Why I Choose Snowboarding

Why I Choose Snowboarding

Many people ask me from time to time why I choose snowboarding as the sport that I wanted to do. Why I choose to work so hard at it, and why I managed to achieve a degree of success in doing so. The answer is simple, and it is the reason why many people do well at different sports. The answer is desire and love for the sport and that is what I had in abundance for snowboarding, before my accident.

When it came to choosing a sport, I thought long and hard when I came to a cross-road in my life. What should I do? Should I do snowboarding or skateboarding? This was really hard for me as I loved both sports, but I was having to train for both of them, and therefore wasn’t dedicating enough time to either. That is why when it came down to it, I decided that skateboarding was only going to be a hobby and that snowboarding was what I wanted to do with my life. The reasons that I preferred snowboarding were not clear cut, and to say I had anything less than love for skateboarding is also not true. But I think I loved the way that snowboarding was a whole different world. Do you know what I mean? When you choose to go skateboarding you can just jump out of bed, and skateboard down to the shop, Ollie over a step and grind down a pole. Is that fun? Yes, of course it is. But when it comes to snowboarding you are entering a completely alien environment. Let me explain. When you live in Atlanta you hardly get snow every day of the week, nor do you get hills and slaloms caked in it! That is why, whether I am boarding on snow or synthetic snow the feeling is the same. It is like, boy I am on snow!

When I choose snowboarding there was also another reason that really helped to make my mind up for me, and that was my friends! My friends who done skateboarding were not as close friends as my friends that done snowboarding and as you can imagine this had an impact. The thought of getting to spend more time with Collin, Justin and the lads was just to much to miss out on! We had such a good laugh, and had so much in common. We would always feel the same about snowboarding, and we were able to really help each other out on issues. When we noticed a flaw in each others technique we would always point it out to each other so that we could all improve together. This worked great, and was one of the reasons that I chose snowboarding over skateboarding when it came down to it!

Now I suppose I should tell you the sad part - the reason why I am no longer able to pursue a career in either, snowboarding or skateboarding. The reason for this is a terrible accident that ruptured my leg muscle, and has resulted in a six month time-out at such a crucial time. You see others will improve in fitness whilst I deteriorate and that is why my sponsor has now dropped me as well. What I am hoping to do is try my best to get back into the sport, because my love for it and my ability at it should be enough to make me come through. Collin and Justin are doing really well, but it is hard for me to spend as much time with them when they are always down the slope or working out. One of my friends called Blair, has also recently won the Junior USA championship, and although I am happy for him it makes me sad to think that I could have been their competing for that trophy. All I can do is try my best, and hopefully luck will fall on my side.

Why I started Snowboarding Classes

Let me tell you all about the time that I went to snowboarding classes and why I absolutely think that you should go out there and do the same. When you learn something new it provides and excellent sense of well being and can result in many hours of fun and enjoyment that can come as a result of the new skill that you have attained. When I was only 16 I really liked watching winter sports on television and although it may sound stupid, it was actually sledging that drove me to want to learn a winter sport. I always liked sledging and I even went sledging when it wasn’t snowing. You see, where I live it is absolutely impossible to go sledging 11 months of the year, and if we are lucky enough to have as much as a month of snow then I am always sure to take advantage of it and go out their and sledge away! That is why, coupled with my love for watching snowboarding and sledging on television, that I decided that I would go out their and learn how to snowboard.

