Snow Boarding Pre-Boarding Checklist

Snow Boarding

Pre-Boarding Checklist

by Mike Gagliardi

So you've made the big jump and have bought or rented a snowboard. It looks easy, and believe it or not after the first few hours or so it will get easier. The learning curve really jumps into high gear after some basics have been mastered. Here's some tips, though, that have taken me a few years to work out, and would have been useful on my first day:

1. Board Inspection - Always make sure your board is in proper shape before you go out. if you're renting a board, have the technician make all the binding adjustments in front of your, and don't leave the shop until you're happy with the fit of both boots on your feet and the fit of both boots in the bindings. if it's your own board - check all the screws for both the straps and the binding baseplate. Do it the night before as well. Who wants to fool with a screwdriver in a cold parking lot while your buddies are out making turns? you should also inspect the base of the board for gouges, a dry surface, indicating the need for wax, or rusty, dull edges. have your local shop give you a tune if it looks pretty shaggy, and wax the base every three to five times you go out. Good binding fit and a tuned board are essential for a top notch boarding experience.

2. Layering Clothes - I know this is "old hat," but smart dressing is another key ingredient to enjoying your day. your under layer should be a technical type fabric that draws away moisture that chills your body. Poly-propylene does this. Cotton, jeans, most T-shirts, etc. won't. If you wear these, eventually you'll get real cold. Your next layer should be an insulating cloth - thick or thin - like a wool or fleece sweater. On the outside, use a waterproof pant, parka, bib, or shell made with Gor-tex, aqua stop, Ultrex, thick nylon or cordura. The beauty of this system is in the adding or subtracting of layers as it gets hotter or colder. Remember, we lose up to 80% of our heat through our head, so you can use a hat as a "body thermostat" too.

3. Stretching - A warm up is the thing to do before any physical exercise. This goes for snowboarding too. The muscles that you use are different from those used in skiing, so we must warm up a bit differently. Work your calves by trying to bring your toes up toward your knees - either sitting or against a wall. Also work the arches of your fee by leaning forward into a wall or other steady object and dropping your knees. Arches take a lot of abuse when traversing a long way on your toe side. This is the one key stretch if you're out on a big mountain. Trust me, you'll wind up on the traverse at one point or another. Also stretch the hamstrings by touching your toes, and work your lower back and sides by raising your arms over your head from side to side. As with all stretches, hold the stretch from twenty to forty seconds, don't bounce, rest and repeat.

4. Carrying Tools - Even though you check your equipment every time you go out, it's inevitable that screws come loose or your buddy didn't prepare as well as you did. This may not be crucial on a short run, but if you're on one side of a mountain and your car's on the other, it pays to have a mini repair kit in one of those handy pockets on your jacket. I always carry a #3 and #2 Phillips screwdriver, a #2 slotted screwdriver and the proper kind of wrench for my bindings (usually a 10 mm or 7/16"). all this goes in a small pouch with a spare binding screw (6 mm x 10 or 6mm x 12). With just that I'm ready for 90% of the possible problems that can arise. Look for the smallest tools possible. There are even mini-driver kits sold in snowboard shops that have all these tools.

All this doesn't guarantee the best day of your life on the slopes, but it will prevent the worst. