To the parent of a new snowboarder or to the outside observer, snowboarding terminology and lingo are an entirely different language all its own. If you have just been bitten by the snowboarding bug, or if you have a friend or relative that has become a participant, you may want to learn the vocabulary that revolves around this unique sport. Involving the basic snowboarding, equipment used, and the enviroment encountered when learning to snowboard at a ski resort.
Snowboarding Terminology: Snowboarding is in its most basic definition, is the combination of a rider standing sideways on a snowboard, gravity and a slipery slope. The rider uses body movements and the characteristics of the snowboard to control his or her direction and speed down the slope. They can pick and choose their line down the hill or mountain. Snowboarding can feel unnatural to a beginner and very ofter the first couple days are quite challenging to get through. But once a rider learns the basics of the sport they will start to feel more and more comfortable and progress in skill level quite fast. This makes snowboarding and even learning the snowboarding terminology very fun, even for a beginner.
Turning a snowboard may be executed with a full range of skill level and preceision. A beginner or skidded turn, it she most basic type of turn. As a beginner, the rider usually initiates the turn by standing with the majority of the riders weight on the front foot, then kicking the back or uphill foot out to one side or the other then applying general pressure to the edge of the board allowing it to skid slightly sideways and to carry the rider through the turn. The skidded turn is a first crucial step for a beginners advancement, and it is a useful way to control speed and to add variety and flair the riding of a more advanced rider. A carved turn is an advanced level turn in which the rider initiates the turn just by using his or her body to precisely pressure one edge or the other. With an acurate body movement and pressuring of the edge, combined with the shape of the board allows for a pure arching turn. In this type of turn the edge at the tail of the board that is holding the turn will pass the exact same spot as the edge at the tip of the board. This type of turn is faster than a skidded turn in both quickness of the turn as well as the speed caried out of the turn. A carved turn will leave a precise slice or carved arc in the snow while a skidded turn leaves a wider slide or skid mark, also with an arcing shape.
Stopping a snowboard requires turning the board perpendicular to the fall line or down hill direction of travel and applying adequate edge pressure to bring the board and the rider to a stop. It is a challenging part of learing to ride a snowboard, but once it is mastered, it becomes second nature and very easy to execute.
Snowboards are constructed from a variety of materials including wood, fiberglass, high density foam, polyethylene base material, steel edges, a variety of graphic techniques to add style or character to the appearance of the board, and extensive research and development to determine a desired shape and flex that will create the function and performance of the snowboard. The most common rider demands include freestyle, freeriding and back country. While an entirely different style of board, binding and boot setup are designed for carving and racing. A skilled freestyle or freerider can carve good turns, but a carving setup with a stiff carving board, plastic shelled boots and plate or rigid binding allow for a much higher level of carving performance.
Snowboarding Boots
are constructed from rubber, plastic, fabric and all sorts of materials required to provide warmth and performance. There are many types of boots reflecting many riding styles and performance demands depending on the type of snowboarding the rider intends to participate in. Nearly all snowboard boots have two primary parts. The basic snowboarding terminology related to boots include the
shell
or the outer layer of the boot, which provides the flex of the boot and determines the type of binding to be used. The second part of the boot is the
liner
. The liner will provide the snug fit, ankle support and warmth required in any snowboarding boot. Most boots sold and used are much like a basic snow boot, with a soft plastic or rubber shell designed to fit into a strap, baseplate and highback type of binding.
Freestyle boots
designed for freestyle and tricks will offer good ankle support while being flexible in the upper boot to allow for the flex required to perform popular positions and "tweaks" which define the style and name of the trick being executed. Freeriding (all mountain riding) boots have a stiffer overall flex to add to the body to board responsiveness, yet still flexible enough to absorb and maneuver through the variety of terrain, bumps, and changing conditions that a freeriding snowboarder will encounter. While
performance carving boots