Traditional Bindings versus Flow bindings

This is an interesting topic to me because I have used both types of bindings for many years. I went from using traditionals to Flows and then back to traditionals for just this past year. I have to say both have there ups & downs. So for those of you who have no idea what the difference is, it's quite simple. The traditional binding is one that consists usually of 3 straps that crossover your boot and attach to the other side of the binding, thus strapping you in and connecting you to your snowboard. The advantage of this machine is that it provides for the ultimate tightness that is required for aggressive snowboarding. For example, if you were to go down an entire run taking jumps left and right, grinding on rails, or just taking numerous sharp turns, your feet, ankles, and shins would likely hurt more if your bindings were not adjusted to an appropriate level of tightness. Furthermore, if you take a jump and attempt a stunt, such as a 360 (which is one full rotation while in the air), you are more likely to perform and land it better if your bindings are on right. The disadvantage to the traditional binding is that the process of taking it off and on is much more of a hassle than with the Flow binding. And as you know, unlike skiers, us boarders are forced to remove our rear boot from our binding every time we want to get on the chair lift.

The Flow binding, on the hand, works similarly to the traditional binding with the exception that it allows for the binding to be set to a specific fit or level of tightness, and will then open up in the back (where the back of your heel starts to the upper ankle), allowing for your boot to simply slide in or out with the greatest of ease. Now, once this portion of the binding is down and you've slid your boot in, you can then lift this part of the binding up into place and it will lock and secure your boot into place. It is very convenient considering that as snowboarder, we have to remove our rear boot from our binding at the end of every run. The bad side is that although the binding has safely secured your boot to your board, it just isn't able to accomplish the same level of tightness as a traditional binding, which is why the greater majority of professional snowboarders out there do not use Flow bindings. With that said, if you are not trying to win any medals or take crazy jumps, I would definitely recommend the Flow binding. The convenience of slipping your boot on and off surely is significant, and if I didn't love jumping so much I would go back to them in a heart beat!

Snowboarding And Drinking?

Throughout the duration of one's snowboarding trip, many people like to have a drink or two, especially when accompanied by a friend or a decent sized group. Although I don't see anything wrong with throwing back one or two cold ones, it will have an effect on your body, no matter how good you can hold your beer or liquor. Some people say it warms them up or relaxes them so they're not so nervous about falling, but as for me, it seems to make me feel a bit sluggish. In addition, alcohol is a disinhibitor and will make you more likely to attempt something that you normally wouldn't. Also, it seems to decrease my skill level, which although slight, is enough to notice and make me shy away from having a drink in the first place. Furthermore, alcohol is also a diuretic, which means it increases one's frequency of urination. So, be expectant of many inconvenient trips to bathroom; or if you're unrefined like me, trips to a discreet area such as behind a tree or large bush <wink>.

What To Bring

Knowing the right amount of layers of clothing can be a tricky process. Here's why. When your body is at rest, you feel fine wearing more than when your body is exercising. Therefore, once you get going, you might find yourself wishing you had left something back at the car. Not only that, but as the day progresses, the sun will come out and you will feel it more and more. The best thing to do, is go out wearing enough to still feel a bit cold and as you begin to exercise, your body will naturally heat up, and you will start to feel fine.

Many people will require or at least benefit from bringing chap-stick as your lips will tend to dry out due to the cold, dry climate. I have, on many occasions, forgotten to bring some, and boy did I regret it! For the next three days, my lips were like two extra tough beef-jerkies!

Another important factor to keep in mind is that although you're in the cold mountains with snow all around you, the sun is ever present and in a way, more powerful. For starters, it seems to be doubly bright due to the fact that it is shining down on you as well as up at you from its reflection off the snow. Furthermore, that same reflection is going to hit your skin from both angles as well. For this reason, sunblock and shades or goggles are a must. Gloves are another essential. I've seen some weirdos go without them and have no idea why or how they do it. Good for them, but for the rest of us who actually have sensation in our hands and feel the cold, protect those paws!

Snow Consistency

One thing to keep in mind is that in Southern California, the snow consistency can frequently prove to be quite ambiguous. That is to say, it is not at all uncommon for the snow conditions to change from icy to just-right to slushy and everything in between! A passing cloud can cover the sun and cause the snow to harden. Other times the sun may hit certain areas so directly that it turns the snow to mush, making it virtually impossible to ride in. As stated in a previous article, slushy sow is best ridden or passed over with a longer board. I say passed over because when the slush is really bad, you're not really riding, you're just passing. For example, there have been times when my brother, who uses a longer board, will continue on slowly but sure and without too much difficulty, while leaving me behind, and at times forced to remove my bindings and hike passed the plateau while carrying my board in hand. Needless to say, this occurrence is not only inconvenient but downright tiring and annoying and will take away energy that should be used on riding the mountain!

