It may appear at first glance that there is no great shakes of a difference between skiing and snowboarding, the principles are the same, right? Gravity propels you downwards on a foot device that allows you to glide over the snow. It surprises many, in particular skiers making the transition to the board, just how different the two means of snow transport are.

Of course it is possible to learn everything yourself, but it is more difficult without the lessons coming from a practiced professional to make a go of this hard but worthwhile sport. If you decide not to take lessons, then try these tips and see how you fare out.

Snowboarding Tips Beginners

Ever try to dance with a new partner and have trouble getting to grips with positions? Similarly here you will need to determine who will take the lead i.e. will it be lefty or righty? You need to determine which is your lead foot, this is the foot you will naturally put forward when sliding, practice it out on wet linoleum to figure it out.

Once determined place that lead foot onto the board’s binding, from here it is all about the feel of the board for you. Many advanced snowboarders have a good swaying action, manipulating the board with the weight of their body, you’ll get there too. Now it is about getting your stance on the board to about shoulder width apart, this will give you a good centre of gravity and give you better balance and control.

Put your lead foot at a 15-20 degree angle and angle your big toe towards the front nose of the board.

It is important now that you have your stance that you do not bite off more than you can chew. As these are snowboarding tips beginners should always use, you should approach the next phase just like a beginner should. Don’t be put off by the term ‘bunny slope.’ It sounds childish, but the 5 mile per hour speed that you will attain on such slopes, will be difficult enough for you to get a handle on without making things harder than they need to be on yourself.

With a straight back and bent knees now you should try to get yourself moving, do this by applying a little of your body pressure towards the lead foot, you will notice that the more you press the faster you will move.

This phase is a all about learning through mastering of the basics, getting the feel of things. If your boots are too tight, if they are too loose, if anything feels out of place then it is out of place, as a consequence your boarding performance, and in particular your turns will be impeded.

You can slow down at any point by switching either onto the edge of your heel or turning to your toe edge. You do and the board follows, Lean back and the board will decelerate.

Practice these little tips first before trying to master the turns, there is no point in getting ahead of yourself just yet.