So you are probably wondering why I made the choice of snowboarding over skiing as my choice for the winter sport that I would try. The main reason for this was because I have a lot of friends that do snowboarding but absolutely none that do skiing done at the local ski slope. Although they do snowboarding the slope caters for both and I suppose the decision really did come down to me. Anyway, in the end I decided to go out their and choose snowboarding and I would be lying if I said my friends were my only influence in my decision to choose the board over the ski’s. You see I do not know if everyone will know what I am talking about but I feel that a snowboard just appears to be so much more responsive than ski’s. Do you know what I mean? At our local ski slope there is only 100M of run that is around 300 feet if you convert it. In that period on ski’s what can you actually do? If it was some kind of complicated slalom then that would be different, but just going down a hill on ski’s to me seems slightly boring compared to on a snowboard. A snowboard appears to be more of a white knuckle ride. That is why I decided to choose snowboarding, but don’t get me wrong I still think that skiing looks fun, and as I now go down to the skiing slope every week or so I have actually started to do skiing some times for a bit of a change. You see, once I learned how to snow board I had some transferable skills, such as an ability to use the lift, how to handle speed, when to slow down etc. That is why I am glad that I learned how to snowboard first. If I had skied first, then I would probably have found it a lot more difficult to pick up snowboarding second. Anyway I went to snowboarding lessons and really enjoyed myself, I am not as good, nor as dedicated as some of my friends but I still really enjoy myself and that is what it is all about. 

Starting a Snow Boarding Business

Starting a Snow Boarding Business

For a while I have been considering starting a snow boarding business and really do think it is something that will have a lot of potential. In my area there are two slopes near by and there is no local businesses that service us snow boarder’s needs. What I would like to do is start a snow boarding business that sells snow boarding clothing and snow boarding equipment and of course boards themselves. For years I have been trying to think of a business idea and I really feel that incorporating my love for snow boarding with my love for business would be a great idea. I done a degree in business however since achieving this degree I have yet to actually go out there and give it a try in the real world on my own. I am currently a business consultant for an accountancy firm, and although I enjoy my job my true desire is to go out and do it on my own, and for myself.

What I will need to do is get a business loan at first from the bank and buy a property and stock. I was thinking that one of the best ways to ensure that I get business is to position the shop as near to the slopes as I can possibly get. I was also thinking that I could reach agreements with the slopes under which they could effectively drive customers to my shop. In order to do this, I intend to organise a meeting with the managers of both slopes separately and decide on what they think is the best way that we can work together.

I now realise that the next step is going to be to put my business idea into writing and create a business plan. This is something that I do for my customers, and I am now going to have to go out their and do it for myself. I am also going to consider ways that I can market my business on the internet. From speaking with my clients I have noticed that very few actually achieve much success from their online marketing and there is a multitude of reasons why this is. The first thing that strikes me is that although they were willing to invest in a website they were completely unwilling to invest in online marketing. What I tell my customers is what I intend to do myself. I want to incorporate marketing online into my business plan and hopefully I can benefit from my attempts to gain business from a global audience. At the moment I am aware that there is a lot of competition online, however with a carefully articulated online marketing plan I am sure that there is success to be had online.

I am also hoping that in the coming weeks that I can meet with a supplier and hopefully get a better idea of the kind of profit margins that I can be looking towards. I have been told that in order to attain the best results I am going to have to meet minimum order requirements and then the supplier will give me the best prices. I see this as being a very realistic goal, as I am sure that I will be able to think of ways that I can meet the minimum order requirement. Firstly, I could collaborate with another supplier and we could buy in stock together. This is something that several of my clients do, and it results in cheaper rates that both of the buyers can benefit from.

So I have everything planned but I just have to go ahead and actually do it! The thing is that I am also going to have to try and stick with my job for as long as I possibly can. If I decide to leave my job too early then I will spend a period without a wage, however I should really inform management of my intentions.

The Rise of Snow Boarding

Everyone has surely noticed the way that snow boarding has been rising and rising in terms of popularity in recent years, and I am sure that it is not just me that’s noticed. In the last decade snow boarding has went from skateboarding on snow, to the Olympics quicker than you one could ever imagine.

Firstly snow boarding started when the little known Sherman Poppen decided to nail kid’s skis together in an attempt to improve their skating skills. This was just the start, as Sherman noticed the economic potential of this he decided to go about getting them into production. Millions of dollars and thousands of happy boarders later, Sherman will always be remembered for bringing snow boarding to the masses.

The first official competition took place in 1982 and since then snow boarding has seen more and more competitions take place. As the competitions started to spread, snow boarding changed from a hobby to a professional sport, that requires skill and agility in equal measure.

