, there is also a goofy stance in which your right foot is put forward. Though this is less common, some people feel they must board in this style, as it is more comfortable.

For those with any experience on a board, be it skateboarding or surfing, you probably already know exactly which style works best for you. Don't assume right off that if you're Goofy on a skateboard, you'll be goofy on a snowboard though. Occasionally these preferences change with sports.

You should try both methods first, preferably before sliding down a steep mountain face.

Practice

You might not think of it right away, but any time you do something with your feet you're likely putting one foot forward before the other. By practicing in a few everyday activities you can figure out which foot that is and use it while snowboarding. Methods for deciding might include riding your bicycle and seeing how your feet rest when coasting or comparing which foot you step off with in basketball or soccer. Anything that displays your foot preference is helpful here.

Setting the Stance

Another thing many people don't realize is that they have to set the width of their own stance. Snowboards don't come with preset dimensions that you must conform with (though they can if you'd like them to). Instead, you must choose the proper width and adjust your bindings accordingly. For this, you should make sure you are balanced and comfortable and that the width is only slightly wider than your shoulders.

Angling

Another important part of setting your stance and the bindings is the angle at which your foot sits in relation to the board. Often, this will fall between 10 and 30 degrees, but you should check to ensure that the angle you have is comfortable for you. Try it out a few times and adjust as necessary. Nearly every aspect of your feet on that board is adjustable and you should continue adjusting until you get it just right.

Finally, just remember not to copy another person's stance. Yours is unique and will feel right to you. Everyone else has their own unique stance. Snowboarding is a great outdoor sport that can be made even better if you take the time to ensure that you are comfortable on your board.

Learning to snowboard can be a mix of different emotions. Some people hate it and never do it again, other's love it and are addicts for life. It all depends on how you learn to snowboard.

Some people aren't sure whether or not they are going to like snowboarding, so they rent some gear, buy a lift ticket and on their own try to ride down the mountain. While this method might be the cheapest way to test out if they are going to like it or not, they really aren't giving themselves a fair shot at enjoying this great sport.

Another alternative to learning to snowboard would be hiring an instructor for the day. With an instructor you learn snowbard tips and are taken to easier spots on the mountain. However, the problem with hiring an instructor is that it costs so much money and right when your starting to figure things out the lesson is over. So you are left with a hundred questions and have to decide whether it's worth it to hire an instructor again.

The best way of learning to snowboard is through pre-training, before you even got to the slopes, physical training, mental training, and on and off hill practicing. I use to be a snowboard instructor and know first hand how beneficial it can be to pre-practice your snowboarding even before your first day. Not to go into too much detail about the benefits but pre-practicing programs your mind and body for snowboarding. When you hit the slopes for the first time it will seem like you can already snowboard.

Snowboarding is one of the best sports ever. You want to give yourself a fair shot at enjoying it. Pre-practicing can make learning to snowboard easier and more fun. Also renting equipment is a good way to test the sport out without spending too much money, but often times rental equipment isn't always in the best condition or not the perfect size for you. So to further increase your chances of loving this sport you should just get your own gear. Reading a snowboarding buying guide will help you learn what to look for when shopping for your perfect gear. Good Luck and Have Fun!

The origins of snowboarding are closely tied to one man: Jake Burton Carpenter, founder of Burton Snowboards.

Originally a skier, Jake owned one of the first types of snowboards, called the 'Snurfer'.

Jake took his Snurfer, removed the metal foot-bindings and replaced them with thick strips of rubber. The rubber allowed more freedom of movement which meant that the snowboard could twist and turn, the birth of the freestyle snowboarder.

Today’s most well known snowboarder may be Olympic free-styler, Todd Richards. Richards took part in the first Olympic snowboarding event in Nagano, Japan in 1998.

The Sport developed in the United States during the 60s and 70s, it's all about being out in the wild with good friends having the time of their lives and is rapidly becoming an increasingly common winter sport throughout the world.

Most people who try freestyle snowboarding are either drawn to it by the excitement or are familiar with it due to skateboarding.

The major muscles used during snowboarding are your quads (thighs), and your lower leg muscles (calf and tibia).

Snowboarding is a free sport which means that as long as you are enjoying yourself then you are doing the right thing whether on the easy greens or steep in off piste powder snow.

But like any sport the right clothing and protection are all important.

Most falls in snowboarding are on the hands, buttocks and head and cause only bruises and soreness.

But it can be high-risk. Colliding with obstacles such as jumps, barriers, trees and other snowboarders has resulted in more and more snowboarders buying helmets..

Another item that has high risk for snowboarders is exposure to ultraviolet radiation, the correct eye gear is essential, as is the wearing of comfortable, warm boots that fit snugly and support your ankles.

A good pair of gloves or mittens (mittens are usually better for those susceptible to cold hands). Wear snug-fitting clothing because loose outerwear can tangle in lifts and rope tows. Always wear wrist guards made for snowboarders or in-line skaters.

Weather can change rapidly in the mountains so layering is your best option instead of wearing one big jacket. Know the area, wear a helmet, and ski with a partner.