Snowboarding Rants

Snowboarding A - Z

Have you dreamed of learning snowboarding for a long time? Or have you even been out on the slopes once or twice, but just haven't had the confidence to go snowboarding more often?

Or maybe you already call yourself a snowboarder, and you're just looking to learn a little more about this fast-growing sport...

Let Me Introduce Myself

Hi, I'm Dana the snowboarding diva -- or at least that's what my friends and family call me. They're right, of course - I think it's pretty safe to say that I'm one of the most stoked snowboarders I've ever known! I love to ride -- in the park, on a hill, carving down a mountainside... in short, I go snowboarding whenever and wherever I can.

On anything but snow, I feel like a bit of a fish out of water. That's why I got my snowboarding instructor's ticket a few years ago, that's why I got a job as a resort snowboarding pro, that's why I do private snowboarding tutoring on the side, and that's why I try to spend most of my days off snowboarding, too!

I strapped on my first board when my folks bought me a weekend snowboarding package for my 13th birthday -- and they had a hard time getting me to take it off at the end of the weekend! That was over a decade ago now, and I've never looked back. As the saying goes -- I've ridden in fresh powder from Montana to Whistler, from Vermont to northern California, and my goal is to go snowboarding at every resort in North America!

Along the way, I've met, learned from and admired lots of other boarders who were even more obsessed than me (if you can believe it!). That's actually one of the coolest things about most snowboarders -- they're willing to share tips and tricks with newbies AND with accomplished riders. And since some of those snowboarding pioneers shared so much with me, I always wanted to 'pass it on' if I could -- and now I can!

What You'll Find Here...

In short, this website will provide you with answers to virtually all of your questions about snowboarding -- how to become one if you aren't already -- how to master all the tricks and moves you need to know to become an even more accomplished snowboarder, what it takes to compete, where else to get the best information, and much, much

How to find the snowboard shops near you

Finding snowboard shops near you might not be as easy as it sounds -- they aren't necessarily called 'Snowboard Shops' so if you've never had a reason to know about them before, you might have to 'dig' a little.

For one thing, snowboard shops are never just called 'Tyler's Snowboard Shop.' They're often named something that's maybe just one word -- like 'Slopes,' for example. Very cool, but hard to find!

Continue reading "Snowboard Shops Online and Off" »

Posted by Dana Thomas at 3:55 PM | Permalink

The 3 unique characteristics of women's snowboards

Womens snowboards perform just as well (or better!) than mens, but they do often have some unique characteristics -- that you may or may not like, or agree with. :)

First of all, manufacturers of womens snowboards make a couple of assumptions based on general ideas -- one, that women are generally smaller and lighter than men, that their feet are generally smaller, and that they aren't as 'serious' or competitive as many men in the snowboarding world.

Continue reading "Womens Snowboards - and How They Differ From Mens'" »

Posted by Dana Thomas at 11:21 AM | Permalink

Tips for snowboarding - no matter what the conditions are

There are literally hundreds of tips for snowboarding safely and sanely, and have fun while you're at it. I'm just going to outline what I think are the most important tips for snowboarding, that will 'cover all the bases,' and have you out there, stoked for riding, every chance you get!

Continue reading "6 Tips for Snowboarding Sanely" »

Posted by Dana Thomas at 2:34 PM | Permalink

Snowboard videos are useful no matter what your experience level

Snowboard videos are very popular 'tools of the trade' whether you are a brand new rider, or an 'old pro.' The reason snowboard videos are so useful is because many of us have to 'see it' to 'get it.' Reading about snowboarding techniques in books or online just isn't enough for many of us to learn what we need to learn -- snowboard videos make the boring technical information 'come alive' in a way that we can learn how to do things ourselves.

There are actually four types of snowboard videos, and you'll need to decide which ones interest you the most, depending on your interests and your snowboarding experience level.

Continue reading "Snowboard Videos - Not Just for the Novice" »

Posted by Dana Thomas at 5:23 PM | Permalink

Snowboard tricks aren't all that tricky

Snowboard tricks are the next thing you'll want to learn after you've mastered the basics of snowboarding -- who doesn't want to learn a few snowboard tricks? You might not want to let your mom watch you do snowboard tricks, but your friends will all be impressed!

Luckily, snowboard tricks don't really need to be all that 'tricky.' Most snowboard tricks are just extensions or additions to the basics you've already learned about getting up some speed, turning, and being able to stop. And, also just like learning the basics, it's simply a matter of memorizing the techniques for snowboard tricks, and then practice, practice, and more practice.

Continue reading "Four Basic Snowboard Tricks - and How to Learn Them" »

Posted by Dana Thomas at 10:04 AM | Permalink

4 questions to ask yourself about snowboard resorts -- BEFORE you book one

Snowboard resorts are the next thing to heaven for snowboarders -- and if you're anything like me, you want to frequent them ALL!

Well, there's probably too many snowboard resorts to get to in one season, anyway, so you'll have to pick and choose. Besides, most of us aren't independently wealthy, so we don't have the luxury of visiting snowboard resorts all winter long -- that means we really do need to choose carefully which ones we WILL try to get to in a season. And it's often a tough choice, believe me!

Continue reading "How to Choose Among Snowboard Resorts" »

Posted by Dana Thomas at 9:47 PM | Permalink

The 3 most important things to know about snowboard pants

Snowboard pants are one of the most important items of gear that any rider needs, right after the board, the boots and the bindings. Snowboard pants may not seem like that big a deal -- but just try going without them, or without good ones, and you'll soon see how important it is to get the best ones for YOU!

First of all, snowboard pants need to fit you comfortably, so take your time trying on lots of different snowboard pants from various manufacturers. If you are comfortable, you'll feel good -- which will help you stay stoked for riding! If you're NOT comfortable in your snowboard pants, it won't matter how warm or dry they keep you!

Which brings us to the next thing about snowboard pants -- their main function is to be a layer of insulation between your body and the snow.

Continue reading "Characteristics of Snowboard Pants" »

Posted by Dana Thomas at 11:47 AM | Permalink

Snowboard packages for everyone

Buying snowboard packages makes a lot of sense for most riders, as compared to buying every item in the package separately.

Continue reading "What to Look For in Snowboard Packages" »

Posted by Dana Thomas at 2:10 PM | Permalink

Travel snowboard packages to suit every rider

Snowboard packages are becoming more and more common when you inquire about booking a day or a weekend at a resort.

Unlike the snowboard packages that consist of a snowboard, with boots and bindings to match, from your local retailer, travel snowboard packages usually include some combination of:

Continue reading "What to Look For in Resort Snowboard Packages" »

Posted by Dana Thomas at 5:17 PM | Permalink

The five-step snowboard maintenance 'tune-up'

Snowboard maintenance is a 'fact of life' for every rider, and even though we know it's an essential element of the snowboarding experience, we'd much rather be boarding than maintaining! Having nice sharp edges and a waxed base will improve your turning abilities and edge-to-edge transitions, and increase your glides across flat areas. But snowboard maintenance will also increase the life of your board by making it more resistant to long-term damage.

Continue reading "Five Steps to Top-Notch Snowboard Maintenance" »

Posted by Dana Thomas at 5:12 PM | Permalink