The biggest achievement for snow boarding occurred in 1998 when snow boarding made it to the winter Olympics. Held in Nagano Japan, the sport was given more than its fair share of coverage. The sport was watched by so many people that have never seen the sport before. The sale of snow boarding and snow boarding equipment was said to has risen by 47% following its appearance in the televisions of millions around the world. As the amount of competition rose, and as the amount of boarders rose in more than equal measure the standards within the sport became phenomenal. The kind of things that people are doing these days weren’t even heard of 10 years ago.

The rise of snow boarding has not just been a result of competition. It is also because it fits under the category of a fun, exciting sport and more importantly: a sport that can be done freestyle! Making appearances on TV alongside motor cross, skateboarding, and skate boarding snow boarding has also been aided by the personalities that have come through the sport. The fact is that skiing doesn’t have the cool look that snow boarding has. Surely you know what I mean? The skier looks to rigid, and just doesn’t have the relaxed, in control look that makes snow boarders 100 times cooler.

So you are probably wondering why I got into snow boarding? The reason really is very simple indeed. My friends and me were always skate boarders, but I also liked other things like roller skating and skating even riding a BMX. The truth is I just loved anything that made me move on wheels. However, when I seen skiing I always thought it looked plain dumb. I did not want to move around with two big planks of wood attached to my legs. But then I started to notice and hear a lot more about snow boarding everywhere I went. For a start, it was appearing more on TV and in the kind of magazines that I bought. Then I thought that if I tried it then I would already have some of the skills that I would need from the fact that I was already able to do skate boarding. So me and my friends decided that we would book up a lesson, and give it a shot. Why not I thought?

However folks, if you are really in to skate boarding and you think that’s fun, then you really have not experienced any real fun yet. DO you know that feeling from skate boarding when you are going down a road that has zero bumps? The fact that you almost glide through the air. That is what snow boarding is like every single step of the way and that is why I love it so much. If you ever decide to give it a shot then I am sure you will do it time, after time again.

Some Snowboarding Trick Fundamentals

Some Snowboarding Trick Fundamentals

I like the floating feeling you get on quarterpipes, it feels like you’re hanging in the air and you can with no trouble grab anywhere on the board. One of the most fun tricks on a QP is the air to fakie.

Airs to fakies are also one of the easiest tricks. All you have to do is ride straight at the QP on your shred stick. I like this trick because of its simplicity. An air to fakie is basically the same thing as straight airing a jump, except the QP shoots you straight up in the air … so you land in the same spot you took off. All you have to do is ride straight at the QP.

When approaching a QP, pick a straight line up the wall and stay totally flat-based while riding up the transition. If you get on edge, you may go flinging left or right—you won’t go as big. Always keep your knees bent.

When you reach the top of the lip, you don’t need to pop much, keep your body solid and let the QP do all the work for you. Remember: Like hips and wallrides, start out small to feel out the transition, then you can “send it.”  So, now you’ve left the lip, try to stay composed. Fly up in the air and grab the board. I like to grab frontside.

You’re floating and tweaked-out frontside now, look down at the coping to make sure you’ll land back in the transition. As long as the QP has vert on it, you should be fine. If so, then you’re good to go—if not, well, good luck, ’cause landing on the deck of a QP is sketchy.  Anyway, as you come back down to land, you should land in about the same place you left the lip—nice and high on the transition.

Ride back down the tranny switch and pump back up the hill as far as possible. You’ll have less of a hike to hit the quarterpipe next time.  Once you learn this trick, then you can move on to frontside and backside airs.

Boxes are a great feature to learn boardslides, front boards, and 270-outs on because they're super easy to shred. Boxes are nice and wide compared to a handrail, so you don't need to worry if you're not perfectly centered on the box. For a boardslide, hop on the box at a 90-degree angle and stay centered over the board, flat-based, until you reach the end of the box—it's too easy. So instead, I'm going to walk you through the boardslide to 270 out.

Approaching a box is pretty mellow; you don't need to hit it from a crazy angle or anything. Just stay calm and loose, and roll up on it.  It is good to pop off your toes on the takeoff and land in more of a tailslide, instead of landing totally square in the middle of the box—it makes snapping the 270 out easier.  Now that you're sliding, stay over the board so it doesn't spit out in front of you. Hold the position with your knees bent.

