Sunday, January 18, 2009

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.

Friday, January 16, 2009

My Snow Boarding Business

I have my own snow boarding business and I have had this for around 1 year now. I used to be a management consultant before I decided to take the plunge and went for a business of my own. Before I done this I was very nervous and really had no idea about the level of results that I was going to attain. The fact of the matter is that around 20% of businesses fail in their first year, and I did not want to be one of those business owners that were left having no results, and a heap of debt to handle.

Luckily enough my business has been successful so far, and this has largely been down to operating in an area of high demand, where I am the only supplier in my area. You see, there are two local ski slopes and both of them have a lot of visitors each week, so I was aware that their was a demand in my local area for snow boarding equipment and skiing equipment. At first, I started off selling snow boarding equipment but I realized that I should start selling skiing equipment as well and this is a decision that I am glad to have made. Since I have started selling skiing equipment my sales have increased by 60%.

I now have four members of staff that I pay a good wage, and that are very loyal to my company. You see, the great thing is that all of them have an interest in snow boarding and skiing and this really comes through in the way they are able to help my customers make informed purchases.

I have a deal with the local ski slopes that when someone is a member of their slope they get a 10% discount on all purchases. This is something that I considered for a number of reasons. The first thing is that I didn’t want either of them starting their own shop on their premise, and I felt that through offering them something free they would be less likely to try and eat into my profits. I also felt that through doing this they would feel that the potential to enter into my market was less lucrative. I also have deals with them where I give them very cheap rates on their stocks, and in actual fact I make zero profit from the sales that I make to them. This gives them the impression that I have substantially better profit margins than they could attain, and puts them off competing.

Another way that I have had a certain level of success is through my online store. I had a website designed through which I sell all my lines to a global marketplace. Online I am competing with a lot of other websites that sell similar stuff to myself, but I am aiming to increase my websites position in the search engines, and by doing so I am hoping that I will be able to decrease my operating costs and increase my market reach. Already I am showing up at number 14 in google for snowboarding equipment and I am hoping to be on the first page for certain terms at some point this year. The thing is that when you have a high position in the search engines you can be sure to close a certain number of sales with no marketing outlay.

There is also the issue that once you close a single sale with a customer they are more likely to return in future when they require further products that you sell within your range. I have also started to sell wholesale through a separate website and this has helped me in two ways. I am starting to increase my sales volume however at the same time I am decreasing my cost per unit to purchase through buying on a bigger scale. This is something that is offering my business growth potential, however my primary aim is to increase sales through my website at the moment.

My Favourite Hobby: Snow Boarding

Since moving into the suburbs, I have developed a new hobby: snow boarding. Snow boarding is great fun, and the reason I got started is because I used to go surfing when I lived by the beach, and when I moved away from the coast I had to find something new to satisfy my fix for extreme, white-knuckle sport. When I moved to my new college, everyone was talking about snow boarding, and a lot of my peers considered snow boarding an excellent hobby. When they asked if I wanted to attend, I was more than happy to come along and take part.

The next thing I knew I was at the slopes, and I had to let everyone know that I had absolutely no experience of the sport whatsoever. They appeared to understand, and everyone was really helpful when it came to explaining how to get started. In fact, there were so many people trying to teach me what to do, I actually found that I would rather just one person would teach me at a time. The next thing I knew, I was going down the slope, and had no idea how to break appropriately, or how to turn. OK, so I'll admit that getting tuition from a bunch of teenagers was hardly the best idea, but it ensured that I didn’t hold back on anything, and I certainly got off to a flying start. The fact is that you realise it is mostly just common sense, and the thrills that you get are amazing. When you are going down a slope at 30 miles an hour and you do not have to put in any effort to accelerate: that is like flying.

The fact is that I also enjoy snow boarding because it is a great social activity for everyone to enjoy. I had just moved to a new area, and snow boarding really gave me an opportunity to get to know people, and is actually the reason why I am friends with the people that I hang around with at the moment. After visiting the slopes a few times, my new friends and I have discovered more common ground, so now we enjoy other activities together, along with the occasional visit to the slopes of course! I’d recommend snowboarding as a great hobby for anyone, particularly those with a passion for extreme sports, or anyone with a sense of adventure. And it’s really great when you actually get involved - there’s a whole culture attached to it.