The Chairlift Jitters

Alright people, now I don't mean to be THAT guy but, for the love of all that is good, can we do something about all the chairlift stops?!! For those of you who are new to skiing & snowboarding, the average chairlift ride will stop AT LEAST once before you get off, due to inexperienced riders freezing up in terror, and thus, simply not being able to get onto the chair properly. Is it because people in general don't know how to sit down on a moving chair? No! It's because of fear. Fear causes them to freak out and tense up making an otherwise simple task seem next to impossible. Now, if there were a couple of guys with guns chasing after them, I guarantee you we would have much less accidents. But it doesn't have to come to that. Look, all you gotta do if you're feeling squeamish about the chair or rather its speed, is inform the chair lift attendant that you would like him to slow it down for you or that you could use a little help. I'll take a chair lift slowing down any day over a chair lift stoppage!

Now it is true that there are many different kinds of chair-lifts, ranging from the newer, state of the art types to the older, broken down, beat up chair lifts. The newer chair lifts tend to be larger having space for as many as four passengers. On top of that, they tend to be much better cushioned and will slow down during the mounting process and then speed back up to increase safety and efficiency. These chairs are an absolute dream to ride on especially in comparison to the alternative. As for the older lifts, well they just suck! There is barely any cushion for your bottom and rarely any cushion for your back. Furthermore, they usually only seat 2 people, making it more difficult to find an adequate landing strip for your butt. In addition, they do NOT slow down at all during the mounting process, and will often shake quite a bit during this time as well as while it moves over a post. However, as stated earlier, any lift can be mounted especially if you let the attendant know that you require a little help. There's no shame in it. In fact, I myself would not only respect more those who ask for help, but also be grateful they prevented another stoppage. I should also point out the reason why stoppages are so inconvenient. You see, it is not just a matter of having to wait. Although, that in and of itself is annoying, the truth is it's really cold up there while your body is at rest. When you're going down the mountain, your body is working, and I mean really WORKING, so you're not really feeling the cold.

Turning For Noobies

Turning is not really something you can teach, it's really something you just have to do yourself. What I can tell you is balance is HUGE. If you've got good balance, you're half-way there. Basically, it's just using your legs to steer the board while at the same time leaning your body to one side either left to go left or right to move right. You know, I still remember my first skiing lesson about twenty years ago, and they told us to think of our legs as peanut butter and jam, meaning that we were to keep them together. Anyway, (enough with the nostalgia) when it comes to snowboarding, it's all about getting comfortable with moving forward in either stance; regular or goofy-footed. As you probably already know regular stance means left foot forward and goofy-footed means right foot forward. Chances are you will feel more comfortable with one stance in comparison to the other. It's all about getting comfortable with both. By the way, I should explain a little what I mean when I say comfortable because I talk about comfort and fear quite a bit. Well, in this context, I consider comfort to be the opposite of fear. Fear causes you to fall, and comfort allows to do whatever the heck you wanna do! Whether its jumping off a 10 foot jump, grinding on a rail, or hitting the half-pipe. It's as simple as that, at least in theory. In practice, doing these sorts of crazy stunts take years of hard work and diligence. But at the same time, its all super fun anyhow, even if you just want to be the occasional snowboarder with a decent amount of skill.

Jumping For Noobies

Jumping for me is the best part of snowboarding. In addition to the rush, jumping gives me a feeling of weightlessness and peace that, although brief, is enduring in its effect on the psyche. It truly is therapy, for me anyway. The most important thing to remember is that fear is, in my opinion, accountable for anywhere from 50% to 90% of why people fall. The best way to get good at jumping is to start small. Before you even attempt a jump, try jumping with your board on a flat surface. In fact, you don't even need to be on the slopes. You can do it at home on your carpet. Practice jumping on a flat surface until you feel somewhat comfortable with it. Once you feel ready to try jumping off of a real jump, don't.