As you near the end of the box, begin to rotate your head and shoulders in the frontside direction.  Spring an ollie off your back foot and initiate the frontside spin—use your shoulders to direct the rotation. The front 270 feels just like a frontside three, but it's easier to land.  If you keep your eyes on the ground and bend your knees with the board pointed straight down the hill, you shouldn't have a problem with the landing.

Now that you have learned several common tricks, feel free to go out and try them. If you fail, remember, practice makes perfect and even more practise makes you even more perfect, or at least that is what I have been told. Go out their and try your best, and you are sure to get the results that you are after. Good Luck!

Starting An Online Snowboarding Business

Are you tired of working for the boss man, and getting no recognition for the efforts you put in?  Are you sick of working harder than your colleagues, but getting paid exactly the same, derisory amount? Well you don’t have to suffer it any longer. If you are passionate about snowboarding, why not consider starting a snowboarding business?  By working with your passion, you can create a product or service that you’ll will enjoy, and that will make you money.

There are loads of different types of business you can do in keeping with your snowboarding hobby.  You could begin by retailing snow boarding equipment online, or alternatively by customising boards if you are artistic.  Either way, you’re going to need a website.  Make sure you shop around for a good deal on web design, and take the time to think about all the functionality you are going to require.   Will you need a contact form, or a shopping cart?  What domain name would be ideally suited to your business?  How much should you spend on online marketing?  These are all concerns which must be addressed before launching your website in addition to the normal hassles of running a business.  Having said that, it can be a highly rewarding pursuit, particularly financially if you get it right!

Alternatively, you might like to consider setting up a snowboarding holiday company in your local town or city.  By running trips out to the slopes, you can benefit financially as well as from a greater number of boarding trips.  All you would need to ensure would be some form of marketing or sales channel, such as a website, or a shop front in your local shopping mall, and links with a snowboard resort and a coach company.  You might even find that you’d be able to negotiate discounts for large groups, which could lead to increased profit margins for your business.  As long as you take care to market your business, you should be able to drive sales, and if you can do that at a profit, and you enjoy doing it, then that is really all that matters.  Imagine waking up on a dark Monday morning to go into your own shop - you’ll be surprised how much easier it is to get out of bed!

Whatever you decide to do, it is important to make sure you have thoroughly planned your business, weighing up pros and cons from every angle.  That way, you will be sure to have covered all the eventualities in your budgeting, and you won’t be left high and dry.  Another good tip is to use a business plan template for your business.  This way, you’ll think about all the necessary elements, which will again help with your planning, and be an invaluable aid if you are seeking investment.

Before starting any business, it is important to understand there is an element of risk involved.  Do not invest any more money than you can afford to lose, and remember not to quit your job until you are actually experiencing the income you need to support yourself from the business.  Faith is a good thing in business, but so is common sense, and it pays not to be too headstrong and exercise caution at every stage.

Snow Boarding Vacation

Snow Boarding Vacation

Around a year ago I went on a snow boarding vacation to Europe and had a great time by all accounts. The best part was that I went with all my friends, all of which had varied abilities in the sport. Some of my friends compete in competitions and the like, whilst others have only been on the slopes a few times in their life. The fact is that we were all really looking forward to it, and we were all sure to enjoy ourselves whilst we were away. The fact is that we do not spend that much time together, as we all went to different colleges whilst others decided to enter the world of work and go out their and get a job.

When we decided to book the holiday I was delighted to hear that everybody was able to make it, and that everyone had promised to save up enough money to really enjoy themselves while we were away. The cost of booking the holiday worked out at around $300 for accommodation for the week as we were going to be staying at a backpacker’s location, and it was only going to cost $150 for return flights. We really felt like we had struck a bargain, and we were even more delighted when we heard that the cost of living would be really cheap when we got their. We had decided to save up $1000 each, which meant that we would have more than enough spending money for when we arrived.