Some of my friends suggested taking up skiing, but this is something I think I'll avoid. It is almost like trying to compare a car and a motor bike. A car maybe burns less gas, it may be safer and may even turn corners with more precision, but what would you rather travel in for sheer thrills? Skiing just looks boring compared to snow boarding and the more I get into snow boarding the more my opinion is re-affirmed.

I am glad that I moved away, and I am glad that I managed to find a sport that I enjoy more than surfing. I am hoping to start entering into competitions soon, however I have a lot of catching up to do with my new friends first!

How to Buy a Snowboard

Buying a Snowboard isn't as trouble-free as it used to be. There are approximately 20 various types of Snowboards. With so many enormous choices, the snowboarder in the present day needs to be knowledgeable, so I put this list together in hopes that How to Buy a Snowboard will be an exciting and pleasurable experience.

There are many different types of snowboards available today. Here are the most common types of snowboards: Freeride boards, Freestyle boards, Backcountry boards, Park/Pipe boards, Kids boards, Women’s boards, Boardercross boards and Signature series boards. As you can see you, you have your work cut out for you in making a decision on what board to buy.

Snowboard buying necessitates a few central questions to be answered, but you’ll be encouraged in knowing that you, by now, have the answers. Your, height weight, riding style and foot size are the chief features that will classify the suitable width, shape, stiffness and height of the board you’ll buy.

Although there are other factors to be taken into consideration, a few of the ones you should be familiar about is your riding ability and riding style. The riding style you have a preference for will lend a hand in determining the sort of board you ought to buy. There are a lot of diverse opinions on the countless riding styles there are but I am going to split them up into three main categories of riding styles.

All Mountain and Freeride style-a freeride or all mountain snowboarder make use of the whole mountain. You enjoy catching air, carving and basically all riding aspects. This is the essence of snowboarding. While a clichéd expression in snowboarding, freeride is still the best way to portray the majority of snowboarders. These riders take pleasure in the whole thing about snowboarding: the imagination that can only be understood sliding the half-pipe, the astounding feel of carving a turn on slopes, the sense of flight you get at lift-off from the big-air jump, and the feel of freedom one gets sliding on new snow. It is still inconceivably first-rate fun on spruced slopes. For next in line we will present the following.

Freestyle or Technical riding- involves mostly jumps, trick riding, rail sliding, grabs, jibbing, spins and tearing it up. Technical freestyle riding is usually set up in the parks or near the halfpipe. For a beginning snowboarder, freestyle and technical boards are the best choice. This style is well-liked among the younger snowboarders. Many of today's technical freestyle riders come to snowboarding with an understanding as a BMX, in-line skater, skateboarder, or other action sports conditions. While the gear specific to this category of rider excels in park and pipe riding, it can also be very adaptable across the whole mountain at less than full-speed. We now will move on to the last category.

Carve/Alpine style-pulls together speed and deep turning and make the most of everything the mountain has to put forward. Alpine riders are repeatedly transitioning from one turn into the next. It is all about hard carving and high speed. Expert skiers who decide to learn snowboarding tend to like the performance of carving boards, although stiffer flex and narrower width can make them intolerant for beginners. These types of riders are recognizable out of the crowd; they are always seen laying a trench in the snow with each turn. These riders "use" a snowboards edge like no others, while using authoritative body movements and gravity as their friend, alpine riders enjoy the sport only when they are attached to the snow.

In conclusion, these are the basics of How to Buy a Snowboard. All the most important issues have been enclosed and hopefully the buying process will be simpler for you.

However please keep in mind that whatever you choose to buy, remember that it is your choice and that nobody has a right to influence you at all.

Getting Started With Snow Boarding

If you are thinking about getting started with snow boarding then it really does not have to be as difficult as you are probably imagining. For a start, you can be sure that whatever you are planning to do you can be sure that as soon as you hit the slopes you will almost certainly enjoy yourself. When I was younger I always thought that it would be a really hard thing to get started with, but boy was I wrong. However, what I have to tell you is that I recommend you get lessons first, rather than just hitting the slopes with no idea of what you need to do.

