Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a boardsport that involves descending a snow-covered
slope on a board that is attached to one's feet. It is similar to skiing, but
inspired by surfing and skateboarding. The sport was developed in the United
States in the 1960s and 1970s and became a Winter Olympic Sport in 1998.//
Board Construction
Snowboard and boots
The various components of a snowboard are:
- Core: The bulk of a snowboard, the core is the interior of the
snowboard. It is typically comprised of laminated wood
(beech or poplar, limited use of birch and bambo). There have been continued
experiments with aluminum and composite honeycomb, foam and plastics to add
characteristics to the wood, such as dampening, and rebound, and to help reduce
weight. The properties of the core directly affect important characteristics of
the board, such as flexibility and weight.
- Base: This is the bottom of the board which is made of a porous,
plastic material, that is saturated with a wax that creates a very quick
smooth, hydrophobic surface. (P-Tex is a brand name that has become
synonymous with ski and snowboard base material) Because the base of the
board comprises the bulk of the board's interaction with the snow, it is
important that it be as slippery with respect to the snow as possible. For
this reason, different base waxes are available for different snow
conditions. If the board is damaged, a new base pattern can be stone-ground
into the board. If the base becomes significantly damaged, the board may
become sluggish, or if the damage is deep enough, it may even weaken the
core.
-
- Extruded: The P-Tex is cut from a large sheet, or squeezed
out of a machine much like play-doh. A low maintenance base, it is the
least expensive and easy to repair. Extruded bases are smoother and
less-porous than other bases. They do not saturate with wax well, and
tend to slide slower than other bases. But left unwaxed then do not lose
much overall performance. Extruded P=Tex is also cheaper than Sintered P
Tex
- Sintered: P-Tex base material is ground to powder then
reformed with pressuse and heat, and cut to shape. A sintered base is
very porous and absorbs wax well. Sintered bases slide faster than
extruded bases when waxed, but will be slower if unwaxed for a period.
They are more expensive, and harder to repair.
- Graphite: Sintered bases may have graphite added to the mix.
Graphite bases hold a lot of wax and are extremely fast. High-end racing
and alpine, or freecarve, boards have graphite bases for maximum sliding
speed. Additives may also include gallium and/or indium.
- Edge: A strip of metal, tuned normally to just less than
90-degrees, that runs the length of either side of the board. This sharp
edge is necessary to be able to produce enough friction to ride on ice, and
the radius of the edge directly affects the radius of carving turns, and in
turn the responsiveness of the board. Kinking, rusting, or general dulling
of the edge will significantly hinder the ability for the edge to grip the
snow, so it is important that this feature is maintained. However, many
riders who spend a fair amount of their time grinding park rails, and
especially handrails, will actually use a detuning stone or another method
to intentionally dull their edges, either entirely or only in certain areas.
This helps to avoid "catching" on any tiny burrs or other obstructions that
may exist or be formed on rails, boxes, and other types of grind. Catching
on a rail can, more than likely, result in a potentially serious crash,
particularly should it occur on a handrail or more advanced rail set-up. In
addition, it's relatively common for freestyle riders to "detune" the edges
around the board's contact points. This practice can help to reduce the
chances of the rider catching an edge in a choppy or rutted-out jump landing
or similar situation. It is important to keep in mind that drastic edge
detuning can be near-impossible to fully reverse and will significantly
impede board control & the ability to hold an edge in harder-packed snow.
One area where this can be quite detrimental is in a half-pipe, where
well-sharpened edges are often crucially important for cutting through the
hard, sometimes icy, walls.
- Laminate: The snowboard's core is also sandwiched on the top and
bottom by at least two layers of fiberglass. The fiberglass adds stiffness
and torsional strength to the board. The fiberglass laminate may be either
biaxial (fibers running the length of the board and more fibers 90 degrees
perpendicular to it), triax (fibers running the length of the board with 45
degree fibers running across it), or quadax (a hybrid of the biax and triax).
Some snowboards also add carbon and aramid (also known as Kevlar) stringers
for even more strength. Furthermore, carbon/Kevlar may be added in a 'v' or
'x' shape under the bindings for extra response.
Bindings
The bindings that attach the snowboard to the rider's feet are securely
fastened to the board with bolts that screw into its threaded metal inserts.
Most snowboard manufacturers use a mounting system consisting of four bolts
arranged in a square or rectangular pattern. Some companies take other
approaches. The most notable example is Burton, which has long employed its
signature three-bolt system and, more recently, has introduced a two-bolt system
on its Un-Inc series of snowboards.
There are two main types of snowboard bindings: conventional &
step-in.
