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Archive for the ‘Snowboarding’ Category

 When it comes to learning a sport, any sport, a novice is only able to see what is on the surface. That is, he sees what are gross motor movements and not the fine motor movements that are the true essence. In snowboarding, for example, the gross motor movements include propping oneself up on the board, sliding forward, and riding down the mountain. Seems like that is all there is to it. What a novice can not pick up on are those fine motor movements such as head and spine positioning and maintaining balance in motion. So, a novice has a tendency to acquire a “Yeah, I got it” attitude. This attitude is usually counterproductive to the learning process; however, it is quite conducive to ending up in an ambulance with broken bones.

When it comes to performing a snowboard trick, this is an area that the novice would be best to avoid. A snowboard trick may look easy when an experienced snowboarder performs it, but the key here is that the person has experience. When someone is not experienced and tries to perform that thing that requires intermediate and advanced level skills, the unexperienced person is putting himself in a position where an injury could be forthcoming. Jumping the gun on trying out a snowboard trick is never wise.

But what if you have already mastered the basics? Then there are several different tricks you can attempt. Interestingly, many of them are related to skateboard tricks – and even use the same type of ramps: half pipes, full pipes, verts, etc. Other types of snowboard trick involve short jumps, flips, and even moguls, which are a series of tightly packed together bumps.

Before you even consider tricks, you should make sure you’ve mastered the basics; if not, at least make sure you have mastered the best way to crawl to the nearest telephone, so you can call for help after you wipe out attempting a snowboard trick.

The evolution of snowboarding has caused a lot of improvements to the sport. With its popularity came new materials to be used when snowboarding. Along the boards came bindings, clothing, boots and accessories such as snowboard stomp pads. Snowboarding companies continuously devise ways to further improve the craft.

Snowboard stomp pad is an accessory that has to be an essential part of the snowboarding paraphernalia. It is a form of protection to keep from slipping off the snowboard. It is being attached to the top of the snowboard to provide the grip needed to keep the feet in place. It also helps control the snowboard. Aside from the protection that it gives, it helps make the user a professional snowboarder because of the comfort that it gives. It allows you to make movements more flexible, safe and fun.

Snowboard stomp pad types come in shapes like round, rectangle or square. It can be bought directly from snowboarding stores. But if one is creative enough to make an improvised stomp pad, the better. Making your own stomp pad is easy. All that is needed is a sticker and a traction material. It is a sticker on the other side and a traction pad on the other that is being placed along side the rear binding.

To properly mount the snowboard stomp pad, peal the cover of the sticky side and attach it to the snowboard. Make certain that the sticker will hold under any condition and temperature. If it is properly placed, your foot should be next to the rear binding and the stomp pad should be directly under your boot. Snowboard stomp pad that is placed properly will give enough flexibility on the board. It also gives better traction between the board and the feet.

Despite what some may think, a snowboard is not just a snowboard. For instance, womens snowboard dimensions and specs are going to vary from men’s in most cases for a variety of reasons. With that in mind, here are some tips on how you should go about choosing the right womens snowboard for you.

When it comes to snowboards, the number one concern is usually the width of the snowboard. Because most women have smaller feet than most men, they have to make sure they get a board they can handle effectively. In fact, when looking for a snowboard, the first thing you should check out is the width. Your toes and heels should be near the edges of the board so that you can apply power to the edge in a turn. If your board is too wide, you will struggle to take hard turns.

With a womens snowboard it is also important to look at the length of the board and the flex as well. For length, it is the same as when men look at it. Put the board on its end and try to choose one that comes up to about your mouth as you stand by it. A shorter board, toward your chin, will be appropriate for parks and pipes. If you go with one more toward your eyes, it will work better for free riding. As for flex, a womens snowboard will often have more flex, which is more appropriate for lighter riders.

Choosing a womens snowboard is not all that different than choosing a men’s. However, the issues for a woman, when it comes to a snowboard, are fairly universal. A thinner board is needed to account for the smaller feet. Additionally, a shorter board with more flex is usually a better bet for women. When choosing a womens snowboard, though, remember that there is no need to get the boards labeled as women’s. Just make sure you choose one that fits you.

Snowboard competition has not been around for very long, but with snowboarding quickly becoming one of the most popular winter sports around the world it is worth noting the history. By taking a look at the history of the snowboard competition and sport as a whole, you will see how it quickly became popular enough to warrant inclusion in the Olympics and other international competitions.

Most people say that snowboarding started somewhere around 1965 in Michigan by a man named Sherman Poppen. Poppen nailed skis together for his daughters, and after seeing the marketing potential of the boards, decided to sell them. Poppen was follwed by Jake Burton who started combining surfing and skiing techniques.

