# Newbie with buyer remorse



## droussel (Mar 12, 2017)

Hi!

I'm 37 and started snowboarding last winter. I'm from around Montréal and I've ridden for about 15 hours on location equipment. I was feeling pretty good about it, wasn't catching edges anymore, I was starting to practice carved turns (not very good at it yet though) and felt I was progressing nicely. 

I decided I wanted to continue further and that it would be worth it to get my own equipment. I went shopping and came home with the following :

- Nortwave Freedom SL boots
- Drake Fifty bindings
- Nitro Team Gullwing 152 board

I am 5'6", 165 pounds

It was with trepidation that I went out to try my new gear today and damn did it hurt! The snow was very very hard and icy as it was over 0 Celsius a few days this week and -15 today. I don't know if it's the new equipment or the snow condition, but I felt like I was almost back to square 1. I could turn heel side to toe side pretty well but I was catching my edge all the time when doing a toe to heel side turn. I hurt my tailbone and back pretty hard and was scared for my last 2-3 runs so I called it a day. 

It felt like the board didn't want to turn. Even when I would come to a halt on my toes, I'd put weight on my front foot and just when the front of the board was beginning to "fall" downward, the edge was catching. It was very frustrating and very painful!

Do you think I might have got a too advanced board for my level? Or could it simply be that the trail was too hard/icy this time around? I'm afraid I might have bought the wrong board as it felt a lot easier on the rental one :frown:


----------



## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

droussel said:


> Hi!
> 
> I'm 37 and started snowboarding last winter. I'm from around Montréal and I've ridden for about 15 hours on location equipment. I was feeling pretty good about it, wasn't catching edges anymore, I was starting to practice carved turns (not very good at it yet though) and felt I was progressing nicely.
> 
> ...


boards with that profile can be a little tricky learning on, i'd blame the conditions before the board tho, those conditions just arrent fun to learn on at all.

imo u gotta get some finer turn technique involving twist and lift when you switch edges, a clean transition. the easiest way to do this probably a lesson but more time is really the trick too.

the learning curve on snowboarding is pretty short and steep imo, its not the hardest thing to do, but until it clicks, scorpions and butt smashes are your life. scorpions and butt smashes on hardpack can be season or career ending.

also go slower


----------



## Kenai (Dec 15, 2013)

Snowboarding on ice is no fun. Before you get too sore, buy some impact shorts and learn to fall!


----------



## SnowDragon (Apr 23, 2012)

A gullwing profile should make catching edges an infrequent occurrence.
Probably a combination of the conditions and your learning curve led you to a difficult day of riding.


----------



## MMSlasher (Mar 18, 2016)

Kenai said:


> Snowboarding on ice is no fun. Before you get too sore, buy some impact shorts and learn to fall!


If your local hill is constantly like you mentioned, I would definitely get some impact shorts. Even if it isn't, since you are just learning they will help you overcome the fear of falling. A tailbone injury is no fun.


----------



## kalev (Dec 17, 2013)

Wait for a warmer day when the snow is soft and getting slushy 

You will likely have a much better day - don't give up!

New gear always takes a bit to get used to


----------



## droussel (Mar 12, 2017)

Thanks everyone for your input, it's quite appreciated! 

So, I read about crash pants on the forum and have ordered a pair of AzzPadz D3O. I also have a feeling that wrists guards could be a good thing; would you guys have a good suggestions for effective wrist guards that are not too bulky (so that they fit in my mits)?

We are supposed to get around 30cm of snow this week and temps will stay around -5 Celsius all week so hopefully the trail will be softer next weekend!



> finer turn technique involving twist and lift when you switch edges, a clean transition


Would you have a video that demonstrates this properly? I took lessons the first 2 times but the instructor never talked about twist. The last time, he told me to "open" and "close" my front knee to initiate a turn, would that be related?


----------



## Fielding (Feb 15, 2015)

I don't enjoy riding ice so I make every effort to a avoid it. Consider that some parts of your mountain may be icier than others. Some times of the day may be icier than others. Some parts of any given trail may be icier.... Figure out where and when to ride.


----------