The price being so cheap, some of my friends decided to go online and buy some equipment for the trip and that was anything from new boards to clothing. I personally never bothered, as I was currently struggling for money, surviving merely on the pay that I got for working in a local MP3 player shop.

When we hit the slopes I cannot explain how brilliant it actually was. We had never had an opportunity to ride a snow board on snow, apart from one of my friends who has more of an interest in the sport than the rest of us. We decided that would really just do our own thing, please ourselves and then meet up at night. This is not the way it worked out as we had such a laugh out their on the slopes. My best friend Blair was struggling at first so I done my best to teach him about how to handle the slopes. After a few hours he was doing great, and even managed a nice little Ollie or two. After our hard days on the slopes we couldn’t wait to get home and get a shower. Although it is not cold, when your clothes get wet, it can become very tiring and you often feel like getting in, having a hot shower and changing your clothes.

Next thing it was time to get out their and sample the night life. This is what we had been looking forward to, we had heard great things about European girls, and we were sure to enjoy ourselves getting to know the culture. We firstly went out for a meal, and we all ended up having burger and chips! Next we went to a local club and really had a great night. This was the pattern for the rest of the week and I can hardly say that I regret it.

Snow Board Preparation Tips

Everyone that loves snow boarding knows that accidents can easily happen, and accidents do happen on a daily basis. That is why you have to follow basic tips to prepare before you actually hit the slopes, and if you do not follow the basic rules then you are simply asking for accidents to happen. That is why I recommend that anyone who is planning a snow board tip should do the following before they even consider leaving the house:

1. Ensure that you clean your board and your boots. When you allow your boots and board to get dirty, then they not click into place as well, and you also risk slipping etc. More than anything else you should never deliberately go to the slope with boots and a board that are dirty. 

2. You should always ensure that a member of your family or friends knows where you are, and when you are expected to be back. If you are out on a long run, and something wrong happens, then you are left to rely on someone to find you if the worst happens and you get lost with an injury.

3. Always wear waterproof clothes. If you do not wear waterproof clothing then you are surely asking for problems. This means water proof trousers, water proof jacket, and water proof gloves are a must.

4. Make sure that you do not eat something that is too filling or you may end up with cramps and the kind of thing that you have to try and avoid. The best food that you can eat before you hit the slopes is high calorie, low fat foods, such as pasta for example.

5. Do not consider trying runs that are well in advance of your ability levels, the trick is to take things slowly and try and build up gradually, time by time, every time you visit. Jumping ahead of yourself can actually mean that you place too much pressure on yourself and you end up not wanting to come back. 

6. Consider your friends and prepare how you are going to act based on those that you are going snow boarding with. If the snow boarder is an amateur, then you have to think how you would feel if you were to go snow boarding with someone and they were to always try more challenging runs. You would surely try and compete and that can cause accidents and embarrassment. 

7. Bring a change of clothing and a snack for when you are out. It is good to come prepared and you do not want your day to end early because your clothes are uncomfortable or because you are hungry or thirsty. Remember that when you are out on the slopes that if you fail to drink enough then problems can happen. You may feel cold, so you do not feel thirsty, but that is why you have to try and ensure that have enough to drink.  

Making sure that you are prepared for going on a snow boarding trip is one of the best ways to ensure that you have a great day, and so does everyone around you. Taking that extra time, to ensure that everything is going to go smoothly will surely pay off when you are on the slopes. 

Snow Boarding Safety

Snow Boarding Safety

When it comes to snow boarding I always tell people that the most important thing that you have to consider is safety. Not just your own safety, but also the safety of others, please read through my tips whether you are an expert snow boarder that has never crashed, or if you are about to hit the slopes for the first time in your life. Whatever level you are at, snow boarding safety is important to everyone.

Tip Number 1

Snow Boarding Equipment Safety

Before you jump on a board you need to check that it is working properly and that there is nothing wrong with the board itself. You also need to check that it is the correct size, and that it is holding your snow boarding shoes properly. The fact is that when you are snow boarding, you rely on the safety of the board just as much as you do on your own skill.

