So you’re ready to hit the slopes, but it’s been a little while (or perhaps not at all) since you’ve last strapped into a snowboard. Yes, you’re going to have fun, but you also want to come home in one piece.
Lucky for you, the crew here at Snowboarder has just the guidelines to keep you on your board having fun. Here it is:
Photo: Ben Gavelda
1. Check Your Equipment
When you’re throttling down the mountain at 35 miles per hour or trying to land that jump you’ve been eyeing all day, the difference between sick and out of control can be a fine line. That fine line can be pushed if your gear isn’t prepared properly.
First and foremost, check all of the screws on your bindings. A binding is life-saving material, and if you have to throw on the brakes because some jerry is skiing directly in the middle of your landing in the terrain park filming his 7-year-old, you want to make sure that you’re not disco-footing around.
Next, make sure that the helmet fits. If it doesn’t, buy a new one. Helmets are expensive, but the emergency room is more expensive.
Finally, tune your board. If you’re an east coaster, like me, you’re going to encounter some ice on even the best days out on the mountain. If your edges are sharp and your base is waxed, you’ll be prepared to take on the worst of it.
Photo: T. Bird
2. Run-Through Laps
I get it. It’s a Saturday morning, and you’ve battled the red snake to get to the mountain, only to wait in line for the chairlift. That’s awful, and we know it, but snowboarding is like any other physical activity—most of us need a good warm-up. So when you’re cruising down the slopes, and you see a feature you might want to hit, wait a run. Fully scope out your landing and watch other people hit it. That way, on your second run, there are no surprises out there.
3. Dress in Layers
You don’t need the most expensive gear to have a good time out there. Heck, JP Walker seemed to ride exclusively in cotton, but if you get hit with some wild weather, it helps to be prepared.
Avoid wearing cotton as a base layer. Make sure your first layer is merino wool, polyester, silk, or some combination of those materials. That includes your underwear… cotton will struggle to dry below the belt, too, and no one wants to deal with that. If you’re unsure if you are dressed warm enough, pack an emergency puffy.
4. Look Over Your Shoulder
This part is critical in maintaining our image as snowboarders. Whenever there’s a collision on the slopes, and it gets caught on camera, us snowboarders are quick to be blamed. Just like you would when you’re driving a car, look over your shoulders and check your blind spots before cutting across the trail.
Photo: kokophoto/Getty Images
5. Drink Less, Ride More
I know this screams NARC, but hear me out: If you’re not that good at snowboarding, then you’re probably worse when you’re snowboarding while drunk. That doesn’t mean you can’t rip a Dr. McGillicuddy shot on the chairlift or skip that mid-day Guinness at lunch, but try out a little thing called moderation.