Tag Archives: Beginner

Burton’s ICS Boards & EST Bindings Explained

Burton EST Bindings

Burton EST Bindings

A lot of my friends throw their snowboarding questions at me. In a way, I’ve only got myself to blame; what with all the raving I do about riding and how awesome I look decked out in gear. Lately, I’ve been getting a ton of questions around Burton’s ICS snowboard technology. With that, I thought I’d post quickie on it and talk about the new EST bindings and clear up the confusion around whether you can use old Burton bindings with the new ICS boards (if that’s all you came for, go ahead and skim to the bullet points below you lazy bastard!).

First, ICS stands for Infinite Channel System and is supposed to provide the board with a better flex pattern. Woopdy doo, yet another fancy jargon! The ICS technology is basically an old idea re-introduced by Burton. Companies like Forum and Capita had this a few years back, and when Burton bought Forum, it inherited the ICS license with the purchase. In a nutshell, rather than mounting the bindings by screwing them into metal plates in the board’s core, the bindings are attached onto a track system which runs lengthwise at the center of the board.

Burton's Custom ICS 158

Burton's Custom ICS 158

What are some of the advantages?

  • Unlimited stance options compared to the older system (maybe that’s why it’s called infinite?)
  • Easier binding stance adjustment
  • Provides the snowboard with a more balanced flex pattern (supposedly)
  • Saves on weight by using less metal plates
  • Old Burton bindings can be used on the new ICS design with an ICS ‘adaptor’ that Burton provides

This brings us to the Burton EST bindings, which stands for… wait for it… “Extra Sensory Technology”! I don’t mean to bash the fancy wording, because it’s actually a cool design, but I can’t help myself. The main difference is where the bolt heads used to be in the old Burton bindings, you’ll find 3 plastic looking windows. One to adjust your stance setback, one the toe/heel, and one the angle. Like I said, the design is wicked, because it lets you adjust any of the 3 in a matter of seconds. This feature alone warrants the upgrade to the new Burton ICS snowboard and EST bindings combo. So better start saving those pay cheques folk!

Burton EST Bindings

Burton EST Bindings

Transition from Skiing to Snowboarding

From Skier to Rider

From Skier to Rider

You may not know this about me, but I skied for 10 years (yes ten!) before I became a rider. I was about 9 years old when I first got on skis and it was thanks to my school at the time (American Community School) that I got into it. As part of a team building & social nurturing activity, my school took the entire grade to a skiing trip for 2 days. At the time many of my friends were already skiers and so naturally I pretended that I knew all about the sport. I don’t regret doing that, because it resulted in an unforgettable first-day experience.

I feel in love with skiing and so I bought my own gear and went 2-3 times a month. As the years went by, I started going more frequently. During those years there weren’t that many riders on the slopes, but they definitely grew in number as the seasons went by. It wasn’t until I was 17 that I seriously considered snowboarding and at that point I promised myself another 1 or 2 seasons of skiing before I would switch. The next season (2004/2005) I rented a snowboard and gave it a go. Boy was it a frustrating experience. Hell, it was grueling. And so I chucked the board away and got back on my sweet skis for yet another amazing season.

The following season (2005/2006) I went on a 4 day trip with some very close university friends. My good buddy Mo (who was also a skier at the time ) and I tossed the idea of snowboarding around a bit but with minimal confidence. In what would really only happen in cheesy movie scenes, happened to us. Mo and I caught each other eyeing the boards on the rental displays, thus quickly coming to the realization that if there’s ever a time to give this a shot, it would be now. We decided to ride for 2 days and ski for the remaining 2 days (the idea here was that if we didn’t enjoy snowboarding, we would at least enjoy the remainder of trip skiing). WHAT THE HELL WERE WE THINKING!?!? Fair warning to all skiers: do not try to snowboard unless you’re fully ready to give up skiing! Needless to say, we never looked back. 4 years, 4 boards, 10+ trips, 50+ parties, 1000s of miles, sore muscles, bruised asses, a few fractured bones, and many mind-blowing like-nothing-else times, here we are!

So what did it really take to make the switch?

1. A partner who wants to snowboard and is a beginner just like yourself. This is not to say that you can’t do it alone, but I tried that and compared to practicing with a friend, having a partner was significantly easier.

2. A professional pair of rental boards, boots, and bindings. PLEASE pay the extra $10-$15 for the day and get yourself a solid setup. It’s worth it! Also get a board with bindings that can be easily rotated without a screwdriver (this will prove very useful when you try to figure out which leg you are most comfortable with having in the back).

3. $0 on lessons and instructors: We didn’t spend a single dime on lessons and instructors (refer to #1 on the list).

4. A resort with 2-3 bunny slopes: While 1 bunny slope is good, a few of them will keep things interesting and challenging.

