There are three snowboarding styles to choose from - freeride, freestyle and alpine. Freeride snowboarding involves riding down the face of a mountain, taking advantage of the landscape's natural bumps and curves. Freestyle snowboarding centers on tricks and special skills, with spins and jumps being good examples. Alpine is a style not unlike skiing, as it emphasizes building up speed and making sharp turns. For those unsure of which style is best for them, starting withe freeride is advisable, as it is the easiest to pick up the basics of the sport with.
Two different snowboarding stances can chosen from. In the regular stance, which is most popular, your left foot goes first. In the goofy stance, the right foot goes in front of the left. Both will be shown to you by your instructor early on whilst showing you how to snowboard so you can decide which is preferable to you.
In contrast to skiers, who shift their weight from side to side, snowboarders must shift their weight between their heel and their toe. The technique is more like surfing or skateboarding than skiing. By shifting your weight forward, the board goes downhill or speeds up. By shifting your weight backward, the board slows down. When you dig your heels down, the edge of the snowboard drags in the snow and causes you to stop.
There is a different type of snowboard for each of the styles: freeride, freestyle, and alpine boards. Each of them is constructed differently in terms of materials, shape, flex pattern, and size. The type of board you ride should correspond to your favored style of snowboarding, your height, your shoe size (your heels and toes should not end up in the snow when you turn) and your weight.
You will need snowboard boots and bindings as these are essential to connect yourself safely, securely and comfortably to your snowboard. The higher the quality of the ones you get, the easier it will be to control your board.
As for clothing, the three layer approach widely seen as the best: the base or inner layer, the middle or second layer, and the outer layer. Pay attention to warmth, weight and moisture management for each layer.
Protect your head and ears from low temperatures by wearing both a snowboard helmet and a beanie. Goggles should be worn to prevent your eyes being damaged by snow, wind and tree branches. Choose gloves that are waterproof, durable, and have been insulated using either fleece or a synthetic-based material.
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