Snowboarding is for Everyone

#grind

When you have all the basics down, don't be afraid to test your limits on the terrain park. The terrain park consist of different jumps, rails, boxes and basically anything you can do tricks on. When entering the terrain park there will be an orange and black alternating sign indicating you are entering a terrain park. They typically are leveled small, medium and large with small being the easiest and large being most difficult. Doing jumps are the most popular but you should be careful! Do not "jump" at the edge of the jump, instead squeeze you backside and lift up with your front foot too. This will keep you balanced and more prepared to stick the landing. Boxes and rails are slightly less difficult as you only need to balance on them as you ride across. These terrain parks are not my strong-suit. So if I do find myself in a terrain park, I usually just avoid the hard stuff and stick to what I'm comfortable doing.

Probably the most intimidating thing about snowboarding is getting on/the ski lift. It feels like everyone is watching (even though they aren't) and must be better than you. Well, that is not the case as you will see the lift get stopped for anyone who has trouble getting on or off the lift. So the first step to getting on the ski lift is knowing who you are going with. Advanced skiers and boarders might want to sit on the outside of the chair to allow more room for beginner riders in the middle when the ride ends. Kick/push when skating up to the lift and stop at the red line. Allow the chair to take your legs out as you fall into the lift chair. Holding your board, attached to one leg, can get pretty tiring on the lift. Use your leg that is UNstrapped and prop that boot under your thigh of the leg that is still strapped in. This will provide you some support and prevent against fatigue. Exiting the lift is one of the hardest thing to master. Even myself- an experienced snowboarder will cause a hold-up every now and again. When getting off the lift, put your UNstrapped boot onto the board and keep the board as flat as possible (without going to your toes or heels). Don't forget to push off the lift chair as you get off the lift! This is why I have put so much emphasis on skating- because if you can be a great skater, it will help you so much when navigating the lifts and other obscure areas of the slopes.

[@apresski.season] via Instagram on Nov. 9, 2025 Accessed June 6, 2026

Today I want to step away from the technicalities and practice of snowboarding and dive into the immersive culture of snowboarding and skiing. Believe it or not, snowboarding is relatively new as it only came to be widely accepted in the 90s. In the 80s, some ski resorts actually banned snowboards. This started an underlying feud between skiers and boarders for decades to come. Snowboarders and skiers have an unspoken animosity that stems from the past. Skiers typically ski a wider path than that of snowboarders. Snowboarders have to strap their boots in at the top of the mountain and will stop and hangout anywhere on the slope. Both groups hold subconscious grudges against the other, most of which stems from the fundamental differences between ski and board. Simultaneously, these subcultures function as one group that is strongly tied to mountain culture and progressive music like EDM. In the younger population, Europe is the home-base for this culture due to big parties that merge music with snow-culture. There are also resorts in America that host similar events at infamous resorts out west!

I know this looks goofy but it is the easiest way to switch your setup. If you need to be looking at the mountain or down the mountain, this will allow you to change that before riding. This will be very useful at first when you aren't comfortable starting out in your non dominant stance.

P.S. Make sure for heel-side J-turns you start off with your toes facing up the mountain. For toe-side J-turns, start with your toes facing the bottom of the mountain.

Once we have become comfortable with our weight distribution and staying balanced, we can now use that edge to turn. I know earlier I mentioned that the edge is dangerous, but we will use the edge to turn our board.  One important aspect that goes overlooked is the bend in your ankles, knees and waist. You do not want to bend at your waist as this will make you unbalanced because too much weight is on your toes. The most bend needs to happen in your knees and ankles. Your torso should be directly over the board, if anything, your weight should be slightly over your toes. This will result in your front knee controlling where to board goes. When turning to your heel-side, drive your lead knee to your pinky toe on your lead foot. With your back foot, press your heel into the board- forcing your back toe into the air. When wanting to turn to your toe-side, force your lead knee into your big toe while lifting the heel of the back foot. This will make your toes dig into the snow. Turning on your toe-side will feel very awkward at first and this is the only instance where your body/torso will be outside of the frame of your toes. Most beginners struggle with toe-side turns because of this. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable!

This a called a rope tow. It is an alternative to a ski lift, something we will talk about later. Notice the board is flat, not allowing their toes or heels to touch the snow.

This video from Ed Shreds on YouTube does a good job outlining what the two stances are and how to perform the lead foot test!

The snowboarding process starts before anyone straps into the bindings. Your equipment is almost as important as your technique. Having head protection and the right amount of clothing for the weather is crucial to having a great day on the slopes. One thing is for sure when learning how to snowboard: you will fall. Wearing a helmet is a must and many beginners invest in body pads that go on the rear, thigh and knee areas. Once your equipment is set, it's time to strap in.. But wait! Which foot will you lead with when riding? A good way to determine your lead foot is stand straight up with your feet shoulder width apart and have a buddy push you over from behind to see which foot catches your balance first. The foot that catches your balance will be your lead foot. After you have sat down to strap in your lead foot, thrust yourself up so that your led foot is facing the direction you want to go. Put your back foot in between the two bindings on the board in a balanced comfortable position. Now you're ready to ride!

Snowboarding may seem like an impossible task when first starting but that is why I am forming this blog. I started out skiing and quickly switched over to snowboard so I feel that gives me a unique perspective of the two. In our journey, we will not only learn how to ride but why we ride. If you have never touched a snowboard, by the end of this blog you will know the why the techniques work but it will be up to you to practice executing those techniques on your own time. Any questions or concerns can be addressed in the comments as well as any further instruction on what was discussed. I look forward to seeing progression!