There are just so many people missing out on one of the funnest, most exhilarating activities in existence simply because it is just so damn expensive. But the fact of the matter is, it doesn't have to be. See I started out like everyone else, spending way too much on my deck, boots, & clothes. I spent over $400 on my snowboard deck alone, another $150 on my pants, and another $200 on boots. OK, let's start off with the snowboarding deck. Why the heck did I spend so much? Well, for starters I knew virtually nothing about snowboards at the time and basically picked the deck that I thought had the coolest graphics on it. This is not the way you should pick your board! It was a HUGE mistake. It was a World Industries deck, which ended up splitting at the nose towards the end of my second season. What a waste of hard-earned dough! And considering the fact that in those days, I was 17 or 18 and making $4.35 per hour, the word waste proves to be a tremendous understatement.
I bought a Vision board afterwards for $100, which has lasted me well over 10 years now. And you can easily find a decent board at a sports shop for this amount of money, or you can go on craigslist.com and get a used one. Just make sure you check it out thoroughly for damage. One important thing to keep in mind, the shorter your board, the slower you go & vice versa. Furthermore, a shorter board provides for easier maneuvering especially for tricks. However, the downside is that you will go slower, which may not sound that bad if you're a beginner but there are times when the sun makes the snow so soft & slushy that you'll be praying for a longer board so you can keep moving and just get down the damn mountain! By the way, if you're not sure what constitutes a short board, I use a pretty short board; it's a 144, and I'm 5'8" and 170lbs.
But I digress, the main bullet point of this article is that you don't need to spend a boat-load of cash to snowboard. At the same time, I do NOT recommend renting because it will cost you about $30, which if used wisely can probably pay for a used pair of boots or half the cost of a used snowboard on craigslist. This way, you're covered every time you go. Even if you only go a few times a year, it's a worthwhile investment. As for clothing, the most important item is your snowboarding pants. They should definitely be waterproof unless you don't mind having a freezing cold and wet keister. And if you are indeed a beginner, you will be spending quite a bit of time on your butt. Keep in mind it doesn't take much time at all for snow to seep through clothes that are not waterproof or semi-waterproof.
Finally, make sure you take advantage of all the deals and discounts out there. In addition, I usually wait until after the holiday season, before I go snowboarding because the holiday prices are simply RIDICULOUS! And for all you SoCal residents, Snow Valley may not be the largest ski resort, but it is closer than Bear Mountain & Snow Summit and tends to offer better deals. It also has a terrain park wicked enough keep the pro happy while still feasible for the intermediate. Also, keep your eyes & ears open to your local radio stations and their websites for upcoming deals! Have fun up there & stay safe!
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