First, scan your run for some smaller, easier jumps. Next, casually go over it. Get a feel of its angles, it's features, and its landing. This is gonna sound kind of funny, but get to know your jump. You can't see every part of the jump just by looking at it. You have to go over it. There are too many angles to see from one point of view. Remember, not only do you have the angles of the jump to worry about, but the angles of the slope as well; the areas before and after your jump. It's not like a skateboard ramp where everything is perfect, nice and neat. This is snow, a natural phenomenon, and there is no perfection in nature. Nature is perfectly imperfect. Once you feel comfortable with your jump, give it a shot. But at the same time, don't go crazy. Start off with a little hop and build from there. If you stick to it, eventually, you'll get comfortable enough to grab your board and start spinning in the air.

General Safety

This is probably the most important article because if followed consciously it will protect you from acquiring injuries. Although snowboarding is for the most part, a fairly safe activity, if done recklessly or carelessly, you can easily get yourself into a lot of trouble. Now then, for beginners, the most common way of acquiring an injury is by putting yourself into harm's way. That is to say, beginner's don't usually get hurt because they were attempting a back flip off of a giant jump. Although you can definitely get hurt by biting off more than you can chew, you are more likely to get hurt by getting in the way of another snowboarder and colliding with them. Now, depending on the speed at which each of you is going, the physical damage can range anywhere from a minor bump, cut or bruise, to a serious gash, concussion, or even death (although very rare).

So how do we avoid such collisions, well the most important thing to do is be alert and conscious of your surroundings. Although the responsibility of looking out for other boarders tends to fall primarily on the more advanced or faster-moving snowboarder, as a beginner it is your job to stay out of the way of “blind-spots” & “speed-friendly” areas. A speed-friendly area is any area that does not have a sign warning boarders and skiers to slow due to its high amount of traffic. It's usually just a big orange sign with black letters S-L-O-W held up with two thin poles. Now, a blind-spot is any area that prevents sufficient view of upcoming terrain until it is too late due to the angle of the mountain, a sharp turn, or some form of obstacle such as a tree or large rock.

I can't tell you how many times I've encountered a beginner move slowly over a jump just to get a feel of what it is like. This act in and of itself is not wrong. In fact it's a smart tactic that allows a snowboarder to become comfortable with every relevant aspect of the jump such as the lip , the plateau, and the landing. It's when the beginner lounges around or moves lazily around a jumping area and prevents others from enjoying the jump that it becomes a problem. Now some will argue that the other snowboarders should simply wait for the beginner to clear the area before attempting the jump. However, this is not always convenient or even possible. For example, there are many occasions where one is forced to simply avoid a jump altogether because stopping or slowing down would ruin the velocity required for the given jump. The most dangerous blind-spot is right after a large jump because there is absolutely no view of what's to come for the next boarder that wants to take the jump. So if you do happen to fall after a jump, be sure to give a friendly heads-up to people coming down. A simple yell such as “hold on!” following by “OK, clear!” should suffice. It's a matter of consideration. There'd be a whole lot less injuries if people were a bit more mindful of one another.

Pack A Lunch!

     I know what you're gonna say. "I don't mind spending $10 on a meal when I go up to snowboard," and although that doesn't seem like that significant an amount, when you factor in the cost of transportation/gas, lift ticket, and (God help you if you're paying) rental fees, you really should make an effort to keep your costs as low as possible. That is, unless you're different from most people and have managed to find a way to still have money to burn despite the our current economic climate, in which case, burn away. But if you're like most people, and don't have money to throw away, take heed, and keep in mind many people will order a beer with their meal in which case you can add an additional $5-$10.
     Yet despite the recession and the fact that these costs are ultimately unnecessary, most people simply do not pack a lunch! It's really strange actually, because when it comes to picnics, or beach visits, people don't seem to have a problem with bringing their own grub. Perhaps there is an unspoken rule amongst slope hitters about bringing food? Well, I for one am not above it and will remain unaffected by snooty and unsubstantiated notions of it being taboo.
     Now although most resorts will have a large dispenser from which you can pour into a cup, I recommend bringing plenty of water because it's very easy to dehydrate up there due to the high altitude. Plus I will usually drink water on the way up the mountain as well as on the way down. In addition, the water they have to offer is freezing cold so if you're like me and like your water at room temperature, all the more reason to bring your own H20. I will usually even carry a regular sized bottle in my pocket simply to avoid returning all the way back down the slopes to rehydrate.
     As for lunches, keep it simple. A sandwich kept in a plastic ziploc bag if kept inside a cooler with ice will await you intact & undiminished despite sitting in your sun-beaten car. Granola bars & fruits make for good sides because you can carry them on your person and they will give you the energy needed for snowboarding, which can be quite a strenuous and calorie-burning activity.

Smart Snowboarding For Beginners

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!