# Fear



## Pipes (Jan 30, 2012)

Hey, i have been riding for i think 6 years now (I'm 16) and i can carve up a storm regular. and i am beginning to learn switch, i can get down a hill without falling, but i cant carve yet. I can pop pretty high for my size (5'5" - 115lbs) and i can land a 180 and 50/50 small ride on boxes. I really want to be able to hit rails and boxes and bigger jumps in the park but i just cant seem to get there. I think i have 2 fears. 1. getting hurt, i bruised my tailbone 3 years ago and it still hurts today if i sit in a weird position. 2. being embarrassed. I think I'm so used to looking good when I'm carving down a diamond that i don't want to look bad it the park. i know i shouldn't care what people think but i do. i can pop pretty high for my size (5'5" - 115lbs) and i can land a 180 and 50/50 small ride on boxes. 

Any tips for getting over these 2 fears?


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## stevetim (Dec 26, 2007)

Fear is good sometimes. 

Wear pads in the park til you gain confidence?


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## gprider_capita (Feb 17, 2011)

Pipes said:


> Hey, i have been riding for i think 6 years now (I'm 16) and i can carve up a storm regular. and i am beginning to learn switch, i can get down a hill without falling, but i cant carve yet. I can pop pretty high for my size (5'5" - 115lbs) and i can land a 180 and 50/50 small ride on boxes. I really want to be able to hit rails and boxes and bigger jumps in the park but i just cant seem to get there. I think i have 2 fears. 1. getting hurt, i bruised my tailbone 3 years ago and it still hurts today if i sit in a weird position. 2. being embarrassed. I think I'm so used to looking good when I'm carving down a diamond that i don't want to look bad it the park. i know i shouldn't care what people think but i do. i can pop pretty high for my size (5'5" - 115lbs) and i can land a 180 and 50/50 small ride on boxes.
> 
> Any tips for getting over these 2 fears?



Just shred it bro, how else are you going to get better? I have been snowboarding for the past 2 years and i have progressed farther than that because me and my push each other to one up one another every time we hit up the hill. Pain is just weakness leaving the body, if you fully commit to a rail or jump you will be surprised at your own abilities.


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## making turns (Jan 26, 2011)

Pipes . . . you should listen to what snowolf said, all of it is "right on!" Go have fun and remember, if you are 16 and have already been riding for 6 years you are really fortunate.


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## v-verb (Feb 1, 2009)

Snowolf

Excellent advice!!:thumbsup:


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

U have taken up a potentially physical damaging sport...some don't make it out alive or even walking. Yesterday a jr high kid in the park looked to have a spinal cord injury from a small jump. Loaded in to the bucket and couldn't feel his legs.


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## HiddenPerson (Jan 29, 2012)

Last Year practicing switch I hit my tailbone every time I went snowboarding, and I had to go home after that because of the pain. Part of reason that kept happening to me is because I was afraid of falling. This year, I wear this butt protector thingy, and it took away my fear of falling.
I'm still learning switch but I'ver improved because I felt safe. Wear extra protection, and don't worry how you look, you're still learning. 

Listen to Snowolf.


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## BoredPanda (Feb 24, 2011)

i can speak from experience.

On top from not caring what you look like, that's the awesome thing about snowboarding is....besides the helmet, you could be fully protected and people would not notice a thing.

And with protection you'll feel a little more confident cause if you do fall it won't hurt as much.

Try the things you were trying before with the gear, and push it at your own pace, and you'll notice yourself you'll be trying all new things.


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## Deviant (Dec 22, 2009)

Fear is something you have to learn how to control. The fear of new rails/jumps is completely normal and no one was totally comfortable doing it for the first time. I've been riding for a long time but recently have been doing street-style rails (from the side) and it scares me every time when it's a bit higher jump to get onto the rail. I'm guessing these are the rails you're wanting to hit later since you said you can already do ride-on features, but for now focus on getting boardslides down on ride-ons. Personally it's always in the back of my mind that I'm going to clip the street style rails coming onto them but you have to push that aside when you get to that point. I'm a firm believer in the deep breath approach...and it's just that. As you're approaching the feature, just take a long deep breath, you'll be amazed how much it helps.

As far as what you look like to others, doesn't matter. Other people don't care. It's that simple. Unless you're sitting in a landing or blocking a rail, no one is going to give you a second thought. You're just another rider on the slopes. When you're crashing trying the simple park stuff, just laugh at yourself. As Snowolf said don't take things too seriously, go out and have fun with it. The people that take things too seriously are usually the ones that don't stick around too long. I had to check myself on that today because it took me 31 tries to get a taller street-style rail in our park to the end. I know if I would've gotten all stressed about it, and worried what I looked like, I never would of got it. Focus on what you're doing, not what you look like doing it.


Remember, the people you might think are judging you or the people around you making you feel embarrassed may be the same type of people on this site giving you advice :thumbsup:


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## Vaughanabe13 (Feb 2, 2012)

About the fear of hurting yourself... get some Azzpadz for your tailbone and it will pretty much eliminate the tailbone issue. Those things are like falling on pillows. I would also recommend a helmet and get some gloves with biomex wrist guards. At your age you're probably more focused on looking good than being safe so I would understand your hesitations, but think of it this way: wearing protective gear gives you so much more confidence to try new stuff because it will hurt a lot less if you eat it. And you will have a much lower percentage of breaking something.


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## Pipes (Jan 30, 2012)

Thank you everyone who posted here! It's much appreciated as everything helped!


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## Death (Oct 21, 2010)

If you have fear you aren't confident enough in your riding to start sending it.


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