# Total Newbie to snowboarding - from NJ!



## DeltronZero000 (Nov 8, 2010)

Sup everybody! 
Obviously I'm new to these forums, yet not new to forums in general.
Well my name it Troy, I was born and raised in New Jersey and lived here my whole life. I live about a half-hour away from NYC and about 20 minutes from East Brunswick, NJ. I guess my "home" mountain would be Mountain Creek. Though I've never been there... Nor any other mountain. I know its sad, but everybody has to start somewhere. 

Right now, the fact stands, that I have never been to a Resort or even been on a snowboard. Yet, I have always wanted to. Just never really got that into it besides now. Growing up, I always liked snowboarding and have always wanted to learn. But now I think its the right time. 
I plan on going out this season and taking lessons from a resort. But I'm not sure which one to go to. There are so many mixed reviews about a lot of spots. Blue Mountain, Creek, Shawnee, Bear, JFBB, 7 Springs, etc... So I'm desperately trying to find the best place. A place where its not crowded, a good learning spot, and has good rentals/prices. 

I am super stoked about going out and finally being able to learn. For the last week I've been researching all different kinds of stuff. Info on gear, resorts, and all that stuff. 

Any advice would be appreciated!


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## GSXRBry (Nov 8, 2010)

Welcome to the the addiction..

I think the best time to take lessons is during the day/mid-week. Its less crowded so you'll get alittle better coaching from someone thats not busy watching 15 people. And there wont be that many people to see ya crash. lol

Before you go buying anything other than some gear, I'd suggest renting resort stuff. If you end up not liking the sport, then you're not out hundreds of bucks. Also, wear wrist guards! Busted wrists are a very common injury because its habit to throw your hands down when you fall. But stick with it regardless of how many times you dont think you'll ever figure it out. Good luck bro


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## baldylox (Dec 27, 2007)

Mt Snow will be open in a few weeks. Take a bus up and get a lesson. You'll lose a month of the season if you wait for the local resorts to open. And honestly, unless you get into park just skip the local resorts. We don't have the climate.


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## scotty860 (Sep 18, 2010)

i agree def take a lesson or two. last yr was my first yr and i feel it helped out soo much. it is worth the extra money. some mountains offer a first time rider rental package that are resonable if you are not sure if u are gonna like the sport b4 you buy all the gear. i did the oppisit i bought all the gear b4 i even rode so it forced me to keep going out but i love it now. good luck with your first season and dont let falling get you down keep getting back up because it is well worth it:thumbsup:


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## NYCboarder (Jan 26, 2008)

blue mountain has some good easy runs to learn on. I would reccomend that over creek. I don't know how the instructors are at either mountain. However i would say give blue a shot. If you dont like it give creek a shot. I never got lessons but, it def takes a few times to learn to ride. Like GSX said def do mid week. week days are the least crowded. and if possible i reccomend going 2 days in a row or 2times within 3 days. muscle memory will help you learn quicker.. Just my 2 cents


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

not sure how you learn but check out some videos, snowolf and snow board addiction have some great tutorials. I just started last year and these helped me a lot. Videos aren't for everyone but they are free and I picked up lots of good tips before I got on the slopes. 
It doesn't replace trial and error and the art of falling but it did help once I learned balance on the board.

Good luck and have fun, can't wait for this year.
-Slyder


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## baldylox (Dec 27, 2007)

If you have to learn locally, head to Camelbak. They've got a bigger wider bunny hill and slightly better snow.


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## JoeR (Oct 30, 2010)

1. Try to rent your gear in advance if possible. Some ski/snowboard shops near resorts are happy to accommodate such requests. If you rent from the resort, give yourself plenty of time to do it. Don't let yourself be rushed. Make sure the boots fit reasonably well and that you understand how to operate the bindings. If possible, ask them to adjust the bindings to make the stance more comfortable for you. If helmets are available to rent, rent one.

2. You should buy in advance: snowboard or ski gloves, snowboard socks (one or two pairs will do to start), snowboard pants, wrist guards, and soft knee pads. (You'll spend a fair amount of time on your knees at first.) I assume you already have some kind of suitable jacket. Don't worry about fancy base layers or long underwear at first; you won't be heading into a frigid zone, hopefully. Test the gloves with the wrist guards to make sure the gloves fit over the guards. If you can't rent a helmet, buy one. It's very easy to give your head a solid whack from a body slam suffered at a low speed. Oh, and padded shorts are optional.

3. If your scheduling is flexible, choose a day with good weather -- temp in the 20s (F), clear skies, recent snow, no recent rain. Ice is your enemy.