- Conventional, ratchet, or strap-in, bindings are
the most common type and are preferred by most advanced riders. Strap-ins,
as the name suggests, lock the rider's feet into place with straps which
tighten down over the boots. Typically, there are two straps, a heelstrap
and a toestrap, however, some other variations do exist. Strap-in
bindings usually have a high-back made of plastic or other material
which rests against the rider's ankle & calf for enhanced leverage and
responsiveness.
- Step-in binding systems are generally more convenient, quickly
locking to a mechanism on the boot when the boot is stepped onto the
binding, and releasing the boot if a lever is pulled with the fingers, and
are thus quite popular for beginner snowboarders and rental shops. Most
modern step-in systems lock the boot laterally (i.e. fastening the sides of
the boot). Higher end step-in bindings may also have high-backs, which add
stiffness and leverage when the rider executes a heelside turn. Because the
boot-binding interface with step-in bindings is on the sole of the boot, the
boots must be very well fitted and very stiff to allow the rider to control
the board effectively.
A third kind of binding, the Flow binding system, have recently become a
significant competitor to conventional and step-in bindings. Flow bindings are
intended to combine the levels of control available from traditional strap-in
bindings, with the convenience and fast entry of step-in binding systems. Flow
bindings have a folding high-back and a pre-formed material upper section. The
upper section replaces the two straps used in regular strap-in bindings. The
user folds the high-back down and inserts their foot into the binding through
the back (rather than the top), then clips the high-back up into place. This
means any make of soft boots can be used with Flow, as opposed to step-in
systems which require a cleated proprietary boot.
Buying a Snowboard: A Guide for Women
More women are becoming avid snowboarders these
days.
Here are some pointers for finding a women's snowboard.
- First, look at the width of the board. Women's feet are much smaller than
men’s. Fortunately manufacturers are aware of this fact and produce snowboards
in a variety of sizes. Look for the waist width—found on the snowboard itself or
in the manufacturers catalog. Women typically will need a snowboard with a waist
width less than 250 mm.
- Next, there are two other factors to look at: length and flex. The length of
the snowboard corresponds to the height of the rider. The flex of the snowboard
corresponds to the rider’s weight. The length of the board should fall between
the riders chin to eyes depending on the kind of snowboarding they will be
doing. Shorter boards are better for parks whereas longer boards are better for freeriding. A woman who is lighter in weight should choice a board with a softer
flex. Press down in the middle of the board to see if you can bend it. Softer
boards will bend more easily.
- Finally, pick out the color and graphics that fit the rider’s personality.
There are many different styles and brands to choice from.
It is important to combine the right width, length and flex. When shopping for a
snowboard, find a salesperson that is familiar with women’s snowboards so you
get the perfect fit.
Instruction
Snowboard instruction from certified snowboard instructors is available at
most ski resorts. Professional instruction is a good way to learn proper
technique, safety policies, mountain etiquette and resort rules. Beginning
snowboarders, whether young or old, should consider taking a series of lessons.
Lessons are not only the fastest way to learn, but they also build confidence in
sharing the mountain with other members of the snowboarding/ski community.
Snowboard lessons, as with ski lessons, can either be group or private
lessons. Group lessons are cheaper, but often have a high student-teacher ratio,
resulting in less individual attention. Private lessons can be taught one-on-one
or between a small group. Private lessons are often more expensive than group,
as it is the snowboarding analogue of being privately tutored. The rapport
developed between an instructor and a student who returns for multiple lessons
is the real benefit derived from private lessons; one is taught better by a
teacher who knows them, and a student is more likely to heed the advice of
someone they trust.
Typically, beginner snowboard lessons focus on very basic, common
snowboarding skills. The first lesson often begins with basic safety policies,
stretching, and learning to fall, then progresses to snowboarding with one foot
on the board (particularly skating and J-turns). Learning to snowboard with one
foot strapped into the board is a particularly useful skill because it is
necessary to disembark from the lift successfully. Then students learn how to
turn and stop with both feet in. Other important beginner skills to learn are
the falling leaf technique, side-slipping, and lift procedures. More advanced
techniques that are taught in later lessons are linking turns, edge control,
weight distribution, edge pressure, and eventually carving. As students progress
in ability they can seek out specialized instruction in areas such as riding
steeper slopes and through a wider variety of snow conditions, terrain park
skills (jumps, rails, and pipes), mogul technique, off-piste riding, powder
riding, and racing.
Freestyle snowboarding
Freestyle snowboarding owes much of its form and content to skateboarding,
and many of the maneuvers common to snowboarding exist in skateboarding as well.
Though the last decade has seen the trend reverse, with tricks unique to
snowboarding cropping up in skating (witness the adaptation of the rodeo in
skateboarding by Shaun White), the great majority of terminology is still
borrowed from skateboarding.
- Ollie: The fundamental freestyle maneuver is the ollie; an ollie
is essential for most tricks. The ollie is not a hop, as is commonly
thought, but a technique which amplifies the power of the legs by exploiting
the natural flex of the snowboard. A snowboard is essentially a flat spring.
