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Origin

Half a century ago, the most forward-thinking and adventurous skiers, surfers and skaters got together to pool their expertise and invent an activity which combined all three of their passions. In fact, the first official snowboard that became available on the market in the 1960s was named the ‘snurfer’ – a mixture of ‘snow’ and ‘surfer’. This board, designed by Sherman Poppen, was essentially a skateboard without wheels with a guiding rope at the front - much like the one found at the front of a sledge. It is believed that there were earlier models of the snowboard, but that these 'experiments' often caused accidents. This led snowboardering pioneers off-piste and they didn't return to official pistes until much later. Although in 1983 only 10 per cent of American ski resorts allowed snowboarding, it is now generally accepted world-wide as much as skiing is. Currently, more than 3.4 million people snowboard, and it is thought that this number is increasing at such a rate that it will overtake the number of skiers by 2015.

Get Started

The sheer popularity of snowboarding means that it’s not difficult to find someone to teach you. The UK is full of dry ski slopes and manufactured snow slopes, which don’t quite replicate the piste experience but are excellent for beginners to build up basic skills. If you prefer to learn from scratch on the real slopes, there are many private instructors and courses available, from the resorts. Levels of certification often accompany these courses and are generally recognised across the board of snowboard training. The first couple of days of learning might be agonizingly humiliating and spent mainly on the floor, but after this many claim that the sport is actually much easier than skiing. Freelance courses are also taught for the more experienced snowboarders. These focus on mastering tricks and jumps, which form a key part of the snowboarding experience.

Equipment

While snowboarding is exhilarating and fun, it can also be incredibly dangerous. Safety rules and precautions should always be followed, and getting the equipment right is the first part of this. Firstly, before the holiday you should ensure you are fully kitted out for the slopes; extremely cold conditions are not the place for fashion, so think practically. A snowboarding outfit should consist of inner thermals with warm, padded and water-proof layers over the top. Your feet will also need careful attention: Thick and seamless socks ensure that the key tools to the activity are kept warm and protected throughout. The sun is also a danger that must be considered; sunglasses or goggles are essential for eye-protection and visibility. Waterproof gloves, and head and neck protection are also essential, and some form of face-mask might be advisable for extreme blizzard conditions. Other than this, when hiring or buying your boards and boots, make sure they’re right for you. Research which board size would suit, ask your retailer for advice, and make sure above all that the boot-size is correct, or you could get some nasty blisters! Wrist-protectors might also be an advisable purchase for beginners. On the slopes, safety rules should always be followed, including following lift-guidelines and generally respecting others on the pistes.

Style

You’ve had the lessons, you’ve bought the equipment, now you need to decide what kind of snowboarder you want to be. There are three main types of snowboarding style, and the most basic of these is free riding. This involves mastering the terrain and exploring the mountain without concerning yourself with any flash tricks. It suits beginners but also extends into expert off-piste snowboarding. Secondly, there’s freestyle snowboarding, which is probably the most popular form. These daring boarders prefer life in the air and hang around in the resort’s snowboard park. They seek out any kind of obstacle to jib off – trees, rocks, abandoned sledges – you name it, it’s a ‘free’ world! Alpine snowboarding is another popular style and concerns itself with speed. Also known as ‘free carve’, this style is all about carving turns and is often used in competitions. Whether you want to stick to one or master all three, there is dedicated equipment for each, and you should ask your retailer if you want to try something new.

Lingo

Like every new phenomenon, snowboarding has its own language. Learn this glossary and you’ll know what’s being said (if they’re speaking in English that is…):

360: When a boarder rotates 360 degrees in the air after a jump
Back-country: Off-piste
Bail: Fall or crash
Bingo: Three 360s in a row
Carve: To turn/ move from one side to another
Chatter: Vibration of snowboard
Deck: The top ends of a halfpipe
Double Grab: Performing two separate tricks in mid-air
Halfpipe: half a pipe in a shape, same as the skateboarding ones but covered in snow
Jib: To ride on or trick off a non-snowy object
Mogul: Small hillock or raised area of terrain
Quarterpipe: half a halfpipe; one wall instead of two

Govern

In England, the Governing Body for English Snow Sports nurtures and represents English skiers and snowboarders. It is responsible for the major competitions, and choosing the team for the Olympics team and other world-wide contests. They also provide instructor training and generally look out for English snow-sport fanatics.

Packing

Warm, waterproof and protective clothing for the slopes: thermals, ski jacket, padded trousers, jumpers, scarves, hats, socks and gloves.
Sun protection: goggles or sunglasses, protective lip-balm and a lot of high SPF sun-cream (goggle-shaped tan lines are not attractive).
Additional protection: padded under-shorts or wrist protectors for example (for beginners who will be spending a lot of time on their bums/ wrists).
Walkie-talkies or mobiles to keep in contact with others (getting lost isn’t fun, especially if you’re off-piste – there could be a long walk at the end of it).
A camera: preferably disposable (you will want to remember those views but expensive cameras could easily get damaged through everyday jumps and bumps).
Comfortable clothing for the evenings: aching legs are inevitable after about three days hard snowboarding (make sure there’s something loose-fitting in the suitcase for evening relaxation).
Smart clothes for the evening - ski resorts have surprisingly wild night-life so be prepared! But don’t go overboard – you want to be fresh and on the slopes for that first lift…

Snowboarding Travel Guide

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