Are you going to the MCSS ski trip? Or are you trying to take up a winter sport to get the better of the lengthy and cold winter in Montreal? Why not learn how to snowboard?

Being a beginner myself, I have some really helpful tips for those of you who want to take up this sport.

The most important tip: Protect yourself

No one will learn how to snowboard without taking a lot of falls and those falls can be really painful. People might tell you “no pain no gain”, but honestly the pain can be so bad, you won’t gain anything else but a trip to the hospital. During last year’s ski trip, I’ve driven people to the hospital for concussion and broken nose and it was not a fun experience.

The main reason people give up learning snowboard is because of a really bad experience or injury. So below are a few tips

Tip 1: Wear a solid helmet. You can rent one for $6-$10 a day, or buy a really good one at Canadian Tire or Winners for as low as $29.99.

$29.99: Kranked Helmet at Canadian Tire.

Tip 2: Wear knee pads. You will fall on your knees a lot and you do not want to limp the next day. If you own knee pads from skateboarding or volleyball bring them. If not you can get some at Walmart or some high end ones at Sports Experts. However, the best deals I’ve found is at Dollarama and they are only $2. Go to the “outdoor tools” or “gardening” section and you will find these:

$2. Knee pad at Dollarama.

Tip 3: Protect your tail bone. This is the most common fracture that you might suffer and it is extremely painful and serious. There are special hip protectors you can buy; but why spend $80 if you can simply take a cushion or small pillow and put it underneath your snowpants. Sometimes a hat or folded sweater can also do the job.

$29.99. Demon shield hip protective belt at allsportprotection.com OR simply stuff a cushion under your pants, it will make your look like Kim Kardashian!

Tip 4: Protect your wrist. Again you can find some wrist protectors at Canadian Tire or Walmart, or you can simply put some foam or cushion between your palms and your gloves and this will cushion your falls and absorb the shock and damage. I remember when I was learning in-line skating at the age of 8, I fell backward while going downhill and tried to support myself with my hands, I ended up straining my elbow and it took 3 months to heal.

$9.99. Wrist Protectors at Canadian Tire.

Tip 5: Fall properly. Always be in an “athletic stance” meaning with bent elbows, bent knees and hips, so that when you fall you can quickly balance yourself and the fall won’t be brisk and hard.

Learn how to snowboard:

Step 1: Introduction

Step 2: Skating and Stepping

Step 3: Straight Glide

Step 4: J-turns

Step 5: Riding the Chairlift

Step 6: Starting, Stopping & Getting up

Step 7: Garlands

Step 8: C Turns

Step 9: Linking Turns

About the Author

YuxM