The core has elastic properties and can store and release energy which can
be used in an ollie. An ollie is executed by shifting body weight to apply
pressure to the tail of the snowboard while simultaneously lifting the nose
upward and then releasing the tension from the tail in a jump. Executing an
ollie properly requires timing and coordination in a complex series of
motions. The ollie was developed and named after Allan "Ollie" Gelfland, a
skateboarder who first adapted the ollie to vert and bowl skateboarding in
the late 70's and early 80's.
- A backside boardslide.
Frontside vs Backside: This distinction is essential to understanding
freestyle snowboarding and is borrowed from surfing, which uses it to
distinguish different types of waves. Because a snowboarder stands sideways
on the board, turns and movements are asymmetrical; a turn on the heels
looks different and requires different movements than a turn on the toes.
The frontside/backside dichotomy is useful for understanding terrain and
tricks, though it can be confusing. The simplest explanation is that
frontside involves turning to face down the hill, while backside involves
facing up the hill; therefore a frontside turn is done on the heels, while a
backside turn is done on the toes. All rotations are either backside or
frontside, as well; if one jumps and turns looking downhill, the spin is
frontside, but jumping and turning one's back to the fall line is a backside
spin. When applied to terrain however, the frontside/backside distinction is
different; a halfpipe for instance, has frontside and backside walls. If one
were to straight run down the middle of the halfpipe, the rationale would be
apparent; the rider faces the frontside wall, and approaches on the toes,
while backside wall is behind them and is approached on the heels. This
applies to rails and boxes as well; the method of approach determines the
name of the trick, not the direction of rotation. A boardslide, executed
facing up hill, is actually a frontside boardslide, because the obstacle is
approached from the frontside while if a rider is facing down the hill while
on the box or rail it is backside.
- Switch: This term is adopted from skateboarding and refers to
riding a snowboard with the opposite stance (i.e. goofy instead of regular).
Because of the twin-directional nature of most snowboards used today, riding
switch is nearly the same as riding fakie. (i.e. on a twin tip board a rider
will appear goofy when riding one direction and regular when riding the
opposite direction). Therefore switch and fakie are commonly used
interchangeably with switch being the most often used term. However the term
switch is considered a misnomer since it is used as a term for riding
backwards, it does does not usually refer to an opposite-stance setup.
Riding switch can be considered roughly equivalent to signing one's name
with the opposite hand. It requires learning each movement and maneuver over
again using the opposite muscles and the opposite side of the brain.
- Fakie: This term (also originating in skateboarding) refers to
riding a snowboard in the opposite direction. The term fakie is only
commonly used in half pipe maneuvers (when a rider will air out of the pipe
vertically and gravity will bring the rider back into the pipe in the
opposite direction i.e. 'air to fakie'), or occasionally in rail or box
maneuvers when landing in the opposite direction.
An example of the terms fakie and switch being used would be: a
boardslide starting in the natural position and landing fakie is referred to
'boardslide to fakie" A boardslide starting fakie and landing fakie is
referred to 'switch boardslide' This example also shows the use of the term
switch in place of fakie, as it is in most maneuvers.
- Grabs: Grabbing the edge of the board while in mid-air. The four
basic grabs are the frontside (front hand, toe edge or back hand, toe edge),
backside (back hand, heel edge or front hand, heel edge), nose and tail
grab. Each grab has virtually endless permutations depending on exactly
where one places one's hand on the edge and what one does with one's legs
(known as "tweaking", "boning" or "poking") while in the air. Some basic
tricks adapted from halfpipe skateboarding are mute, melon, frontside, and
stalefish. Once you move from the basic tricks that - despite tweaking in
different directions - keep the board pretty much flat and going straight
ahead, you move onto tricks like the method (bend knees and rotate board
from backside so that the base is facing the direction of travel and grab
backside with leading hand). Depending on the grab and how it is tweaked the
basic method is turned into grasser, Japan air, or taipan. Some of the most
stylish freestyle riders out there have their own signature way of doing
this stock (basic) trick. Many other tricks are combinations of certain
grabs, tweaks and maybe rotations.
- Rotation: Rotation occurs when the board and body turn in
relation to the fall line. The smallest possible rotation is a shifty
***which isn't technically a rotation at all***, and while theoretically
limitless, a 1260 (three and a half rotations) is the largest spin currently
practicable at the highest level of snowboarding. Rotations must be in
multiples of 180 degrees; less or more most often involves falling. 360s,
720s and 1080s involve taking off and landing with the same foot forward,
while 180s, 540s, 900s and 1260s involve landing switch. This is opposite in
halfpipe spins where gravity changes your relative direction and therefore a
half rotation is landed naturally and full rotations are landed switch.