Getting lessons booked does not have to be that difficult. All you need to do is speak with your local snow boarding slope and you can be sure that they will put you in touch with a snow boarding instructor in your area that would be glad to help you out. This may cost anywhere from around $35 an hour, but you can get them even cheaper, if you get group lessons. Group lessons means that more than one person learns at the same time, and it really is a very simple thing to do. I had my first lesson from a friend, however I would always recommend that it is best to get professional lessons from a man or a lady that is a professional snow boarding instructor. You can be sure that they have been teaching snow boarding for some time, and they are not only good at snow boarding, but also have a better idea of how to communicate to a learner.

Many people ask me what they need to buy when they are first starting snow boarding. The answer is that you probably need to buy nothing if you have the right kind of gear in your wardrobe. For those of us that are just getting started it is best to rent out the gear from your local snow boarding slope. A lot of places will do this for free when you pay a rate to actually use the slope. The reason for this is simple; when you are first learning how to snow board you may not enjoy it that much. If you do not enjoy it or decide not to take it any further, think of how much money you will have wasted on a snow board and related stuff. That is why you need to think about ways that you can practice without buying things up front.

It is important that you get the correct clothes for going to the slope. Even if it is your first time! What I recommend is that you simply must wear gloves, and the thicker the clothes the better. You should really be wearing water proof gloves but if it is your first time, then there is no point splashing out money on a fancy pair of gloves that you are never going to need in the future. This is just common sense. What I also recommend is that if you have any water proofs wear them to go on your snow boarding lesson. If you wear them then you will have a great advantage over the competition. The fact is that even if you are wearing clothes that are warm, they will soon become cold once the start getting wet. Despite this you should still wear warm clothes, unless you want to feel cold out their on the slopes.

Another thing that is vital is sun glasses. You will find that when you are on the slopes you can find it very challenging to board when you have the sun in your eyes, another issue is that if the sun reflects off the snow then it can blind you if you are not wearing appropriate UV protected sun glasses.


All I have to say is that I am sure that you will enjoy yourself. Go out their and learn to snow board!

Choosing a Snow Boarding Instructor

Choosing a snow boarding instructor can be a very difficult choice, and one that comes down to your judgement more than anything else, however by following a few basic rules and asking the correct questions you can be sure that your choice will make a more informed one. When I first started learning how to snow board I was only 20 and in fact the sport was just getting started. Snow boarding began when a man decided to attach his son’s skis together in order to ensure that his son’s technique was correct. This has lead to snow boarding being one of the most popular winter sports even making an appearance in the Olympics. Despite this, the rules and regulations that surround other sports are different with snow boarding and for that reason alone it can be difficult to find an instructor that you are able to trust.

Does your instructor have any customers that you can speak with?

Ask your instructor if he has any past pupils that you are able to speak with. If he does then you will be able to ensure that he at least has some experience, and you can ask those pupils how they found the training that they were given. This is something that I consider with all my pupils. I ask them if they would like to speak with any ex pupils and give them their telephone numbers. Although most don’t bother calling them up, it gives them a certain level of confidence in my ability.

What rates or charges will you incur for instruction?

This is an important question and one that should be considered as a major factor in who you choose. If an instructor is charging more then it probably reflects on one major issue and that is his ability. If you are being charged more then this may be reflected in his service and experience and therefore it may be worth it. On the other hand, if you are mainly looking for the ability to master basic skills, then perhaps it is not worth paying extra. It is also imperative that you ask if the rates that you are paying reflect every cost element that you will incur. What do I mean by this? Some instructors may charge you an hourly rate, but then the course may ask for more in order to use the facilities or rent equipment. Be sure that you know about everything that you are paying. Another point for consideration is that if you intend to train on a better slope then the costs of tuition will surely be higher. I would say it is probably worth paying that little extra to learn on snow, and on a diverse and challenging range of slopes.

How well do you think you will get on with your instructor?

This is something that we must all consider before choosing an instructor, and although we cannot always tell, meeting them in person is a great way to get a feel for their personality. Many instructors choose to make friends with their pupils however this is something that I refrain from doing. In my opinion students attain the best results, when they have a relationship of mutual respect and understanding with their instructor. When the pupil and instructor become too chatty problems arise. However, this is just my opinion. If you feel more comfortable with a chatty instructor then this should be your choice. Think about what is best for you, and allow this to influence your choice of instructor.

