Snowboarding
Turns out that snowboarding is pretty fun. I went with some friends yesterday for the first time ever, and I had a really good time.
I first started off on the kiddie hill. We are talking about 25 feet and a really shallowly sloped hill. I quickly decided it was time to move onto something a bit steeper and longer to get a better feel for things (some party members went there first, and then went to the kiddie hill to get some more practice first).
When renting our snowboards, I decided that I was normal with my footing (that means left foot forward going down the hill), but about my third time down I established that I was in fact goofy (right foot forward). Of course, my board was setup for normal, and I didn’t bother adjusting it (it was apparently adjustable). It seemed to work out well regardless.
I never made it up to the bigger hills, but I think baby steps is a good approach here. I fell enough that I decided it was about time to call it quits (that, and I couldn’t think or see very clearly because I had just whacked my head pretty good). I did fall a lot, and I’m paying for it today. Totally worth it though. :)
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One Response to “Snowboarding”
Yeah, snowboard stance pretty much boils down to two things: foot angles and center of gravity. More extreme foot angles make turning with your strong foot forward easier, at the expense of making switch turns harder, and similarly for center of gravity. But such things are pretty minor, and definitely won’t get in the way of enjoying a day on the mountain.
I can recommend getting padded shorts or similar devices for protecting the tailbone. It makes a world of difference in how painful it is to snowboard, especially for more than one day in a row.