Teaching friends to ride.

[UnWoRtHy]

Well...I've pretty much been a skiboard junkie for the past few weeks. Always on sbol, watching videos, talking about it, daydreaming...so last night I asked my two roomates if they'd like to come along with me to Okemo in Feb since they rent skiboards (well...Salomon Snowblades, but hey, it's a form of skiboard. Plus, for the time being, they're all I've got...so please withhold the flaming about Snowblades and 8-hole boards). I also found a local mountain that rents them. They're both willing to come along and try it out with me at Okemo, but Okemo is such a fun hill that I don't want to spend the whole day teaching them when I could be rippin' the place up. That may sound wrong...and it's not like I'm not all for teaching my friends to ride...but I gotta have some fun too, right?

Anyway...this local place isn't much. You could probably do everything there is to do there in less than a few hours. So I figure that's a perfect place to take them to learn before the Okemo trip. Perfection, right? Erm...well...not quite. Sure, Powder Ridge would be a good place to teach them since the terrain isn't all that terribly difficult, but I have NO idea how to teach someone to ride.

Obviously, I'll have to start off by teaching them how to stop. And after that, control...and speed after that. But should I start them off like they do new skiiers with the whole wedge deal at first? Neither of them have ever been on the slopes before, let alone with anything strapped to their feet. When I picked up skiboarding, I had already been a skiier for 6 years, so it was pretty natural for me since I already knew how to carve, stop, keep my balance...etc.

So...step by step...can someone give me some tips on teaching these guys? (I.E. what I should teach them, how to teach them, and in what order?) They seem really interested, and I may just have a couple perspective riders if they have fun. But I know in order to have fun, the learning process needs to be simple and easy to understand. I know my first time on skis was miserable because the instruction was short, vague and very boring. I don't want to have them go through that, especially when I'd like to see them enjoy the sport. One of them knows how to rollerblade, so that's probably a plus, but the only thing my other roommate ever straps to his feet is sneakers. Also, aside from on the snow learning, is there anything I can do to help prepare them beforehand? Thanks...

[El Bajong]

1. Strap them innto the bindings
2. Make sure they are able to stand up with the skiboards on without falling
3. Teach them how to skate accros flats to get over to the lift

[PureVenom]

Just do what I do.....I strap them in on the livingroom carpet first so they can get used to standing up in the boots and boards. To teach them just tell them its exactly like rollerblading. Then in their mind they will turn like they do on rollerblades. Just go for a couple runs with them on the bunny slope and they will be good enough on their own for a bit. You won't have to babysit all day. But remember to tell them not to be afraid of a little speed. It's WAY too hard to turn while going very slow. Thats pretty much what I do when I teach and now the ones I have tought are starting to rip.

[sticks]

Find boots that fit.

Attach friends (in boots) to boards.

Point down hill.

Most everything else comes naturally.

My 10 and 12 year old children started last year and picked it right up. Whiteface mounatina in NY now uses Skiboards to teach people the basics of skiing. Much easier learning curve than skis. Plus learning parallel ski (no wedge or "plowing") is a lot easier.

Most of all, as long as they can go downhill and have their stance about shoulder-width apart, rolling their feet on edge should intiaite turns pretty naturally. Stopping should be somewhat of a gracefull two footed parallel stop. probably wont be beautiful at first but, like I said...it should come fairly quickly.

Sticks

[sideburns]

UnWoRtHy - how far is willimantic from Powder Ridge? I grew up skiing there. I used to live in Durham which is right next door. Now I'm in NJ. I haven't been back there to ski since like 1993...man I'm old...that's 12 years ago....wow.

Anyway...I've tried to a few friends how to ski (not skiboard) and I think some of the more important things for them to learn are the wedge to snowplow as well as not being afraid to fall down to stop yourself. New skiiers can easily lose control so teaching them to be able to slow down and stop is important. Also, as you've probably seen yourself on the slopes, carving. Well...maybe it's more "turning" than anything else. My friends would get themselves into trouble when they would turn their skis straight down the slope. By teaching them to turn and go more left to right than straight down, they can remain under control more and have an easier time with the snowplow.

