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Snowboarding

Snowboarding At It's Best

Snowboarding by itself is a fun and safe sport which is basically a cross between skiing and skateboarding. Using a single large snowboard, enthusiasts rush down slopes through the snow. The feel and balance is quite different from regular skiing since navigation through the snow is achieved on only a single board, and unlike skateboarding, snowboarders let gravity do all the work of propulsion for them as they slide down the slopes.

Naturally, once snowboarding caught on in popularity, it was only a matter of time before the most highly skilled practitioners decided to tackle harder and harder slopes, finding ones with more dangerous terrain, or natural formations that allowed for stunts like turnpipes in skateboarding.

Thus was born extreme snowboarding. Extreme snowboarding involves extremely tough slopes set at 45 degree angles or less, making runs down these slopes extremely fast and difficult to control. Unlike gentle civilian snowboarding slopes, extreme slopes will also usually have outcroppings of rock jutting out from the snow as part of the challenge.

This is not a fact to be taken lightly, and not a sport to be taken by amateurs. Given the speeds at which an extreme snowboarder can go, even a casual splash on the slope an lead to broken limbs or a broken neck from impact with the snow alone. When you factor in the presence of actual rock formations, you can see how this sport is one that is not undertaken lightly.

Extreme snowboarder slopes actually dont have any of the usual conveniences of a civilian ski or snowboard slope. There are no trans for uphill transport, no waystations for shelter and relaxation. It is wilderness all the way. More often than not, during extreme snowboard competitions, the boarders actually ride airlifts to get to the top of the course.

Like some extreme sports, snowboarding enthusiasts have even merged their styles with that of other extreme sports. For example, some snowboarders actually pack parachute gliders on their backs These extreme sportsmen take a snowboard and do a run all the way down a slope which ends at a sheer-drop cliff, and once they fly off the cliff, trigger the chutes and hang glide all the rest of the way down the mountainside. If that isn't an adrenaline rush, I don't know what is!

Some of the more popular and challenging snowboard slopes are located in New Zealand and Alaska. In the Alaskan slopes, there are 4000 foot vertical run areas with gullies, ditches, and wind lips, as well as trees to contend with on the slope. There is also an area with natural half-pipe formations and rolls where freestyle exhibitions similar to that done for skateboarding can be performed.

The New Zealand slopes are more challenging for those who enjoy absolute speed runs. With one of the steepest and sharpest slopes around, navigating the New Zealand snowboarding slopes requires perfect balance and control to keep from spilling.

Given the risks of snowboarding, every professional competing extreme snowboarder is required to learn first aid specializing in cold weather injury treatment, as well as survival, search, and rescue techniques for winter and mountainous terrain. On their runs, they are also required to bring avalanche transceivers for emergency pickups in case of an avalanche or if they go off course and get lost.

Like most extreme sports, extreme snowboarding is most definitely not for the weak or the faint of heart. But for those who are up to the challenge, it offers one of the most exciting blood rushes around.

Snowboarding

From Snowboarding Zero To Hero: Basic Pointers To Learn

There is much debate as to where snowboarding originated. But whether snowboarding descended from skiing or skateboarding, snowboarding is a legitimate sport that requires a descent on a snowy slope using a snowboard. It is difficult to really point out who started this fun-filled sport, but one thing is for sure: somebody will always have the idea of sliding down a snowy slope on a board or sled.

The growing recognition of snowboarding around the world is evidenced by its establishment as a sports discipline in 1995. As such, snowboarding has been included in events in Winter Olympics and Winter X-games. It even has a US Open tournament of its own. The growth of snowboarding as a sport is undeniable as more and more people get hooked on it.

Now that you are among the countless ones who want to try out the fun and excitement that only snowboarding can give, it is high time that you learn the basics of making your very first downhill ride on a snowboard. So how do you begin?

First, you need to procure the necessary snowboarding equipment. You need to have the right snowboarding gear, clothing, boots, and of course, snowboard. Make sure that your snowboard is the right size for you; not too expansive or narrow.

If you already have the necessary equipment, you can start learning the basics of riding your snowboard. Here are a few important things to remember as you start to find your destiny in snowboarding.

Keep in mind that snowboarding is similar to snow skiing. The body movements that enable you to control and stabilize your snowboard are the same as the movements in skiing. Therefore, if you are already a skilled skier, there will be fewer problems for you ahead. A skier will have easier time than a skateboard thrasher to learn snowboarding.

Always be in a relaxed position. Like any sport, snowboarding requires a calm and hang-loose mindset. Most accidents and injuries in snowboarding happen when one is in tensed position. As you mount your snowboard, keep your knees bent; a stiff stance will only make you absorb impacts between your snowboard and snow.

Do not start learning how to snowboard by immediately riding down the snowy slope during the first time. Instead, begin with snowboarding across a small patch of snow. Get a feel for the sport. Be conscious of your snowboard and your movement. Are you comfortable in your getup and equipment?

Try steering the snowboard over the small area you are in. Practice making turns, learn the finer points of toe-side turns, which means turning by lifting your heels up while pressing your toes to the snowboard; or heel-side turns, which make use of your heels for your turning. Once you have mastered the basics of balancing and steering your snowboard, you can move to a bigger patch of snow, but do not try a long and steep slope just yet.

Now that you have actually moved on your snowboard, you have to learn how to stop your snowboard. Stopping a snowboard basically requires making more turns until you find your self going for an uphill position. An uphill direction will certainly slow your snowboard down until you are in a complete stop.

After learning all the basic riding movements, you can now try a full-scale ride down a longer and steeper snow slope. Good luck!

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I am not wiling to concede on that point as from meeting real people and having a board my self I thing the skate boarders tend more to this then skiers.

I find this is nothing at all like skiing. Very different set of balance points due to foot alignment and how you actually steer. Your upper body is you directional needle and you ankles. that is pressure front to back of board and front of toe to heel are used in steering and breaking. I find in skiing your upper body is more of just a counter weight vs the driving force.