# 1. time on board - Selflearnin'



## PaoloSmythe (Aug 19, 2007)

i self taught from being completely and absolutely clueless. seriously i was a mountain sports virgin.

it took 3 days of knee and arse bruising frustration

but on day 4, i could go more or less anywhere

instruction is useful but not vital


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## Phenom (Dec 15, 2007)

Take a lesson


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## NYCboarder (Jan 26, 2008)

take a lesson.. it took me a whole day of frustration to get the concept of edges after multiple faceplants into the snow.. and once you get the lesson you should attempt to hit the slopes consecutive days or atleast 2 times in that week, thats what made me actually put what i learned into practice right away


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## Guest (Jan 28, 2008)

My friend and I taught ourslelves on the greens. On the 3rd day we were able to venture off and hit some of the harder slopes. Just study the more advanced boarders.


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## Guest (Feb 11, 2008)

i tought my self 

and idk why but i learned so quick it was wierd

i spent like 20 min on the bunny hill maybe an hour on the green runs 

another 2 hours goin down blue runs

by the end of the day i was able to black diamonds without fallling


and now where i am today snowboarding feels so natural and i am really comfortable riding on most terrain except moguls(havent had a chance to try those)i can destroy the black diamonds and everything feels really easy

i think that playing ice hockey for 11 years of my life helped a lot cuz it teaches balance and you rotate your hips and shoulders in a similar motion to that of snowboarding

im glad i learned fast cuz ive been enjoying riding since


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## sedition (Feb 8, 2007)

Take a lesson.

Often people who are self-taught have really bad/sloppy habits and style for a long time after. They are hard to get rid off. Some people *never* get rid of them. A lesson will help you grasp the concept of what your supposed to be doing, and not doing. The only thing it can do is help, whereas self-teaching can get you into some bad habits, not to mention take a lot longer to learn.


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## Guest (Feb 13, 2008)

i also completely agree with the above and also more importantly, people that self learn look like tools for quite a while..what with the bailing every other second


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## sedition (Feb 8, 2007)

snowblind said:


> look like tools for quite a while..what with the bailing every other second


Right. Cause it's all about looking cool, right?


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## NYCboarder (Jan 26, 2008)

snowblind said:


> i also completely agree with the above and also more importantly, people that self learn look like tools for quite a while..what with the bailing every other second


not true. I taught myself, however it would have been easier if i had the money to take a lesson.. thats why i recommend taking a lesson to everyone. also, if someone is learning for the first time with an instructor or on their own they will be bailing often i see it a lot. 
Don't put people who are learning down, everyone was at that point at some point. Just let them to stick in there and don't give up..

now i sound like a motivational speaker so i will stop....:laugh:


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## PaoloSmythe (Aug 19, 2007)

sedition said:


> Often people who are self-taught have really bad/sloppy habits and style for a long time after.


_often _but not always!

i'm self taught, from complete ignorance. and when after about 8 years, my CASI evaluator gave my riding 8/10 (altho she did share some tips of refinement)

she had only ever given 10/10 once in her career, to a member of the woman's australian olympics freestyle team.

so i took my 8 as a compliment.


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