Slide Down hill this winter on a Snowboard

Snowboarding, one of the fastest growing winter sports today, is a recreational activity with no limitations on style or equipment.*

Snowboarding takes place in many of the same places as skiing; on a rolling terrain, along a tree-lined train, down a groomed slope, or in a snow park, but participants are standing sideways and have both feet strapped to the same piece of equipment.

Snowboarding can take place at your own pace and does not require any previous experience in snow sports to learn. You can snowboard at any age!

With snowboarding you can always find a trail that best fits for comfort level and ability. Just like skiing, for snowboarding green runs are the easiest followed by blue (more difficult), black runs (most difficult), and orange ovals (freestyle terrain). The best place to start skiing and snowboarding is at a ski/snowboard area where you can rent equipment and take a lesson.

Learning to snowboard may take a little time, so be patient and enjoy the experience. The learning curve for snowboarding is very steep, so if you stick with it for a few days, you will soon be riding the whole mountain. Certified instructors with the Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors can teach you to snowboard in a few simple steps and make your first days much more enjoyable. Beginner and novice snowboarders make up about 15% of the visitors at most resorts-so you're in good company.

There are a few different styles of riding a snowboard and each has slightly different equipment:

**Freestyle: These riders spend their days in the terrain parks with jumps, rails, and halfpipe. Their snowboards are twin tip, allow for a wider stance, and often feature more flexibility in the board.

**Freeriding: These riders go all over the hill and do a little of everything. Freeride boards are generally directional and a little stiffer than a freestyle board and make a good beginner board.

**Carving/Alpine: These riders speed down the hill at great speed and can edge their boards into the snow, even on ice. These boards are the stiffest and are often very narrow compared to the other types of boards. They are very stable at high speeds but are not great in lots of snow or in terrain parks.

What to wear:

• Layers of clothing for warmth
• Waterproof gloves or mitts
• A hat or headband – heat escapes through your head
• A certified snow sports helmet for skiing or snowboarding
• Sunglasses or goggles to protect your eyes from the sun and snow

Where to Snowboard:

Nova Scotia resorts visit: www.skibeneoin.com , www.martock.com , www.skiwentworth.ca , www.skicapesmokey.com

For more information about snowboarding visit:

www.skicanada.org

Competitive Snowboarding in Nova Scotia:

Once you've started snowboarding, if you really enjoy it you can try competing in one of the four snowboard disciplines (halfpipe, snowboardcross, slopestyle, or alpine racing). Competitive snowboarding has a great history in Nova Scotia with two former Olympians from Martock Ski Hill and currently three members of the Canadian National High Performance Team.

For more information on competitive snowboarding please visit:

www.csf.ca - Canadian Snowboard Federation

www.nssa.ca - Nova Scotia Snowboard Association

*Information from Canadian Ski and Snowboard council