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In this site you will find what you need to know before you head up to the hills to snowboard. My name is Greg Benson and I have been a snowboard instructor for 19 years and have been riding snowboards for 25 years. I have a feeling that you may have some apprehensions about trying snowboarding. Rightfully so. You have heard about friends getting hurt and ending up in pain after their first few days of snowboarding. That was then. I have developed a full progression to get first-time/ beginner snowboarders from the parking lot to riding chairlifts. I call my progression THE AGGRESSIVE PROGRESSION. I will show you how to attack the hill rather than be afraid of it. Defensive snowboarding is when you are scared and nobody wants that! If you have any questions, Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced in nature, PLEASE USE THE CONTACT PAGE to ask me. Please "LIKE" my facebook page.


One Beginning Snowboarder Wrote:


The snowboard is designed with a tip and a tail that are rounded up so that they do not catch on the snow. Snowboards also have metal edges that are designed to catch on the snow. The intent is to travel in a direction towards the rounded up part and not towards the metal edges. We know what we want the board to do... go down the hill and miss stuff (people, trees, etc.). All snowboarders crash from time to time.

Our goal is to ride the snowboard and crash as few times as possible. With this in mind, Helmets are STRONGLY ADVISED! Snowboard Lessons from a certified instructor is STRONGLY ADVISED!


We have a few issues to deal with before we get into “How-To Snowboard.” First, what to wear?

• LAYERS - Beginning snowboarders exert a lot of energy and over-heating is very common on the first few days.
• GLOVES - Insulated and water-proof gloves/mittens are very desirable.
• HEAD WEAR - I like to wear a “Beanie” or “Tuque” or “Stocking Cap.”
• OUTER WEAR - (Jacket and Pants). Thin and water-proof are desirable (Jeans are VERY UNDESIRABLE).
• BOOTS - I recommend renting your boots and snowboard for the first couple times you go. Boot fit should be snug, not tight, with the laces laced all the way up and pant legs pulled over the outside of your boots (Not Tucked Into Boots). The only thing inside your boots should be feet and socks! Your boot is the only thing that touches you, so please make sure it feels good and snug (You may need to adjust your boot after you snowboard for a while... do it when you need to...don't wait!)
• GOGGLES - YES! Wear goggles. But do not wear them on your head above your eyes... they will fog up and be worthless. Do not pick ice from the foam on your goggles! Let the ice melt on its own. I hang my goggles from my rear-view mirror on my way home from the mountain. When you get home from snowboarding, let everything dry out before tucking it away for next time or you will end up with some RIPE gear!

Beginning snowboarding is very demanding energy-wise. Eat a big and healthy breakfast. Get as much sleep the night before snowboarding as you can. When you get to the resort you will have a finite amount of energy and when it is gone, be done snowboarding for the day or your chances of becoming injured go up exponentially! When I go to workout, I usually will not be at a gym or other activity for more than about 2 hours of exercise. Same goes for snowboarding. Be aware of your energy level and quit for the day when you run low – even if you need to quit before lunch! Better to quit for the day than push it too hard and have to quit for the season because you got injured! Just because you have purchased a lift ticket that is good from opening to close does not mean that you have to snowboard from opening to closing! I have a gym membership that allows me to go to the gym from opening to closing, but I do not go there all day. I go and get my exercise and leave. In the most simple of terms, when you are done for the day, leave – regardless of what time it is.


Driving to and from the resort of your choice may very well place you in a WINTER DRIVING ENVIRONMENT. If you do not have a lot of experience driving in snow/ice, please drive carefully and carry chains (make sure you know how to install them prior to your trip). A Four-Wheel drive vehicle with newer snow tires is STRONGLY DESIRED! But just because you have four-wheel-drive does not mean that you can drive like you do in your home town! We want to make it to the resort, snowboard for a while, and make it home without denting your vehicle or injuring your body!

Most snowboard lessons go out somewhere about 10 am and 1 pm (check your local resort for exact details). If you are planning on signing up for a lesson, please be at the resort at least 1 hour before your lesson time. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND the 1pm lesson for beginners! This allows you to have a leisurely morning and miss the most dangerous driving conditions which usually are in the morning.


You are a BEGINNER SNOWBOARDER – stay on beginning terrain! NO MATTER WHAT - Don't let your “Buddies” talk you into going to the top of the mountain! When you get to the resort, get a lift ticket for the beginning chairlift(s) and at that time get a trail map and have the ticket agent show you where the beginning terrain is – stay in the beginning terrain! An alternative, which is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED, is to sign up for a lesson. Most resorts offer a package with 3 lessons, 3 lift tickets and 3 rentals for a super discount (At my local mountain this package is called the E-Z Ride 123 package).