What you will need to go ride:

Well the first thing you are going to need is a snowboard. If you are a beginner, we recommend renting a board for your first few times. As you start to go on a regular basis, you will want to get a snowboard you can get used to riding. There are many differences in board stiffness, turning, and other features. If you decide to purchase a board, make sure you have rented it or a similar board to see if you like the snowboard first.

The second thing you will need is bindings. Most rental snowboards will have bindings included with them. If you are purchasing bindings make sure that they are comfortable. You will be spending many hours in these and moving your foot back and forth repetitively in them.

For the next thing you will need is Snowboard Boots. Now I say Snowboard Boots because you will need special Snowboard Boots not just any boots off the shelf. Snowboard Boots are specially designed to support your ankle and provide proper movement of your foot and ankle. Now the most important thing about Snowboard Boots is that they are comfortable. You will be spending the most time in these. When you are on and off your snowboard, the boots will still be on. The second most important thing about snowboard boots is that they fit well. They must be snug around your feet and ankle. You want minimal or even no movement in your ankle area. This is very important because you want to control the board mostly from your lower leg and put less stress on your ankle.

Next, you will need the proper apparel you keep you comfortable. We recommend a waterproof snowboard pant of some type that does not restrict movement. You will probably be sitting on the snow a lot. A good snowboarding jacket is also recommended; especially if it gets cold, you will need it. There is nothing worse then trying to learn how to ride when you are freezing. Remember layer your clothes, you can always take layers off. You will also need good waterproof gloves. You will be putting your hands down in the snow so make sure your gloves are of good quality and waterproofing.

Now for headwear, you will probably need a warm beanie or hat. We recommend UV protective goggles for improved eye protection. Your headgear will not only protect you from sunlight and cold but will also provide minimal protection against small scrapes and bruises. Make sure to bring some good 15 or better sunscreen for your face and neck. The high altitude and snow intensifies sunlight.

Now for protective gear, a helmet is always recommended for beginners. Make sure you can fit your goggles over the helmet. There are special snowboarding helmets with goggle fasteners built in. You can also get some tailbone and buttocks padding. There are several protective pads made specifically for extreme sports. You can also get the same protective guards and pads for the back and spine area.

Here is a basic list of things you will need to go snowboarding:

Essential Gear

  • Snowboard
  • Bindings
  • Boots
  • Gloves
  • Snowboarding Pants
  • Jacket
  • Sunscreen
  • Lip Balm

Headwear

  • UV Protective Goggles (Recommended) or Eyeglasses
  • Bennie or Winter Hat

Protective Gear

  • Helmet
  • Tailbone & Buttocks Guards
  • Back & Spine Guards



Where and when to go and ride!

If you are going to go ride with friends, we recommend The Park at Bear Mountain resort. This is where most of the local snowboarders ride. There are plenty of rails, boxes, and others features to jib (put your snowboard on and do tricks) on. In addition, if you think you can, try out on of the many different sized jumps. In addition, there are many good riders to watch and learn. Now if you would like more of a family environment we recommend Snow Summit. Snow Summit is geared more towards the family environment but still has jump and rails. Now if you are just learning we recommend riding on a weekday because it can get packed with people on the weekends and holidays. You might be spending most of you time avoiding people rather than learning how to ride.

Snowboard Glossary of Terms:
Some basic snowboarding words to help you out with the lingo

Alley-oop
A term used to describe any maneuver in the halfpipe where one rotates 180 or more degrees in the uphill direction; that is, rotating backside on the frontside wall or rotating frontside on the backside wall.

Backside air
Any air performed on the backside wall of halfpipe.

Backside rodeo
Coming off a jump and turning your back down the hill, flipping 540 and landing fakie or rotating a total of 720 and landing regular.

Backside rotation
Rotating clockwise for a regular-footer and rotating counter-clockwise for a goofy-footer. When riding switchstance the exact reverse applies and a regular footer will rotate counter-clockwise and a goofy footer will rotate clockwise.

Backside wall
When standing at the top of the halfpipe and looking down towards the bottom, the backside wall is the left wall for regular footers and the right wall for goofy footers. If you ride straight down the center of the halfpipe, your backside wall is behind

Base
A firm layer of hard-packed snow covering the bare ground.

Blindside
A term given to any rotation where the rider has oriented him/herself "blind" to his/her takeoff or landing and must stretch to look over their shoulder. Such a technique usually increases the difficulty.

