Snowboarding advice

Hi Everyone,

I'm going to Ellmau this new year, with my wife, on our first ever snow holiday. We've done level 1 and 2 snowboarding at MK Snozone. So we can both side slip on both edges, with a little bit of diagonal action.

I have 95% learned to stop falling down, and can control the diagonals okay. Although my wife didn't find heel edge too easy and was still falling over a lot. The ice patches were tricky last time we were at Snozone.

So advice would be really helpful please:

Are real slopes easier or harder to learn on?

Should we take the snowboarding lessons, or try to learn on our own from a DVD/Book? Will they be at the correct level for us?

Do we need a lift pass for the nursery slopes, lesson areas?

Is the full lift pass going to be a waste for beginners, will we get a 5 day beginners pass which is a bit cheaper? I'm adventurous but not insane. :-)

Oh my God.

Book yourself in to a snowboard school when you are there, no question. What you have learned at MK will help you a lot, but dont think for one minute that you are going to get anywhere without having a weeks worth of lessons.

Make sure you take lots of elbow, knee and bum padding - you are going to need it.

Hopefully, after your first week on the real stuff, you will be able to relax and enjoy winter holidays a whole lot more, but be prepared for some pain if you want to gain.

Otherwise, have a fantastic time, you will love Austria.

Please do not join "first time snowboarding"

I was in a group as a first time snowboarder this year and found it really frustrating to find that 3 of the 5 had done exactly what you describe. Here is me trying to put a board on and the instructor thinks we can do what you already know how to do!

Go for lessons though, if it is anything like skiing you will pick up bad habits otherwise.

Also, how on earth do you carry round a DVD player when you are skiing? Using a DVD to learn how to dance like "strictly come dancing" is one thing, but boarding using a DVD at the same time? Now that one is clever :D

Arrange for private lessons for you as a pair, you'l get more appropriate tuition than joining a group where you may or may not be ahead of the others.

DO wear knee pads, wrist guards, IMPACT shorts and a helmet.

Oh and enjoy it! once you past the fall over ALL the time, its a hoot!

Bang on Iceman, never took a lesson again after a first time snowboarding episode, taught myself instead.

Some people can do well without lessons, others do not. It could be that one of you can relate other sports experiences to snowboarding and that with some research and observation will serve you well. It could be though, that the other partner is not that type and needs the progressions and feedback that lessons would provide. I would try to avoid being the one doing the research and trying to pass this knowledge on the the other half as you are learning yourself. Recipe for divorce.

It also does not help when you go it alone, if you are not with a group of more experienced people. Another problem with self teaching is that you have to have some idea of what is good technique so you don't aquire bad habbits by emulating others who may look ok, but have poor technique.
I don't know about skiing, but I believe there are differences in snowboard technique as taught in different countries, eg French and Swiss schools.

If you are going to get one reference book, I would recommend "The Illustrated Guide To Snowboarding" by Kevin Ryan.

Trencher

Thanks, good advice all round.

I've watched the DVD a few times before a lesson. It really helped when it talked about outward foot pressure, something the instructor didn't mention, which really helped with control and balance when I remembered it halfway through the lesson when I was on my ass again. :)

2 votes for pads. Wow, I thought pads were for those doing tricks. I will consider those now, especially for my wife who is delicate.

Delicate.

I like that.
Do you mean she is petite, or all long nails and peroxide?