# Newb with dumb questions



## Johns777 (Aug 21, 2013)

Hey everyone,

Lemme introduce myself, I am 31 male and never snowboarded in my life. I am moving soon to North Japan and wanted to buy a board stateside to familarize myself on it some and because they are expensive over there. 

I bought a used World Industries board, no clue how old it is and it came with Tech Nine bindings. Think they are size large, I dont have boots so I cannot tell if they fit well. I wear a 9 tennis shoe and they are maxed out and loose. Work better if I use combat boots but dont know how similar they are to snowboard boots. 

1st stupid Q: Is there a front and back to the board? I want to set it up for goofy style because thats how I used to skate. 

2nd Q: Will I F'up my ankles using the current bindings?

3rd Q: Any place I can find the specs on the board so it can be re-sharpened?

Thank you for your patience and help - John


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## cav0011 (Jan 4, 2009)

1st stupid Q: Is there a front and back to the board? I want to set it up for goofy style because thats how I used to skate.
Depends on the model of the board. General rule of thumb is if any text is written width wise on the board, the top of the letters will point towards the nose of the board.

2nd Q: Will I F'up my ankles using the current bindings?
If you have poorly fitting boots and/or a poor binding fit it is possible. Boot fit way more important then binding fit.
3rd Q: Any place I can find the specs on the board so it can be re-sharpened?
Take it to any shop and they can tune it for you.


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## Banjo (Jan 29, 2013)

You need proper snowboard boots...you will f'up your ankles riding in tennis shoes. Most people agree this is the most important part of your gear...but if you havent ever snowboarded, i would rent and be sure you like it before shelling out the dough.

Technine bindings size LARGE are for 10+ feet....you may need smaller bindings.

Most boards have a "front" and "back" an easy way to tell is if the board has any writing/text on the top, you will be able to read it right side up if you are standing at the back.

Any ski/snowboard shop should be able to do an edge sharpen for you, no specs required.


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## Johns777 (Aug 21, 2013)

Thanks for the help. I do plan on getting boots at some point, prolly going to take a lesson in november and then go from there if I like it. Not going to use it with tennis shoes or normal boots. Based on your replies the person before me rode normal based on how the bindings were mounted. Prolly going to try to trade or sell the bindings then. Just not much of a market in Florida. Any way I can sharpen the board myself? I have a bunch of tools and am a pro mechanic so it should be something I can handle.


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## Banjo (Jan 29, 2013)

for sure you could sharpen it yourself...if your a mechanic, it wont be that challenging for you.

youtube "how to sharpen a snowboard", watch a few and give it a whirl. dont take too much off.


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## tony10 (Jun 15, 2013)

1 if the board is bigger on one end then that end is for sure the "front" if not it may be a twin.

2 you dont have to get rid of the bindings, just switch them to the opposite side of the board. and dont ride without snowboard boots.

3 you can take it to any shop at a mountain and they should be able to sharpen it for you / you can sharpen it yourself but i suggest using a file guide


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## Mystery2many (Aug 14, 2013)

I would bet that the edges on you're board are sharp enough for your beginning battles of learning to snowboard. I would focus on the fundamental basics and learning your equipment. I would research how to set up your board and how to get started. You don't wanna jump into it blindly, it can be very dangerous if not aware. When you have a better grip on how it all works, you could look into waxing and tuning your board. 

I use a swix edging tool that maintains the proper degree needed. If you free hand it with a file, you will do more damage then good.


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## Johns777 (Aug 21, 2013)

Awesome replies everyone! I am going to wait on sharpening and waxing the board for now and try it a few times first and see what happens. That swix tool looks pretty cool and won't be a bad investment later. 

I encountered one problem when switching it to goofy.... The bindings wont tighten down all the way now with the screws it has. Thinking I should go to Lowes tomorrow and find some a tiny bit shorter?


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

Skip Lowe's take it to a real shop and explain your situation. Your new, can you show me how to set it up, pay to have it tuned and try on some boots while you are there. If you end up buying some boots maybe they'll tune it up for free or a discount possibly.
I wonder if the inserts are stripped or the screws are messed up.


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## Johns777 (Aug 21, 2013)

Thats a good idea, only for the fact I am in Florida and there are no snow shops anywhere close to here.


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## tony10 (Jun 15, 2013)

when you tighten the bolts make sure you "start" all of them before you actually tighten them. dont do them one by one or you can mess the inserts up. snug them all up at first (not too much!) just so that they arent rattling around and then tighten them.


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## tony10 (Jun 15, 2013)

another good idea would be to hit up youtube and learn how to mount them. it can be extremely confusing learning on your own. i think youtube is actually your best bet if you dont have a shop


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## hktrdr (Apr 3, 2012)

It never hurts to get the edges re-done, but in Japan it would not be a major concern. And as other have mentioned, any shop will do it for you.

More generally, I would recommend taking some lessons *on rental gear* even though the OP already has the deck. 
The instructor/school will help set the gear up and make sure it fits (together). That way our newbie friend will not have to worry about gear initially - there are certainly enough other things to keep in mind when starting out.


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## Lagomorphic (Jan 9, 2013)

Johns777 said:


> Thats a good idea, only for the fact I am in Florida and there are no snow shops anywhere close to here.


Are you sure there are no shops near you? My family's in Florida, so I've looked into shops there. This site might be helpful: http://www.skisite.com/shopsList.cfm?state=FL

Also, they don't always advertise it, but some of the surf shops also service snowboards.


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