5. 2-3 days of full day riding either consecutively or spread across 2 weekends back-to-back: It may get tiring, but it’s super important that your body gets used to the sport. If you do it for a day, then come back a few weeks later, more often than not, it’ll be like you’re doing it for the first time.

6. Patience and confidence: You have to accept that the first few times on a board will be frustrating. You’re asking your body to do something that isn’t natural (locking your feet to a single board). More importantly, you need to understand that it’s certainly not impossible and that it will take some time.

7. Get a butt pad, helmet, and wrist guards: You are going to fall a lot in the beginning(just the nature of the sport) so having your ass and wrist protected will make things so much easier. I don’t mean to sound like a parent, but if you think you’re going to look stupid, then at least get the wrist guards and helmet. If you don’t, looking stupid will be the least of your worries!

8. Many will tell you  that a  basic understanding of the differences between skiing and snowboarding will help, but honestly, it won’t matter on the mountain. You’re welcome to read our Snowboard or Ski post for curiosity’s sake, but it won’t help much on the slopes.

Important Tips & Tricks for beginners:

1. Bend your knees and keep your back straight.

2. Figure out which leg you are more comfortable having in the back. Forget all the tests you’ve read about and just get a feel for it, so don’t forget to get a board with bindings that easily rotate.

3. Wrist guards, helmet, and butt pads will be your guardian angels.

4. Watch others on the slopes (preferably the younger riders, because if they can do it, then surely you can).

5. Make sure you get a properly waxed and tuned board (and make sure the bindings are screwed on tightly). Some resorts have a bad habit of not regularly doing this and you wouldn’t drive a car that was leaking or had faulty breaks.

Don’t forget to check out our full list of Snowboarding Tips & Tricks collected from our own experiences and those of our users.

Hope this helps a lot of you and if you have any comments/questions feel free to leave them in the comments box below. You can also personally ask us here.

Snowboarding Tips for Beginners

Snowboarding Tips for Beginners

Snowboarding Tips for Beginners

As a passionate snowboarder I tend to get into the subject of snowboarding with just about anyone. But I also find myself forgetting how frustrating it was when I first got started. With that realization, I decided to create a Snowboarding Tips page which will feature articles like these and one-liners that readers can vote up and down. The goal? Well to create a single reference page for all beginners to benefit from. So let’s kick things off with this general snowboarding tips article.

Choosing to undertake the hobby of snowboarding is often done at an early age — but really, it can be done at any point in someones life. Regardless of when it is decided that one would like to learn how to snowboard, it is still a daunting and oftentimes painful decision. In the interests of helping out anyone out there who is reading this and happens to be somewhat of a beginner in the world of snowboarding that we all know and adore, here’s some tips to ensure that it becomes a fulfilling, lifetime hobby and not just some spur-of-the-moment decision.

1. First and foremost, ensuring that you always have the appropriate layers of clothing on for snowboarding is absolutely essential. Seriously — this sounds like a no-brainer, but always doing so will ensure that you can focus on actually learning to be a good, safe snowboarder and not on whether or not you might have hypothermia  yet. Beginners should also watch out for packing on too many layers. Keep in mind that as you start out, you’ll be spending most, if not all, your time on the green hills which are usually warmer given their lower altitudes.

2. Next, you’re going to want to get used to having your feet fixed to the board before you go down a double black diamond snow mountain. So, as much as possible, even before you go down the not-so-steep slopes, strap your feet in and get used to the feel of the board while strapped in. Feel free to wobble/shuffle around, jump up and down, and bending at your knees.  This might be ridiculously boring, but just remind yourself that it will be a lot less painful to get used to this feeling now then when you’re en flight down the mountain.

3. Although you’ll be getting a new-model snowboard if you ever at all get really serious about snowboarding, start off with just an all-mountain free-ride snowboard instead of any other. These snowboards are specifically made for beginners and will help make for a much less painful learning experience as well. Although you’re going to be on a mountain in the winter and not at the beach in the summer.

4. If you’re learning on a sunny day (and hopefully it is) you’re going to want to make sure that you are always properly sunblocked at all times. Don’t let the season fool you — you can get quite the sunburn while shredding the snow in December (contrary to popular belief). Nevermind wind burns — so make sure you remind yourself about our first tip as well.

5. Lastly, don’t push it! New snowboarders are known for their failure to keep themselves together after they try and prove themselves worthy or brave while on a slope. You’re excited and I get it, but nothing’s worse than a major fall that knocks the wind out of you. Take it easy and don’t do anything stupid like jumps before you’re well and ready — and if you go by when you’re properly ready and not just when you THINK you’re ready then it is going to be quite some time.

6. Be confident. You’re legs are locked to a board and you can’t move. It’s going to feel very awkward and make you think you can’t really do this. You can bet that everyone felt that way when they first started, but the difference between those who gave up the sport and those shredding serious mountain powder is the confidence they had and accepting the fact that it’ll take a few tries before you get the hang of it.

