December 5, 2009
4 Comments

How to Snowboard 101: Snowboarding Basics

Posted in Beginner Lessons, Beginner's Guide by Rami | Tags: ,

If you want to learn how to snowboard without paying an arm and an ear for an instructor or any other online courses, this free guide is perfect for you. There are 12 lessons, read them in order, and pay attention. If you want to read these on the slope for reference, feel free to print them, or better yet, save paper, and read them off your phone.

Lesson 1/12
If you are new to snowboarding, then you’re probably anxiously waiting to tear up the slopes… but just lacking the knowledge of how to do it, right? Snowboarding is a ton of fun, not to mention fast paced and adrenaline kicking… but accidents can also happen fast, and the best way to avoid an accident is to be as comfortable on your snowboard as you can. And the best way to get comfortable on your snowboard is to get yourself acquainted with it well before-hand. To start with, learning to get on is a very important step, so that is the one we will discuss here.

Step 1
Find yourself a nice flat area, or an area that has a gentle incline. Try to choose a spot that won’t have other snowboarders on it. This way, you can keep out of their way, and they will not be in yours either. Once you have found a suitable spot, secure your snowboard by laying it down in the snow with the bindings facing down. The point here is to lay it down in such a way as so that it will not glide away from you!

Step 2
Now, turn the board so that it is towards you. It may be a good idea to attach the safety leash to your front leg so that your board does not roll away. You can now start fastening your board to your foot. Start with your front foot by placing it right on the binding mechanism. Fasting the ankle strap, and make sure that the back of your foot is secure and in place.

Step 3
Next, secure the top strap of your snowboard binding. Tighten it so that it is nice and tight, but no so that it is so tight it hurts! Now, get used to your board by standing up and moving it around with your front foot. Lift your leg up and down so that you get a feel for it. Go ahead and do this until you feel comfortable enough to continue. You can also put your free foot forward and move the board behind you by bending your knee at a 90 degree angle.

Once you have your board in place, and once you have grown accustomed to it, then you are ready to move on to the next part. This is a very crucial part of the process, so take your time… get it right… and above all, have fun!

Full Lesson Guide
1. Snowboarding Basics
2. Skating on a Snowboard
3. Switching Edges
4. Gliding on a Snowboard
5. Moving up a Slope
6. Heelside Sideslipping
7. Toeside Sideslipping
8. Heelside Traversing
9. Toeside Traversing
10. Falling Leaf Snowboarding Technique
11. Garlands Snowboarding Technique
12. Linking Turns

Related posts:

  1. How to Snowboard 101: Gliding on Your Board
  2. How to Snowboard 101: Skating
  3. How to Snowboard 101: Heelside Traversing
  4. How to Snowboard 101: Moving Up a Slope
  5. How to Snowboard 101: Falling Leaf Technique

4 Comments to “How to Snowboard 101: Snowboarding Basics”

  • January 5, 2010 at 2:34 pm
    Don’t Pay for Lessons; Teach Yourself to How to Snowboard! | Snowboarding Blog & Snowboard Reviews says:

    [...] Go’s Free Snowboarding Lessons: I’ve put together 12 mini ‘lessons’ on how to snowboard, and it covers [...]

  • January 6, 2010 at 12:50 pm
    Andy says:

    What about more advanced stuff, like how to do FS 180s off left-hand side hits…?
    e.g.
    Do I try and land on flat, or on my toe edge to stop the rotation…?

  • January 6, 2010 at 1:13 pm
    Rami says:

    I’m putting together a lessons package similar to this but directed to more advanced tricks/styles in the next week or so, because for people just starting out, 180s is not something they should be doing just yet.

    But to answer your question… assuming you are comfortable riding switch (because obviously you will land in switch stance), you’ll want to with your board facing downhill with the slope WITH some pressure on your heel edge (not your toe edge). Momentum from the FS 180 will force your board to continue rotating in the same direction and if you put pressure on your toe edge, you’ll catch an edge and fall (try picturing it).

    Now that’s easier said than done if you’re just starting out with FS 180s, since you’ll likely have more body weight on the toe edge as a 180 beginner, so make sure you keep your knees bent and a straight back as much as you can.

    Hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions!

  • January 28, 2011 at 2:14 pm
    mawarrior3 says:

    I’m a beginner snowboarder who has problems with controlling speed. After reading your blog, I may have another problem and I wondered if you could offer advice?

    1. My stance is Regular (left foot forward), but I’m right handed. Kick with my r, slide r foot under legs, etc. The first time I went boarding, I was more comfortable with the left foot in front. Should I try to change it now?

    2. I was told in a snowboarding lesson to embrace speed. Seems like a great idea if I was an intermediate/advance rider. How do I control speed better without falling?

    Thanks!

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