Snowboarding Tips for Beginners

What to Wear?

If you are headed out to the hill for the first time ever you may find yourself wondering what to wear. If you want a good breakdown of dressing for the resort then check out our guide.

Even if you do not have the perfect winterwear, make sure you dress in layers. You will definitely spend some time sitting on your butt in the snow so wearing snow pants is highly recommended. You will need to sit down to get your board on and some falls are also par for the course: do not underestimate how quickly you will get cold and wet if you decide to head out in jeans or sweatpants.

TIP: Some resorts actually rent snow pants so it might be worth asking if you aren’t sure about buying yet! Although if you are ready to invest in your own apparel there are some pretty cool snowboard clothing brands to choose from.

The Right Equipment

You can rent snowboards and boots at most resorts. In fact, we recommend renting for your first few trips to the hill: it gives you the opportunity to get a feel for the sport and the equipment before you purchase your own. Make sure you let the rental shop know that you are a beginner and would prefer a softer board with rocker or a flat profile.

If you are looking at buying your first setup for yourself be sure to check out our tips for the best all-mountain snowboards and snowboard boots for beginners.

The most important price of equipment? Your helmet! Helmets provide the most protection against low-speed crashes and while the tumbles you take while learning is likely to be harmless, protecting your brain should be a no-brainer, just in case!

Check out our list of Mountain Safety Tips to make sure you are well-prepared for your snowy excursion.

Are Lessons Worth It?

Depending on your goals, working with an instructor is definitely worth considering. While you may be able to learn on your own, nothing will help you pick up the skills you need faster than working with a trained professional. Whether you opt for a group lesson or two to start you off, or prefer a whole week of private lessons, it is a great way to learn the ropes.

Although lessons are an ideal way, many people learn to snowboard well on their own too, so paying for lessons is certainly not a ‘must’.

TIP: If you are planning on teaching yourself, invest some time in watching some ‘how to’ videos. There are many available, and the tips will help you find your groove much faster than by just winging it. Here is a great summary video of skills to practice for your first day at the hill!

TIP: Even if you have been boarding for a few years, one or two intermediate lessons can really help you improve your technique, learn some new skills and become an overall better snowboarder!

Putting on Your Board

First things first – before you strap both feet onto your board take some time to practice ‘skating’. Skating is scooting around with your front foot in the binding while pushing off the snow with your back foot, much like a scooter. This will be an important skill for getting to the lift and moving along flat areas.

The easiest way to strap on your board is to sit down, facing downhill, and place your snowboard perpendicular to the slope below you. You will generously bend your knees to reach your bindings. Once your boots are strapped in tight you can use one hand to pull yourself up by gripping the front edge of your board and use your other hand to push you up from the snow into a standing position.

Check out this super simple step-by-step tutorial of how to put on and off your boots and bindings.

TIP: Always fasten the ankle strap before the toe strap of the bindings for a snug, secure fit.

Bend Your Knees

This advice never gets old whether it is your first day or you already have a few seasons of experience. A relaxed stance with softly bent knees will allow you to maintain balance better and react faster as you learn to turn and brake.

Bent knees also help you maintain control over your board as you can make fine adjustments to the pressure you exert to the edges much more easily than with locked knees. Last but not least, bent knees are essential to help absorb any bumps you may ski over due to snow conditions or varying terrain.

Watch Where You Are Going

We don’t just mean to watch out for others – although it is important to be aware of other skiers and riders as well.

Your head position tends to naturally follow your gaze, leading to a slight rotation of the shoulders in the direction you are looking. If you keep your gaze about 20m ahead of you in the direction you want to ride, your body will instinctively align. If you are looking down at your feet or watching your, the chances of losing control or falling are much higher.

TIP: Looking where you want to go and gently following your gaze with your upper body is the perfect way to start learning to make easy turns.

How to Stop – Toeside & Heelside Slipping

Slipping is allowing your snowboard to skid downhill while perpendicular to the hill. It is an important skill to master because it will help you get a feel for your edges which will eventually lead to linking turns. In the meantime, slipping is a great way to control your speed and stop.

For heelside slipping, start facing downhill with your board perpendicular to the hill. Keep your knees bent, lean backwards and imagine you are about to sit on a chair. Your board should start to slip downhill. To stop, lift your toes: this will dig in your heelside edge to slow you down or come to a complete stop.

Toeside slipping is the same process, except that you will start facing uphill and will lean forwards as your board gently skids downhill. Pushing your toes into the hill will help you dig in your toeside edge enough to slow down or stop.

The three basic skills described in this snowboarding for beginner video are a perfect place to start: Beginner Snowboard Lesson – Heels, Toes & Straight.

TIP: Head to the learners’ run to practice. It will be a nice gradual hill and is the safest and easiest place to learn. Trying to learn on a more advanced run can be dangerous for your as well as other riders and skiers.

Steering & The First Turns

Once you can confidently slip on both edges, it is time to do some straight glides. Allow yourself to slowly glide straight downhill (a gradual downhill!) with your board flat. Practice varying your speed and steering towards the left and right by rotating your body in the direction you want to go and changing the pressure on your board edges just like you did while slipping.

TIP: Don’t hesitate to really spend some time developing this skill – it will help you get a good feeling for how your snowboard reacts. How much pressure do you need to turn? Try to make some big wide turns and some narrower turns.

Tired Legs

It happens to everyone – a new sport in an unfamiliar body position can really tire you out, even if you are ‘just’ learning. Make sure you enjoy the process: take breaks if you need it, keep a smile on your face and be prepared for some sore muscles.

Practice Makes Perfect

Remember that everyone started out as a beginner – even the pros! So be patient and kind with yourself while you learn.

Fall Down, Get Up

Falling is part of the learning curve and is to be expected. Try not to see the small tumbles as failures, but rather as something to laugh at and shake off. Catching an edge is never fun, but it is common when learning linked turns. There may be frustrating moments – but trust us when we say that after a few weekends on the hill you will really be riding, and those initial tumbles will be long forgotten.

TIP: If you find yourself falling backwards a lot, be aware of your wrists – they are the most fragile joint that is commonly injured when falling back. Your butt on the other hand, is well designed to handle the impact. Bending your knees will also help bring your balance point forwards and help you avoid landing on your behind.

The Ski Lift

Whether we like to admit it or not, the first few times getting on and off the chair lift are enough to make any beginner’s heart race. But relax, it isn’t as hard as it may seem.

Make sure you have practiced skating as this will help you get to the chairlift. When it comes to dismounting you will need to gently shift your weight onto your board as you the ground comes up to your feet. Your front foot will be in the binding and your back foot simply set on your board, use gentle pressure on your edges to steer yourself to a safe stopping place where you can set your back foot down and step properly into your bindings.

The exit ramp is always a small downhill slope so you won’t need to push off or get out of the way quickly.

Here is a great step by step of How to Survive the Chairlift with lots of tips and a good overview of what to expect.

Be patient, know that everyone learns at their own pace and remember why you came out – for some fun! Happy Riding!