Our snowboarding misadventure at Seven Springs

"Bob" wrote in message
news:_k3Pb.103589$I06.532719@attbi_s01...

"Joe Ramirez" wrote in message
...
I don't know any snowboarders,

I bet your son does.

Aha! I bet you're right. But I'm not sure I'd want one of them trying to
teach me. g

Joe Ramirez

"Baretta" wrote in message
ble.rogers.com...
Joe, having been through the same experience, I feel for you.
I'm 43 now and took up boarding about 2 years back. Previously, I've
skiied
for about 6 years.

This year, my kids wanted to try snowboarding. They've been skiing for a
couple of years. My 13 year old son gave up the first day and went back to
skiing - couldn't take the falling down aspect. As any teenager, he
couldn't
understand why this skill wouldn't come to him so easily.

I think this was also my son's basic reaction to our first day. We also had
another problem caused by our missing the noon lesson and starting at 2:00
instead -- he had a basketball game that evening, and he was worried we
would miss it if we left the resort too late. So we rushed out, then learned
from my wife on the cell phone that the game had been cancelled. When it
precipitates, it dumps!

Joe Ramirez

"Joe Ramirez" wrote in message
...
How did you like the resort aside from the snowboarding opportunities? Was
it a picturesque place? Fun? Did you try the sleigh or snowmobile rides,
or
snow tubing? My wife has no interest in boarding or skiing, so there has
to
be some good reacreation for her (as well as for my son and me when we are
not trying to snowboard).

Thanks for your help,

Joe Ramirez

Ok, keep in mind that I have only boarded at Snowshoe and in the Boone area
of North Carolina. That being said, Snowshoe seems very nice in comparison
to the mountains in NC, e.g. three times the number of trails. The mountain
is "upside down", meaning the lodging is at the top of the mountain. The
village area is pretty nice, several restaurants, a comedy club, shops, etc.
I've tried the snow tubing, but not the other activities you mentioned.
Tubing is great fun the first time, but gets old quickly, say after about an
hour or so. The tubing hill is at Silver Creek, BTW. Picturesque? I think
the area is very pretty, and if you stay at one of the rooms/condos in the
village, there are some terrific views. Hiking is also available.

Lynn

Joe Ramirez wrote:

Seven Springs is a little far for a roundtrip on a weekday night, but the
small Boyce Park ski area, which is much closer to home, is also open at
night, I believe. When I was learning to ice skate I would often go at night
after work, so I could probably pull this off.

There are many ways to start snowboarding. For me wintersport must be
*relaxing*. Drive to the mountains after work and go back on the same
day is not my way of relaxing.

What about a week/weekend in a nice Apartment near by the slope? If
you spend a week and *really* don't like boarding after one or two days
you can spend the rest of the time with walking/relaxing/sleigh-ride
or anything you like.

What can you loose? OK, the money for the rented equipment. But you win a
nice holiday with your wife and your son.

--
Jürgen Schmadlak

"Joe Ramirez" wrote:

Where do you teach?

Europe, South Germany, at my Home Town, and at University where I'm
studying at the moment (which is, on trips they organize).


Martin

Snip

If you understand how to turn a ski, turning a snowboard is very, very
similar. I remember being shocked at just how similar the two sports
were.

You may be right on some accounts, but when you're trying to teach a
beginner, it's a lot easier if they forget what they know about skiing and
start from scratch. Remember the french fries and pizza that they taught 8)
? - I couldn't think of anything equivalent in snowboarding. Just scrape to
stop.

When applied to beginners:
In skiing, if you're skiis are flat, no problem, but if you kept your board
flat, you'll eventually catch an edge and dump. I am constantly reminding
newbies: If you go Flat - you'll fall - stay on the edge.
People had a tendency to want to face the direction they are travelling in
like skiing, eventually subconciously untwisting their body and bringing the
back around, which often resulted in catching the toe edge.
The boarders are also at a disadvantage since their feet are strapped in, in
skiing you had the ability to spread your legs to balance things out. I
guess in skiing, it was easier to control balance with your lower half while
boarding you're using your upper or whole body sometimes.

I agree with you about the carving and unweighting of the board during
turns, but that skill is developed at a more advanced stage. The beginner is
still trying to master edge control when trying to link their turns.

However, I've just picked up a hard boot alpine setup this year - I think
that is incredibly similar to skiing than the softies. I must say the speed
is soooo addictive on a well groomed slope.

"Baretta" wrote in message
able.rogers.com...
Snip

If you understand how to turn a ski, turning a snowboard is very, very
similar. I remember being shocked at just how similar the two sports
were.

You may be right on some accounts, but when you're trying to teach a
beginner, it's a lot easier if they forget what they know about skiing and
start from scratch. Remember the french fries and pizza that they taught

I thought that was just from South Park!

"Edward Arata" wrote in message ...
It confuses me that you didn't get on a lift.

It shouldn't. Students should not get on a lift until
they know how to sideslip. Some students get the sideslip
part on their first lesson, a lot don't.

Sideslip allows you to control your speed, which is the major
concern of the original poster (as it should). Hills usually
do not have same descent, there are steeper parts as well as more
flat. On the steeper parts, student can safely sideslip w/o
risking maneuvers with too much speed.

Once the sideslip is mastered, it should be then expanded to
falling leaf, which will allow to control direction as well.

Only then should a student start thinking about linking turns.
Seems like a very important step in his learning curve was skipped.
(waiving no-no finger to his instructor

Learning to snowboard is all
about having enough slope.

After a certain point, yes. However, to learn balance
a lot of slope is not necessary. Straight glides, and basic turns
can be practiced on very small slopes. These two maneuvers should
be practiced until students have balance and confidence to go further.

More slope will be needed to practice sideslips. How much slope depends
on the snow. Soft fresh snow is slower, and edging much easier - so
more slope. On icy conditions however, not only will the board move
much faster, but edging requires much more effort - so less slope.

Remember people learn much faster if they are confident in what they
are doing. Having too much slope for a beginning snowboarder will
take that confidence away.

"Joe Ramirez" wrote in message ...

I sent Seven Springs an e-mail with an abridged version of the report I
posted here. No response so far, and I'm really not expecting one.

Yes, but if you mention that you're a guy who starts huge threads on
the internet (making their resort very infamous for the internet
community), they will probably be more responsive...

(toddjb) wrote in message om...
"Joe Ramirez" wrote in message ...
(Instructors
rarely admit to this since they see only the carnage of self-teaching
gone bad...the ones that get through it don't come crawling to them!

A lot of people self learn snowboarding. I like to observe riders
on the slope when I'm on the chair lift. I can with pretty good accuracy
tell who is a self learner. There are a lot of small details that self
learners do "wrong" - things that they repeat over and over that will
hinder their progression. Not only that, but their riding is generally
less effective, they put much more energy than necessary.

Check out really good riders: very relaxed, with style, and effective.
If you learn how to ride effectively, you will last much longer,
and enjoy this sport so much more. But in order to get there you need
someone from the side telling you about your stance and movements.