It was in 1982 that the first snowboard competition was held internationally. Though not as smoothly done as the competition of today, it gave birth to the International Snowboarding Federation. That was the catalyst that was needed to allow the sport to legitimize. Slowly, over the next few decades, competitions were held and eventually snowboarders became as common as skiers on the slopes.

Finally, competition hit its peak when the Winter Olympics of Nagano Japan introduced snowboarding in 1998. By the 2002 games, snowboarding was one of the most popular events at the winter games. Snowboard competition, because of these advancements, continue to grow both in the United States and internationally.

The history of competition, while short, certainly has its quirks. Between a man nailing skis together and having competitions in his yard, to an Olympic sport that has gained steam all over the world. From a rebel sport, to mainstream success, competition has arrived and, it seems, it is here to stay. So if you love the snow and you love competition, then take in a snowboard competition and you will see that all the hype is about more than just skaters on snow, it is legitimate competition.

Buying a snowboard bag is easy, all you have to do is pick a bag and then pay for it at the cashier. But finding the snowboard bag that fits your needs requires more than pick and pay; you must do a lot of thinking and some research first before you head yourself at a snowboarding store.

Snowboard bag is costly; sometimes, even more costly than the snowboard itself. So, before you research for that perfect snowboard bag, ask yourself these questions: (1) Do I need to have one? You can do snowboarding even without a bag. If you have a snowboard rack, you can attach it on your car’s roof when you are traveling. While going up the hill, you can hand carry it instead. But if you have some extra bucks in hand, it won’t hurt to own a bag to carry your snowboard with ease and style. (2) Do you do snowboarding regularly? If the answer is no, it would be wise to save your money for the rainy days than buy a bag for your snowboard.

If you have some money and you are very decided on owning a bag for your snowboard, list the following information first before you do the shopping: (1) Your snowboard’s dimensions. You will know this information by looking at the numeric at the top of the board. Knowing your snowboard’s dimensions will help you choose the perfect length for your snowboard bag. (2) Check the style. There are snowboards that have a curved nose and tail and some with curved nose but flat tail. Manufacturers of snowboard accessories created snowboard bags in various design to suit the two basic snowboarding styles: freestyle or snowboard cross (curved nose/curved tail) and the alpine (curved nose/flat tail).

If you love to snowboard and plan to travel, then you will probably need a snowboard bag. Whether you are flying or driving in a vehicle without rooftop snowboard mounting, then a snowboard bag is the perfect item to ensure that your board arrives on time and ready for the slopes.

What is a snowboard bag? Simply, it is a bag that you use to carry and protect your snowboard when traveling. Most are made of nylon or some other strong and moisture resistant material, but there is some variations. To make sure you have the right bag to get you through your flight or drive, here are some things you should look for when you buy one.

The first thing you want to look for in a good quality snowboard bag is strong construction. Look for something with strong seams that provides a high level of protection for your board. Strength is important to keep the board from breaking out of the bag when moved around in transit or, worse yet, something breaking through into the bag and damaging your snowboard.

The second thing to look for in a snowboard bag that will aid in protection is padded sides. Padded side panels on a bag for your snowboard will help to protect from both sides. Additionally, this will keep the most important parts of your board extra well protected. For a really good bag, look for something where the sides are not only padded, but also reinforced.

A bag with a boot compartment is also a nice amenity. This will allow you to take your boots along in one single item. If you look around, you can even find bags where the boot compartment is removable.

Finding the right bag is important if you plan to travel with your board. Whether you are on an airplane, in a car, or even a train you will find that the right bag will allow you peace of mind as you travel.

Snowboarding wax is used to protect the snowboard from the harsh effects of temperature and humidity and for a better performance of the snowboarder while training or racing. Usually, low atmospheric humidity and dry snow conditions have a damaging effect to a snowboard. The usual wear and tear of a snowboard is hastened with its unnecessary exposure to nature’s elements.

Various hot, rub-on or cake wax products are available in the market today. Normally, the manufacturers of these hot, rub-on or cake wax are Burton, DaKine, and Toko. A hot wax is usually added with fluoride to repel water, thus, avoiding the snowboard from getting damp and create moisture. It is usually applied directly on the snowboard with a wax applicator. The rub-on wax, on the other hand, is also added with fluoride and is different from the hot wax only in terms of application. The rub-on wax is contained in a push-up stick for easy, on-hill application.

