The Essential Snowboarding Basics

If you are thinking of starting snowboarding or just starting out then you will want to pay attention to these 3 snowboarding basics rules. These three tips will give you a jump start on your friends, and soon you can show them how to apply these basics to their snowboarding development. So without further ado, here we go...oh ya and please practice these on a beginner hill, your body will thank you.

Snowboarding Basics Rule #1- The Bent Knees

You want to always make sure that you knees are bent when you are snowboarding. Your knees are like the shocks in your car; when the shocks are set up right, they aren't too stiff and not too loose. The same goes for your knees. You don't want to have Frankenstein legs and have knees that dont bend. To gauge how much you should bend your knees here is what you do. Stand up, strapped into your board. Now put your hands behind your knees and feel your tendons. Now bend your knees until those tendons become loose and your quad muscles are now flexed and bearing the weight. This will ensure that when you hit any bumps your knees absorb the impact and your body doesn't get sent flying.

Snowboard Basics Rule #2- Arms Out to your Sides

When you are first learning, and even when you have been riding for a while, putting your hands out over either end of your board will stabilize your body and keep you in proper form. By putting your arms out to your sides at 90 degree angles, you then use your hands like compasses. Imagine that either tip of your board represents the North and South Poles and your hands are like compass needles, always pointing due north, the other due south. If you want to turn to, you move your hands in the direction you want to go on your snowboard compass, and the boar follows. Once you are turning in that direction make sure that your hands go back to hovering over the two poles. Combining this with properly bent knees will make you super stable and harder to fall over.

Snowboarding Basics Rule #3- Look over your shoulder

Not because a mafia hit man is out to get you, but to help you complete your turn. You are almost there with the first two rules, but to add finish to your turns you need this last ingredient. Your knees are bent, your arms are out over your snowboard tips, and you are wanting to turn to the left. Lets assume that you are regulare stance, meaning that your left foot is at the front of the board. As you move your left hand to the left (east on your snowboard compass) you should also look over your left shoulder and up the hill. By looking over your left shoulder, not only are you pointing with your hands where you want to turn, but you are looking where you want to turn and this means your body will follow.

So keep your knees bent, your arms extended over your snowboard tips, and look where you want to turn.

To learn more snowboarding basics like linking your turns, jumping basics, and other great free snowboarding tips, visit http://www.squidoo.com/snowboardingforbeginners. Make sure to find out about how you can get awesome video lessons for your iPod as well to take with you on the slopes.

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