Snow Boarding Clothing

If you are hitting the slopes you have to understand that looking great and being safe are two different things altogether. If you are considering what kind of glasses to wear then do not think that your average sun glasses will do the trick. When you are snow boarding it is possible to be blinded by the snow, or least get sore eyes, so make sure that you have proper UV protection for a start. The next step is to think about how you are going to keep warm. This is very serious as if you are not warm then it can do more than just ruin a days snow boarding. What you should do is wear warm clothing underneath your snow boarding gear, and you also have to 100% make sure that everything that you are wearing is water proof. Everyone has had a snow ball fight wearing gloves that aren’t water proof. Were your hands cold? Of course they were. That is why your clothing must be waterproof. The next step when it comes to clothing is thinking about your safety, and by safety I mean padding. Yes folks, looking like a football player when you hit the slopes is the best thing to do, you can be sure to have a lot less pain when you fall.

Snow Boarding – Food and Water

When you are snow boarding it is important that you eat and drink enough to get by. When you are going to the slopes it is not recommended that you eat too much before you start, but make sure that you have a healthy snack and be sure to drink plenty of water. People always think that because it may be cold, that they are not thirsty, however this a reason why many people get dehydrated on the slope. Did you know that more people suffer dehydration from skiing than from long jump, table tennis and dancing put together. Why is that? Because people need to think about what they need, rather than the usual signs that they may be thirsty. However, when people do go snow boarding accidents can happen and that is why you must be prepared. When you go on a long run you should take emergency food and drink. What I mean by this is around 1 litre of water and maybe cereal bars or something. What we are talking about is calories, fat and protein. This means that if anything bad was ever to happen then you could surely get something to eat and drink, and that will make you last longer in a bad situation.

When you are snow boarding safety is of paramount importance. Everyone can still enjoy themselves, but they should take precautions when they do. What I recommend is that people should take a mobile phone with them when they go snow boarding, and also bring a replacement SIM card. Why is that? Because if you do not get a signal out on the slopes then you will double your chances of getting one, if you have a phone that uses a different operator. A replacement battery is also a great idea, but only for emergencies!

Snow Boarding Training

If you need snowboarding training then it is important that you make sure that the training you get is good, and from an appropriately trained snow boarding trainer. That is why you have to consider ways that this can be done to meet the needs, and goals that you have set yourself. What I always tell people is that there is no point in telling yourself that you are going to be the best snowboarder in the world, because that just isn’t going to happen in a few months. What I done was set myself the challenge of being able to do the second most challenging slope, of three at my local snowboarding centre. Once I set myself this challenge I had something to work towards and a goal that I could aim to achieve. This is what you should do, and the chances of getting further in the sport are greatly increased. Once I achieved this goal, my next goal was to handle the most difficult slope and then to improve my times and agility after that. You should set goals before you start snowboarding training and then you will be more likely to achieve your goals in the shortest time. 

The next thing that you have to do is decide what kind of training you want to undertake. Many people just try and teach themselves and to be honest it really is not worth it, unless you are doing it for the pride of saying that you taught yourself how to snowboard, if this is the case then you are going to have to get lessons at one point if you want to be one of the best so I would tell you just to give up now. The next type of person is the type that decides that they will teach themselves the DIY way. This means that all they do is read books, read stuff on the internet and ask people for help that are friends or people that they meet down their local snowboarding centre. This is fine, but it is also kind of stupid and kind of pointless. It is a waste of time, but if you do not have the money to afford proper tuition then this is fine with me, at least you will get somewhere if not as fast as others! The next kind of snowboarding training can be split into two kinds. The road name for it is getting professional tuition from a trained snow boarding instructor. This can be split up into group lessons, and individual lessons. So you are probably wondering about the difference between each. 

Those who chose to get individual instruction will be doing so at a higher cost, and the reason for this is simple. If you are getting individual instruction then it actually means that there is nobody to share the cost of an instructor but if you are doing it in company and with others then they are also making a contribution towards the salary or wage of the person that is teaching you. That is why I actually recommend getting solo instruction after you have managed to pick up the basics. This is a sure way to save money, and improve your ability down the slopes. Good luck and I am sure that you will be whizzing down the slopes in no time!