# Definition of beginner/intermediate/advanced?



## Guest

I've searched but can't find anything... what defines a beginner, intermediate, or advanced rider?

I know, it's been said several times before - you should just ride for your own satisfaction and enjoyment and not worry about fitting into some label. I agree, but... I'm sure knowing roughly what category I'm in would come in handy when signing up for lessons, buying boards, or just having some goals to shoot for.


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## Guest

Hmmm, can you explain the dynamic carved turns? im trying to figure out where im at, i thin im between intermediate and advanced.


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## Guest

Dynamic, opposite of simplistic :dunno:


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## Guest

Snowolf said:


> <snip>


Thanks! Looks like I'm in the intermediate/advanced boat too (but can't do anything from the expert column). Can you make a decent living as a snowboard instructor? I'm moving back to the US next year, have no idea what I'm going to do when I get back, and teaching snowboarding sounds cool.

I'm confused on the difference between regular and dynamic turns too. Also, what's typical for a black diamond in the US? I can ride blacks here but they're probably not real blacks... max. gradient around 40 degrees, average between 20-30, usually covered in big moguls.


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## Guest

Ok... I'm pretty confused, so I dug up this discussion - How to carve on a snowboard??? - Techniques & Styles Forum @ ABC-of-Snowboarding - where you (I'm guessing it's you... there can't be too many Snowolves out there, right?) said, "a Dynamic carved turn (or even a dynamic skidded turn) is officially defined by AASI as having an edge change prior to reaching the fall line." So it's basically just a really quick turn? 

For example, let's say I'm doing a heelside turn, and I haven't reached the apex of the turn yet. Before I reach the apex of the turn (nose becoming parallel with fall line), I make a toeside turn. Is that a dynamic turn?


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## Guest

Last year I started really improving in speed and carving and I remember a particular point when I realized at certain speeds I could ride my down hill edge while I was still close to perpendicular with the fall line of the slope so long as I was beginning to initiate a turn, where as I used to fall on my ass instantly if my down hill edge caught and the only time I'd transition from edge to edge was when I was close to parrellel with the fall line or pointing down hill. 

does that make sense? trying to use the right terminology, but would this be considered dynamic carving?


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## Guest

Interesting thread. I think I really need to learn how to dynamic carve. I just started snowboarding about a month ago and I've been out 5 or 6 times. I took a lesson the first day at Holiday Valley on the east coast and spent the entire first day on the bunny hill learning to link my heel and toe side turns. I can now do this with ease on both greens and blues. I can do ollie's on fairly level terrain and small jumps but that's about it. Yesterday I went down some black diamonds for the first time and it was a blast. 


Whenever I board I make sure that am I'm linking my turns (aka carving?) except for when I'm on the diamonds or a steep blue because I get too much speed so I resort to doing garlands to control my speed. 

The problem that I have is picking up speed and riding straight down the hill or linking my turns without busting into a garland. From this topic it looks like if I learn dynamic carving then I will be more comfortable picking up speed and I won't be braking heelside when linking my turns (aka garlands)

Would I still be considered intermediate? Even though I'm going so slow? What's the key to making the jump to dynamic turns? Will it come naturally as I get more experience or is there something I can do my next time out to actually start doing the dynamic carves?


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## Guest

Lately I've just been really feeling comfortable on my board everywhere on my good side. Just feels like another extension of me as of lately. So I've been experimenting with different ways to ride blacks and at first just copied the carvers and rode like they did. Then I started to experiment again yesterday during my warmup runs on the blacks before venturing into the terrain park, and I realized I could control my board with a pendulum effect underneath me, but had no idea what to call it. Really stoked to know that I discovered dynamic carving. I love freeriding, but there's nowhere to really freeride around here. I end up at the bottom of a black in just over a minute, if that, on most runs. 500-700ft of vertical for the lose .


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## BRsnow

I can ride the blacks on a very hard mountain carving and riding large moguls, can do tree runs and smaller cliff drops...but totally consider myself a beginner...I can ride these is good form and comfortable, but some of the guys I ride with and others I see on the mountain really show me just how far I am from being at a higher level....Ben


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## Guest

I have about 30 days of ridding under my belt, those days in life span of 3 seasons. I think I am between intermediate and advance, and more addicted to this sport than ever. But I do have to say that my board is really holding me back, it is an older board, very stiff and horrible for powder conditions. I tried my friends board on the last day of riding in Jay peak and I was amazed of how much better I was on that board. I have to get a new board this upcoming season. Can't wait until next year that I move from the flatlands of hot south Florida, to somewhere with a bit more snow.


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## Guest

The plot thickens !

The video and diagram helped me out a lot... Thanks! Next question: how do you *not* ride dynamically? I'm pretty sure I ride similarly to your video example all the time.

I know... I really should just go take a lesson, but I'm afraid of big scary Japanese words .


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## NateReis

Hey, i'm fairly new to the Snowboard scene and I had a few questions.

I know i'm in the beginner area because i've only been snowboarding about 5-6 times, but I am currently looking to buy my first board.

I already know I want a True Twin with a Hybrid Rocker, but i'm not sure where I should be looking for a board.

I was looking at the Flow Era 156cm because i'm 5'7" and weigh about 200-210 lbs. Would this board be a good suit for me as a beginner or should i go for something else. Spending budget is around 200-250$ preferrably.

Any thoughts?


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## AIRider

I cannot wait till snow fuckin falls!!!! I am sooooo stoked


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## gjsnowboarder

NateReis said:


> Hey, i'm fairly new to the Snowboard scene and I had a few questions.
> 
> I know i'm in the beginner area because i've only been snowboarding about 5-6 times, but I am currently looking to buy my first board.
> 
> I already know I want a True Twin with a Hybrid Rocker, but i'm not sure where I should be looking for a board.
> 
> I was looking at the Flow Era 156cm because i'm 5'7" and weigh about 200-210 lbs. Would this board be a good suit for me as a beginner or should i go for something else. Spending budget is around 200-250$ preferrably.
> 
> Any thoughts?