- Manual (or "press"): A maneuver adapted from skateboarding; while
traveling parallel to the fall line of the slope the rider leans over the
front "nose" or rear "tail" of the snowboard until it flexes and begins to
lift the other end into the air. Which end of the board the rider's weight
has been placed on will determine the name of the trick (i.e., nose in the
air is a "tail press" while tail in the air is a "nose press"). This
maneuver may also be performed on rails or boxes.
- Butter: Originally coined from the phrase "buttering the muffin",
a maneuver performed on the surface of the snow or obstacle in which the
rider slides perpendicularly to the fall line of the slope while in a nose
or tail manual position.
Safety and Precautions
Although many snowboarders do not wear any protective gear, helmets and some
other devices are gaining in popularity. Wearing protective gear is highly
recommended due to the dangerous nature of alpine sports (especially freestyle
snowboarding). The body parts most affected by injuries are the wrists, the
tailbone, and the head. Useful safety gear includes wrist guards, padded or
protected snowboard pants and a helmet. Goggles are also used by most people,
and are very crucial at high altitudes on bright days to prevent snow blindness.
Goggles also protect riders from temporary vision loss due to snow getting in
eyes that can result in impact into terrain or obstacles. Padding can be useful
on other body parts like hips, knees, spine, shoulders, and on the genitalia
based on gender. Padding can be specialized for snowboarding, or it can cross
sports. For example, knee pads used for volleyball can be useful for
snowboarding. They can also be useful if a snowboarder may wish to rest on the
knees, such as after coming to a stop. General safety tips for winter sports,
alpine conditions and skiing should also be respected.
Mountain maintenance is a very important aspect of safety. In places where
the mountains are steep and there is high snowfall avalanches are very common.
In order to keep these parts of the mountain safe, ski patrol may either close
or "rope off" dangerous areas, or fire explosives at the dangerous areas to
trigger avalanches before anyone is allowed to ride the mountain. Riding closed
trails or "ducking ropes" is extremely dangerous due to avalanches or unseen,
dangerous terrain, which includes trees and unmarked objects. This practice is
considered illegal by ski patrol and can result in severe consequences. When
riding in areas without ski patrol an avalanche beacon, avalanche probe, snow
shovel, advanced skills, experience, and a riding partner or "buddy" are
required for safety. Without using the buddy system avalanche safety gear is
useless.
Many environmental hazards are present in alpine locations. Dehydration,
hypothermia, altitude sickness, frostbite, windburn, and sunburn can all be
avoided by following standard safety precautions, taking preventative actions,
and being aware of environmental conditions.
Muscle strain and injury can often be prevented by performing an aerobic
warm-up or stretching session. This allows greater flexibility while riding.
Areas that can be easily protected from injury by stretching include quadriceps,
hamstrings, lower back, calves, and groin.
Film
Snowboarding films have become a main part of progression in the sport. Each
season, many films are released, usually in the fall. These are made by many
snowboard specific video production companies as well as manufacturing companies
that use these films as a form of advertisement. Snowboarding videos usually
contain video footage of professional riders sponsored by companies. An example
of commercial use of snowboarding films would be The White Album, a film
by snowboarding legend and filmmaker Dave Seone about Shaun White, that includes
cameos by Tony Hawk and was sponsored by PlayStation, Mountain Dew and Burton
Snowboards. Snowboarding films are also used as documentation of snowboarding
and showcasing of current trends and styles of the sport.
Snowboarding has also been the focus of numerous Hollywood feature films,
quite notably the 2001 movie Out Cold, which included appearances by
several renowned professional snowboarders as stunt performers, actual
characters, or both. Out Cold is one of few major motion pictures to show
snowboarding rather realistically and to exhibit a real understanding of the
sport, as well as the culture that surrounds it.
In countries where snow is either rare or an impossibility, dry slopes and
indoor snow slopes are present. One such country is the UK, and this artificial
snow phenomenon is well documented in the movie "Standing Sideways" by Damien
Doyle.
Other snowboard movies: Burton Process (1-5), Follow Me Around, People, 91
Words For Snow, First Descent, The Gap Session, Escramble, Neoproto, Everyday
Something, Some Kinda Life, Decade, Technical Difficulties, Stand and Deliver,
Amp, Pulse, Shakedown, From _ with Love, The Community Project, DC Mountain Lab,
Afterbang, Lame, After Lame, Attack of the Living Shred, Revenge of the Grenerds,
Smell the Glove, Vivid, Pop, Futureproof, More, Wildcats, Destroyer, Happy Hour.
Some Film Companies:
MDP (Mack Dawg Productions), Whiteout Films, BlankPaper Studios, Standard
Films, Robot Food, Defective Films, Absinthe Films.
Many snowboarding companies, such as Burton, Volcom, and Grenade, have also
made their own films.
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