Be safe, enjoy yourself and most importantly — have fun! It’s a great and lifelong hobby that will most likely turn into an obsession very quickly, so be careful with that as well!

Snowboarding Goggles

Oakley Snowboarding Goggles

Oakley Snowboarding Goggles

The use of snow goggles can be traced back thousands of years. The early snow goggles were made from carved caribou antlers.  This tradition is still taught by native elders in North America today. William Parry commissioned snow goggles manufactured for his crew in 1822.

This is considered by many to be the birth of the modern day snowboarding goggles.   Modern snowboard goggles are similar to historical ones in that they protect the eyes from snow blindness.

Snow blindness is a very painful condition that occurs when you expose your eyes to ultraviolet rays in bright sunlight that is reflected from snow and ice.

Protection from these UV rays is the number one reason to wear snowboard goggles.  Snowboard goggles protect your eyes from the UV rays and the blowing snow and ice.  Your eyes can be permanently damaged if not protected properly.

Many people insist on wearing their sun glasses instead of snowboard goggles.  Glasses do not protect your eyes the way snowboard goggles do.  Wind and blowing snow can still penetrate your sun glasses and damage your eyes.

Snowboard goggles are designed with the highest optics and protection available today.  Goggles seal in your eyes and protect them from blowing snow and wind.  The snowboard goggles are much more stable than sun glasses.  Snowboard goggles also offer protection against face first collisions with the snow. This can save you from a great deal of terrible pain and suffering.

The optics in snowboard goggles today rivals those of the most expensive sun glasses.  You can find lenses that meet any conditions.  Snowboard goggles will also not fog up like sun glasses will.  Snowboarding goggles also improve your peripheral vision.

If you wear corrective glasses you will want to purchase snowboarding goggles designed to fit over your glasses.  This will allow you to protect your eyes and see well in all conditions.

There is a huge variety of snowboarding goggles available.  They offer a wide variety of lens and optics coatings that can meet any condition on the slopes.

Your eye sight is extremely important and worth protecting.  Find the right pair of snowboarding goggles and protect your eyes today.

Snowboard Safety

Snowboard Safety - Ride Smart

Snowboard Safety - Ride Smart

Snowboard safety is very important.  Especially so, when you’re just learning to snowboard.  Over 25% of injuries happen to beginners and often on their first run down the mountain. Luckily, I didn’t fall victim to that statistic, but my friend did and it wasn’t pleasant.

Beginners usually don’t spend enough time practicing and have a false sense that they are ready for the trip down the mountain. While you should be practicing more, you can protect yourself with some of these safety equipment.

  • Snowboarding Helmet

    Snowboarding Helmet

    Snowboard Helmet: A good snowboard helmet should be your first safety purchase. The reason is this; your wrist will heal but a head injury can kill you. That is a stark comparison but it is true. You must protect your head. Many snowboarders refuse to wear helmets. It is a macho thing for them. Do not be that stupid. There is no forgiveness with head injuries. More resorts and parks require head gear to ski their slopes. Protect the most important part of your body, your head.

  • Dakine Wrist Guards

    Dakine Wrist Guards

    Wrist Guards: Wrist injuries are the most common snowboarding injuries. We catch ourselves with our hands. It’s my natural instinct and believe me when I say it’ll be yours too. Wearing wrist guards help eliminate the injuries to your wrist when falling. They are inexpensive and can save you a great deal of pain. Again, beginners should always wear every piece of safety equipment they can. It is the beginner that usually gets injured, however, 5 seasons on my belt, and I still wear one every time I’m shredding with mother nature.

  • Kneepads

    Kneepads

    Knee Pads: Knee injuries are not as common for snowboarders compared to skiers. When they do happen it is usually from impact with an object. These impacts are usually trees or rocks, and even the nasty ice patches appear out of no where. I banged my pad-less knee 2 years ago on an ice patch and it still hasn’t fully healed. Kneepads do help eliminate injury from impacts. Plus they help you remember to keep your knees bent.

  • Tailsaver

    Tailsaver

    Hip Pads/Tailbone Pads: Hip pads are worn like bike shorts. Extra padding is provided in the hips and tail bone areas. When you fall on your backside the hip pads will help you eliminate injuries. Beginners should wear hip pads because they will fall a lot when learning. Check out our take on the Tailsaver, which is a convenient way to protect your ass.

  • Safety Leash

    Safety Leash

    Safety Leash: The safety leash really provides protection for other snowboarders. If your snowboard comes loose of your bindings and shoots down the mountain it is very dangerous. It becomes a fast moving projectile that and kill or maim an unsuspecting snowboarder. The leash is attached to your leg and keeps your board close to you if it were to get separated. It also keeps you from searching for your board.