It would be better to post this in a seperate post and included information on foot size, general location riding in, and if you have any desires for parts of the mountain you want to ride. i.e. park, steeps, groomers, backcountry, trees, etc. Posting in an unrelated three year old post that is not related to an equipment question won't lead to the best results.


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## snoburn

*http://www.snowboardingforum.com/snowboarding-general-chat/4221-definition-beginner-i*

Well, Classing your skill set really depends on your 'Comfort' Skill level, not so much time experience, on our mountains in (NZ) the slopes are graded as such: Green= beginner, blue= intermediate, black diamond= expert, this is a guide not to be ignored but at the same time, most of us can learn faster by being thrown into the deep end! however if you can ride down a green run 'comfortably*' (*i.e. riding the length of the run whilst avoiding others, planning turns & executing those turns as planned & not falling over!), also at the same time you might find the blue run to be a challenge then you should consider calling yourself an intermediate rider. 
It is from this point you should try to work on adding speed to your skill set, with a bit of speed you can point your board and use only your edge to direct yourself in the direction you need to gain traction. From here, handling speed is the only thing that will allow you to start to understand the Holy dynamic carve. Once you can feel a PENDULUM action in your turn you now possess the building blocks to master the shift of weight required during the transition of a dynamic turn, with the addition of skills earned through your exit angle desired, as per slope over g-force compensation, your turns will follow through from one to the next. Exercise trial error to achieve a dynamic carve. once you find blue runs comfortable and are achieving pure carves then you may consider yourself advanced, then when taking on the Fabled Black diamond & you make it out without breaking bones & like it enough to go for seconds you can call your level advanced. In saying this, at this level the appropriate equipment matched to rider is essential. Then you will take on any challenge on pieste or back country and arrive at the chairlift laughing then, only then you may call yourself a veteran!
Cheers, 
Adam.


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## AntipodeanSam

snoburn said:


> Well, Classing your skill set really depends on your 'Comfort' Skill level, not so much time experience, on our mountains in (NZ) the slopes are graded as such: Green= beginner, blue= intermediate, black diamond= expert, this is a guide not to be ignored but at the same time, most of us can learn faster by being thrown into the deep end! however if you can ride down a green run 'comfortably*' (*i.e. riding the length of the run whilst avoiding others, planning turns & executing those turns as planned & not falling over!), also at the same time you might find the blue run to be a challenge then you should consider calling yourself an intermediate rider.
> It is from this point you should try to work on adding speed to your skill set, with a bit of speed you can point your board and use only your edge to direct yourself in the direction you need to gain traction. From here, handling speed is the only thing that will allow you to start to understand the Holy dynamic carve. Once you can feel a PENDULUM action in your turn you now possess the building blocks to master the shift of weight required during the transition of a dynamic turn, with the addition of skills earned through your exit angle desired, as per slope over g-force compensation, your turns will follow through from one to the next. Exercise trial error to achieve a dynamic carve. once you find blue runs comfortable and are achieving pure carves then you may consider yourself advanced, then when taking on the Fabled Black diamond & you make it out without breaking bones & like it enough to go for seconds you can call your level advanced. In saying this, at this level the appropriate equipment matched to rider is essential. Then you will take on any challenge on pieste or back country and arrive at the chairlift laughing then, only then you may call yourself a veteran!
> Cheers,
> Adam.


Haha, Adam great to see another nz boarder on here, however I warn you resurrecting a thread that hasn't been touched for two years may get you some stick from the regulars, don't let it put you off the place, they are friendly once you get to know them  See you over at "calling all NZ boarders" Sam


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## wrathfuldeity

snoburn said:


> Well, Classing your skill set really depends on your 'Comfort' Skill level, not so much time experience, on our mountains in (NZ) the slopes are graded as such: Green= beginner, blue= intermediate, black diamond= expert, this is a guide not to be ignored but at the same time, most of us can learn faster by being thrown into the deep end! however if you can ride down a green run 'comfortably*' (*i.e. riding the length of the run whilst avoiding others, planning turns & executing those turns as planned & not falling over!), also at the same time you might find the blue run to be a challenge then you should consider calling yourself an intermediate rider.
> It is from this point you should try to work on adding speed to your skill set, with a bit of speed you can point your board and use only your edge to direct yourself in the direction you need to gain traction. From here, handling speed is the only thing that will allow you to start to understand the Holy dynamic carve. Once you can feel a PENDULUM action in your turn you now possess the building blocks to master the shift of weight required during the transition of a dynamic turn, with the addition of skills earned through your exit angle desired, as per slope over g-force compensation, your turns will follow through from one to the next. Exercise trial error to achieve a dynamic carve. once you find blue runs comfortable and are achieving pure carves then you may consider yourself advanced, then when taking on the Fabled Black diamond & you make it out without breaking bones & like it enough to go for seconds you can call your level advanced. In saying this, at this level the appropriate equipment matched to rider is essential. Then you will take on any challenge on pieste or back country and arrive at the chairlift laughing then, only then you may call yourself a veteran!
> Cheers,
> Adam.


U must be Adam--the zombie jesus from down under...btw jesus was also a zombie....and most of us are jesus-like...but we mostly ride on water and generally hate to walk on it.


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## snoburn

*Zombie Jesus.*

Interesting, during summer i am a bearded carpenter and wear sandals... but during winter i wear a Rossignoll.


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