4. If you can afford it, take at least one private lesson, preferably several. Group lessons are less effective, and could quite poor. However, even a group lesson is better than no lesson at all. Snowboarding is not really an instinctive sport, and you'll have no "crutches" (poles, training wheels, skating rink walls, etc.) to hang onto while you're developing your balance. Understanding edge technique is the key, and a decent lesson will help a lot.

5. Buy your own board, boots and bindings as soon as you're ready to make a commitment to the sport. You will progress more quickly with consistent gear of good quality.


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## pontiuspylate (Oct 7, 2010)

slyder said:


> not sure how you learn but check out some videos, snowolf and snow board addiction have some great tutorials. I just started last year and these helped me a lot. Videos aren't for everyone but they are free and I picked up lots of good tips before I got on the slopes.
> It doesn't replace trial and error and the art of falling but it did help once I learned balance on the board.


I 100% agree with this statement! I didn't take lessons when I started. Instead I let the internet and youtube be my instructor. I watched tons of videos! Snowolf and Snowboard Addiction are some of the better ones out there. IMO Snowboard Addiction are the best ones out there! Remeber what you watched and then put it to practice once on the hill. I'm not saying don't go get lessons. By all means if you have some spare doe, go get lessons. Even if it is just one to get you through the initial stumbeling blocks. But if you are a little strapped for cash (like I am) there are other avenues of learning such as video's.

The best piece of advice I can give you is stick with it. The 1st day you will be on your ass A LOT. Dont let the falls discourage you. It's all apart of learning. Snowboarding is 90% mental and has a very steap learning curve. Believe and visualize that you can do it and more than likely you will. By the 3rd day you should at least be able to make turns and get down the bunny hill without falling. Once you learn how to link turns your skills will explode and the addiction begins.

Good luck and have fun!


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## DeltronZero000 (Nov 8, 2010)

Oh wow, I wasn't expecting such a awesome influx of replies. Must be an awesome community you all have around here! 

Thanks for all the info! It really helps. 

I've made the decision for when I go to a resort (still trying to decide which one is the right one) to rent the snowboard, binding and boots. I guess I'm going to have to buy some goggles, not sure if you can rent those at the resorts. I think I'm going to go to my local shop and buy a pair of OTG Goggles. I'm forced to where glasses, having 20/800 vision instead of 20/20, you NEED glasses. Yah, Im totally blind. 

Im also going to hit up the local stores to find a cheap pair of waterproof or snowboard/ski pants. I don't have the money for a pair of $70 official snowboard pants. I'll most likely get a pair of wrist guards and some warm gloves. 

I'm going to take some form of lessons. Yet, I do pick up things pretty quickly (Thankfully). I hope my past years of skateboarding will help a little. Like others said, I have watched a lot of how to videos and training videos. Hopefully that will also add a little to how fast I learn.




cifex said:


> Mt Snow will be open in a few weeks. Take a bus up and get a lesson. You'll lose a month of the season if you wait for the local resorts to open. And honestly, unless you get into park just skip the local resorts. We don't have the climate.


If I could go all the way to Vermont I would. But 5 hours away is a little to much for right now. I'll stick to the Poconos. I know they get a lot of ice, but you have to use what you got if you want to ride. That's how I see it.


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## MistahTaki (Apr 24, 2010)

DeltronZero000 said:


> Oh wow, I wasn't expecting such a awesome influx of replies. Must be an awesome community you all have around here!
> 
> Thanks for all the info! It really helps.
> 
> ...


it will save your life if you have snow pants with waterproofing with 8k or higher and nice gloves is also a must. for the first time you are going to be on you butt the whole time so i suggest investing in nice pants if you intend on getting into the sport


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## JoeR (Oct 30, 2010)

DeltronZero000 said:


> If I could go all the way to Vermont I would. But 5 hours away is a little to much for right now. I'll stick to the Poconos. I know they get a lot of ice, but you have to use what you got if you want to ride. That's how I see it.


I agree that you should stay close to home. You have enough things to worry about without planning an expedition too.

However, as I indicated in my initial post in this thread, you must avoid ice at first. Grudgingly putting up with ice as a veteran East Coast rider is not the same thing as trying to cope with it as a beginner. A first day on ice is hellish (I speak from experience). Check the snow reports at your intended resort regularly, and look for a day when there haven't been any warm spells or rain for a good while, and the snow conditions have been decent for multiple days in a row. If you see "groomed granular" or the like on Thursday, you can bet the slopes will remain inhospitable for learning over the weekend, unless a blizzard intervenes.


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