# How long did it take you?



## Guest (Feb 15, 2008)

Just curious how long it took everyone to learn to snowboard? About how many hours did you ride your board before you could carve down a blue without falling? I have ridden about 15 hours so far- thats 5 sessions for about 3 hours each time. I can ride some greens without falling, I dont turn very gracefully yet though....


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## PaoloSmythe (Aug 19, 2007)

about 10 hours from complete ignorance. defo no more than 15. ie. 3 days

wouldn't say i was 'carving' tho


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## nerve (Feb 14, 2008)

How long did it take to really feel I could handle a blue properly? I'd say atleast 2-4 weeks of riding time. I've been riding for 13 years, but only about 10 days worth of riding a year. I can say it took me almost 3-4 years to feel really comfortable and actually carve properly. Considering in the first 2 years I took lessons almost everytime with the same teacher.

Don't try compare to other people's progression. Everyone is different. Much of it comes down to courage and being able to carve properly. Many people are afraid of going from one edge to another at speeds. Or even just switching sides all together. Going from toe to heel to toe to heel. Also, speed is a factor. How fast do you think you should be going down the blue? Are you just trying to slow S carve it, side to side? Are you trying to progress downward with a tight carve and ride it smoothly? 

Honestly, in the end you really shouldn't compare to other people's time to progress. Learn to be a aggressive, try harder runs and learn how to handle those runs, ultimately that will teach you to become a better rider. Atleast I think so.

It doesn't come down to how fast you'll be able to ride a blue, but how WELL you will ride it. Learn to ride it properly along with learning to handle those certain situations that are different from the greens.

Also each mountain has its own definition of green and blue. If you're in VT, a blue is the equiv to a Black Diamond in the NY catskills mountains. It all depends on where you ride as well. A blue at an NY mountain will be the same as a green at a VT mountain.


Again, just learn to ride properly and ride smart. Don't worry about timing. Its like with working out. People want results fast rather than learning proper technique. Technique is the most important thing to progress.


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## boarderaholic (Aug 13, 2007)

About half a season to learn how to turn, and the carving is an infinately on going process for me...


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## Guest (Feb 15, 2008)

I'd say about 10 sessions over 2 years. A lot of pain and humiliation was involved in the process. I also learned at Bear Mtn which involves a lot of ice. If I could have learned on powder I'm guessing it wouldn't have taken so long. Not to mention my equipment was probably the worst on the mountain.


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## Guest (Feb 15, 2008)

It took about 4 days at 4 hours each to do well enough to enjoy myself. It took another 2 or 3 to get really comfortable. And I didn't really bloom till this year, but it all came flooding back and then some on the first day. I was flat out ripping by my second time out this year.


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## Guest (Feb 15, 2008)

just started this year ... approximately 10 days of riding ... 4 to 6 hours each day ...

even with all of the falling and the injuries, i like the sport even more now then before. now i just learn to do a thing a day, work on stance, edges, turns, etc. hopefully another year and i will have everything figure out


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## Guest (Feb 15, 2008)

Ive got turning down and all. I say it took me a total of 20 hours of ride time to get. But no matter how long you ride you will always be learning and changing the way you ride.


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## Guest (Feb 15, 2008)

Metalhead505 said:


> Ive got turning down and all. I say it took me a total of 20 hours of ride time to get. But no matter how long you ride you will always be learning and changing the way you ride.


so very true, even learning i notice i do something different every time ... then i end up having trouble remembering the next time i hit the slopes ...


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## Guest (Feb 16, 2008)

I've rode a total of about 8 times, all this season. I was craving by my second time and riding the Greens pretty easily. I spent the next two times just staying around the greens and learning to transition and worked alot on heelside stopping, by the end of my 3rd day, I had tried my first blue and beefed it pretty hard toeside. By the end of my 4th day, I could ride the blues but at a pretty slow pace. The next three was spent on the greens and blues just getting my wits for speed and trying to polish my transitions at speed. Today, I rode the blues pretty much all day and worked on having some fun and taking what I've learned and taught myself and using it on the hill. I've only tried the Black Diamonds once, and I'm not ready for them yet.

I've found that if you just kinda set you mind and work on one thing at a time and get pretty good at it and used to the way it should feel, then it all kinda falls together nicely. I've also never skied which I'm told can make it harder to learn snowboarding. just stay with it, and you'll be shreddin in no time.


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## Guest (Feb 16, 2008)

I was actually only riding for about 3 hours before i was carving down a couple blues, but i think thats just because previously i had been skateboarding/longboarding for years and years.


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## BRsnow (Jan 26, 2008)

I would not put too much stock on the color rating for the runs. The mountain I ride mostly only has blues and blacks and the blacks all have intense moguls fields, cliff drops and the such. I was riding breck a week or so ago and was amazed at how much more tame and flat the blues and blacks are in comparison to where I normally run. Each place is different...but for the most part greens are just blues with more flat spots....


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## Guest (Feb 16, 2008)

4 full days of riding. woke up, drove 2 hours to the mountain, bought my setup and rode all day and night. drove back home 2 hours. next day repeat (except the buying part). over and over. finally on the fourth day it just clicked.


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## Guest (Feb 16, 2008)

dont want to sound like an ass bragging, but i am gonna have to say it (guess because i have skateboarded my whole life)

2-3 hours and i could go down the black diamond fine, switching from full speed to carving, and back


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## Guest (Feb 16, 2008)

FrankDaTank089 said:


> dont want to sound like an ass bragging, but i am gonna have to say it (guess because i have skateboarded my whole life)
> 
> 2-3 hours and i could go down the black diamond fine, switching from full speed to carving, and back


 Wow. Crazy. Really?


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## Guest (Feb 16, 2008)

yea, like i said, im not trying to sound cocky, but he asked, lol.

like i said, skateboarding i guess.


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## Guest (Feb 16, 2008)

After a few hours I could do skidded turns and right at the end of the day I started linking them. That's all I had wanted to be able to do on my first day, so I felt pretty damn good about it. :laugh:


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## scottland (Jan 8, 2008)

By the very end of my 2nd day was I was linking skidded turns, and it progressed rapidly from there.


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