The times the instructor is available.

If your instructor will only be available between the hours of 9-5 and this is when you will be working then the chances are that this instructor is not very well suited to you. Stop and discuss with an instructor when both of you are available and you be sure to have a better working relationship.

Avoiding Common Snowboarding Injuries

Snowboarding is a fun sport to undertake but it has its risks that you need to be aware of. Nothing would suck more that returning from a snowboarding trip with a broken leg or sprained wrist. There are a number of broad safety measures you can follow to diminish your danger of a snowboarding injury that we will discuss.

Make sure you're in shape to ski. Organize for your winter sports trip with a training programmed to progress core stability and muscle. Endurance and leg strength is predominantly vital to lend a hand in preventing injuries.

Wear suitable layers of clothing, that don't confine your movement. You do not want to be all bulked up and unable to move freely. If you cannot move then you cannot snowboard properly and the entire thrill aspect is gone.

Just like any other sporting activity, warm up and cool down. Before you hit the slopes take some time warming up and stretching to help train your body for action.

The top injury that a majority of the snowboarders receive is a wrist injury. Falls are more frequent during snowboarding. The natural response to a fall is to stretch out a hand to break the fall, and falls tend to occur more often in beginners. For this reason Colles fractures Scaphoid and fractures of the wrist are a relatively common feature, with around 100,000 wrist fractures worldwide among snowboarders each year. Snowboarders should wear wrist guards as they significantly reduce the incidence of wrist injuries during falls. Another common injury is head injuries which can lead to serious conclusions. Helmets are effective in reducing the incidence of minor concussions during low velocity collisions. Be sure to grab both of these when you do your shopping for snowboarding.

You may think this will save you money, but in the end it may cost u thousands in hospital bills. Don't borrow equipment from friends; it significantly increases your risk of injury. If you are hiring equipment make sure you hire from a recommended store. Ensure that all the equipment fits properly. This will help avoid serious injuries and unnecessary falls due to non fitting equipment.

Another good tip is Use 'multi-mode' release bindings if possible. The superior release available in modern bindings is just one factor that has helped prevent injuries. Rear release boots can significantly reduce the risk of ACL injury.

Self-test your bindings every day. Self testing of bindings is simple. Step into the binding and then twist to the side to release the toe-piece under the control mechanism. The heel can be tested by stepping into the binding and leaning forward, to release the heel-piece. Both the toe and heel should be able to release if properly adjusted.

The Final Suggestion is to follow the FIS Rules for Conduct in Winter Sports.

1. Respect for others
A skier or snowboarder must behave in such a way that he does not endanger or prejudice others.
2. Control of speed and skiing or snowboarding

A skier or snowboarder must move in control. He must adapt his speed and manner of skiing or snowboarding to his personal ability and to the prevailing conditions of terrain, snow and weather as well as to the density of traffic.

3. Choice of route
A skier or snowboarder coming from behind must choose his route in such a way that he does not endanger skiers or snowboarders ahead.

4. Overtaking
A skier or snowboarder may overtake another skier or snowboarder above or below and to the right or to the left provided that he leaves enough space for the overtaken skier or snowboarder to make any voluntary or involuntary movement.

5. Entering, starting and moving upwards
A skier or snowboarder entering a marked run, starting again after stopping or moving upwards on the slopes must look up and down the slopes that he can do so without endangering himself or others.

6. Stopping on the piste
Unless it is absolutely necessary, a skier or snowboarder must avoid stopping on the piste in narrow places or where visibility is restricted. After a fall in such a place, a skier or snowboarder must move clear of the piste as soon as possible.

7. Climbing and descending on foot
A skier or snowboarder either climbing or descending on foot must keep to the side of the piste.

8. Respect for signs and markings
A skier or snowboarder must respect all signs and markings.

9. Assistance
At accidents, every skier or snowboarder is duty bound to assist.

10. Identification
Every skier or snowboarder and witness, whether a responsible party or not, must exchange names and addresses following an accident.

With all these tips that have been shared with you, I hope you learned something and will have a very safe trip. Come home in one piece and start planning the next.