Those are my $0.02...hope they help.
Good luck!

-mike

[Kelli]

sticks remember that kids pick things up a lot easier then some adults.

unworthy what age are u teaching and do they skate have they ever been on a mt?

but most of it is like sticks said point them down the hill and let them fall a few times that is all that it takes(its snow and it doesnt hurt that bad)

[Davelynam]

yo unworthy, im goin to okemo in feb too...im goin 11 through 13if ur goin ne of those day i would be more than happy to ski with u.
let me know when ull be up there

-The other lynam

[UnWoRtHy]

That would be awesome, man. But I'm going up on the 6th. Unless you can make it up then too.

[sticks]

Originally posted by sideburns
My friends would get themselves into trouble when they would turn their skis straight down the slope. By teaching them to turn and go more left to right than straight down, they can remain under control more and have an easier time with the snowplow.

I agre with this too. I think most of all, people will learn in whatever fashion they see fit. Some people cater to plowing,some ind it really difficult on skiboards. Whatever works. Although, this quote above IS right. Straight down the hill ISN'T recommended for newbies. Long turns to learn how tinitiaite and control turns is vastly more important for starters. I definitely agree with that.

Thx Sideburns

Sticks

[kerovick]

Thanks for the good advice, I was about to ask the same question. I'm taking my wife skiboarding next friday. She's been snowboarding once (what a horrible day) and can barely rollerblade. I'll be using all your adivce.


Kero

[zenderfall]

Snowplow doesn't really teach anything for Skiboards. I never taught any of my friends to do that. Here's a reason why you shouldn't use snowplow on skiboards.

1. They're easy to turn. You can almost *will* a skiboard to turn effortlessly. People learn to plow on skis because they're cumbersome. Its a different way to learn because the devices don't ride that much similar. I found that skiboards are a little more like snowboards than skis in the way they ride.

2. There's nothing to learn from a snowplow. You can learn a ton more from skating around on a flat surface and getting used to the skiboard then pointing them together and moving down a hill.

3. it develops a bad habit, that won't save anyone. Snowplowing (as I found out) doesn't stop a skiboard, and gives more reason to twist a foot than anything, due to their short length. I found that doing a fakie plow (heels together, going backwards down a mountain) is a lot more effective, but the standard plow is just useless, not to mention looks silly.

That's my 0.02. To sum it all up, I would tell people, don't plow! As an added kicker I also tell them that should they do that, it won't stop their boards anyway.

[Jordahl]

Originally posted by zenderfall
Snowplow doesn't really teach anything for Skiboards. I never taught any of my friends to do that. Here's a reason why you shouldn't use snowplow on skiboards.

1. They're easy to turn. You can almost *will* a skiboard to turn effortlessly. People learn to plow on skis because they're cumbersome. Its a different way to learn because the devices don't ride that much similar. I found that skiboards are a little more like snowboards than skis in the way they ride.

2. There's nothing to learn from a snowplow. You can learn a ton more from skating around on a flat surface and getting used to the skiboard then pointing them together and moving down a hill.

3. it develops a bad habit, that won't save anyone. Snowplowing (as I found out) doesn't stop a skiboard, and gives more reason to twist a foot than anything, due to their short length. I found that doing a fakie plow (heels together, going backwards down a mountain) is a lot more effective, but the standard plow is just useless, not to mention looks silly.

That's my 0.02. To sum it all up, I would tell people, don't plow! As an added kicker I also tell them that should they do that, it won't stop their boards anyway.

i couldnt agree with that more, no one taught me, i skied for like half a year before that n i said those look fun so ima try them n the first day i had no problem doing anything (except rails!!!). yeah plowing sucks, carve. the only reason i ever plow (rare) is when im going way to fast at something and if i carved it would be to slow, so just to take a little speed off.

[Eggheadd]

To teach my cousin for his first time i just told him how to strap in and pushed his down the hill. It worked fine.

[Jordahl]

yeah i just showed my cousin how to put on the bindings went up the lift n ditched him for a half an hour n he learned pretty quick

[valmorel]

Teach them how to STOP! If they can stop they will have the confidence to teach themselves the rest.