A rub-on snowboarding wax is rubbed on and buffed with a buffing pad, making the snowboard look smooth and shiny. In the same fashion, a cake wax is also mixed with fluoride and can be rubbed on like the rub-on wax. These waxes, upon application, are best to be buffed to improve the appearance and condition of the snowboard. A snowboarding wax is of best quality if it is made to stand a wide temperature range.

After sometime, a snowboard will lose its luster; so, snowboarding wax must be re-applied. It is important that the base be cleaned properly before every waxing. A snowboarding wax remover is available to do this job. A wax remover is a cleaning liquid designed to clean out all types of bases. Aggressive wax remover agents must not be used in a snowboard since it can create leaching on the snowboard that can damage its appearance.

If you are new to the sport, you may not have heard of a snowboard stomp pad. Though not a requirement in snowboarding, your snowboard stomp pad is a nice luxury to have and can add to the safety of your day on the slopes. To help you out, then, here is a little bit about stomp pads and how to properly use them.

First, you need to know what a snowboard stomp pad is. When you are snowboarding, you ride the lift with only one your front foot in the binding, right? When you get off, you have to ride your back foot just on the board until you can stop and put your binding on. However, with fiberglass boards, your back foot may slip around as you try to make turns. A snowboard stomp pad, though, is a place where you can put your rear foot and get a little traction. That way, you can steer a little more easily as you get off the lift and look for a good place to stop and get into your bindings.

To use your stomp pad, it should be located along the rear binding and on the inside of your board. Yours will likely apply the way you do a sticker; just take off the backing and press it onto your snowboard. Once applied, you should be able to put your foot next to the rear binding and be on the stomp pad.

As you can see, the snowboard stomp pad is not a necessity for snowboarding, but it sure can make things easier. By allowing you to steer more easily as you look for a clearing as you come off the chair lift, your snowboard pad is a valuable piece of equipment for both convenience and safety.

During the past few years, the extreme sport of snowboarding has been gaining popularity from the second sex. Women are now balancing their bodies on the snowboard, gliding down the snowy Alps and even doing tricks and snowboard stunts like most male snow riders.

With the growing number of women snow riders, snowboard manufacturers have seen the growing demand for womens snowboard. Yes, Virginia, you can have that glittering, pink womens snowboard.

Womens snowboard is far way different from men’s snowboard. Not only the graphics are female inspired, the features and dimensions are also perfectly designed for tough and chic females. Waist widths are narrower to accommodate the small feet size of women. As for the length, womens snowboard is usually shorter since snowboard’s length should be directly proportional to the rider’s height. So the taller the rider is, the longer his or her snowboard should be. Softer flex is also one of the features of womens snowboard. Women who weighs lighter than men need a soft flex for her to bend the snowboard with ease.

Aside from snowboards, there are also many specialty shops cropping around that cater to the needs of women for fashionable gears. There are helmets, goggles and elbow and knee pads in colors, styles and sizes fit for trendy women. Since women want to snowboard in style, there are also snowboard shirts and pants that will make any women look like a professional snow rider but with a sexy flair. In fact, most of the snowboard pants for women have special pockets where she can keep her vanity items such as a foldable comb, lipstick, compact and Evian face spray. Who would want to be caught dead with an unkempt hair and an un-moisturized face? No woman, of course; even if she was a tough snow rider.

 Does the following scenario sound a bit too familiar?

You spent the whole week waiting to get to the mountains. You drive the whole five hour drive to the mountains by yourself. You wait and hour to get your lift tickets. You wait in line, get on the lift and finally reach the point of departure, where you can send yourself aided by your snowboard all the way down the mountain. There’s only one problem. The snowboard just isn’t moving. Uh oh. Looks like someone forgot to apply snowboard wax.

Don’t feel bad. It happens even to those who have tons of experience.

Snowboard wax gets neglected even by those experienced enough to know better. Snowboard wax is not the same kind of wax one uses to make their car all nice and shiny. Snowboard wax has purpose. The reason that this wax is applied is so the snowboard can have a smooth and steady ride down the mountain.

So how do you wax a snowboard? First, you must gather up the needed materials, including a bar of snowboard wax, a hot iron, a scraper, and an abrasive pad. Before you get started, you should take all of the materials to a hot, but well-ventilated room.

You can start by turning the iron on to a low heat. Next, melt (don’t burn) the wax using the iron. Allow the wax to drip onto your board. Once you have melted a good portion of the bar onto the board, use the iron to begin smoothing out the wax by re-melting it.

Once the wax is on the board, you will want to use your scraper to spread the wax out as evenly as possible across the bottom of the board. You will then want to finish your snowboard wax job by using an abrasive pad to clear away any excess wax.

Once everything dries, you have a waxed board that is mountain-ready.