Board length
The measurement from the tip to the tail.

Cap construction
A form of integrated structural design that used the outermost material or skin to bear the load of strength of an object. Much like the shell of crab. To reduce weight and enhance torsional rigidity and edge responsiveness and eliminate the need for sepa

Carve
To ride fast through corners (from skiing).

Dialed-in
Tuned to perfection.

Fakie
Riding backwards.

Freestyle
The kind of snowboarding which is mostly associated with riding the halfpipe, but may also be used to describe any type of snowboarding which includes tricks and maneuvers.

Frontside air
The trick is best described for its grab. The frontside grab is with the rear hand between the bindings on the toe edge; in this particular maneuver the front leg is boned. It can also be any air performed on the frontside wall of the halfpipe.

Frontside turn
A turn where the toe edge faces to the outside of the turn while the snowboard is riding on the heel edge. A left for a regular footer and right turn for a goofy footer.

Goofy foot
To ride with the right foot forward.

Grab
Grabbing either or both boards with one or both hands. Frontside or backside.

Grind
To ride on an object like a ledge or handrail with just the trucks making contact.

Haakon flip
A halfpipe trick named after freestyle legend Teje Haakonsen of Norway. Haakon Flip is like a switch rodeo performed in a halfpipe.

Half cab
It is the freeriding version of the Caballerial in which one rotates 180 degrees from fakie to forward off of a straight jump.

Half pipe
A snow structure that consists of opposing radial transition walls of the same height and size. Used to catch air and perform tricks by traveling back and forth from wall to wall while moving do

Handrails
What riders slide and grind on, looks like and is a handrail.

Heelside edge
The edge of the board closest to the riders heels.

Hit
A jump

Hucker
One who throws himself/herself wildly through the air and does not land on his/her feet.

Inverted aerial
A maneuvers where the rider becomes airborne and upside down at any given moment.

Jib
Riding which closely resembles street skating. "Jibbers" commonly slide rails, bonk trees and perform flatland tricks.

Landing fakie
Landing backwards.

Method
The front hand grabs the heel edge, both knees are bent, and the board is pulled up behind the rider. In the halfpipe, the rider's body can become almost parallel with the ground.

Mute
The front hand grabs the toe edge either between the toes, and front leg is boned out.

Nollie
Much like an Ollie only you spring off of your nose instead of your tail.

Nose
The front of the board.

Ollie
A method to obtain air by first lifting the front foot then lifting the rear foot as you spring off of the tail.

Quarterpipe
A halfpipe with one wall; a banked hit.

Rail
There are tow rails on a snowboard; each comprised of a sidewall and an edge.

Railslide
Also called boardslide. To slide on an obstacle or lip with the contact point being the underside of the board.

Regular foot
To ride with the left foot forward.

Rodeo
Turning frontside 180 while completing an inverted 360 rotation for a total of 540. A rodeo 720 is when you would turn frontside 360 while completing an inverted 360 rotation for a total 720.

Rolling down the windows.
A phrase used to describe when someone is caught off balance, and they rotate their arms wildly in the air to try and recover.

Shifty
A grabless trick where the upper torso and lower body are twisted in opposite directions and then returned to normal.

Sick
Big, crazy, cool, incredibly difficult.

Side cut
The curve built into the sidewalls and edges of a board to enhance turning characteristics. To create a curve on the turning surface that is characteristic of the boards riding style.

Side wall
The area between the topsheet and the base, and above the edges on a snowboard. Holds the core and other materials from shifting during the manufacturing process, and to protect them as a finished product.

sketching
The act of riding along precariously and near falling.

Slide
What a rider does when he "slides" across a handrail or mailbox, etc.

Stance
The position of one's feet on the ground.

Stick
To land a jump cleanly.

Switch
Any trick where the rider is going switch on take off.

Tail
The rear tip of the board or ski.

Tail grab
The rear hand grabs the tail of the snowboard.

T-bolt
A small metal inside threaded cylinder with a disk attached to the bottom, to prevent it from pulling up and out of the board. To repair or substitute the area of binding attachment to a board.

Technical
An especially tricky, obstacle-laden section of a trail.

Transition
The curved part of the terrain between 0 and 90 degrees.

Tweaked
A term used to describe the emphasis of style in a trick.

Wipeout
A crash.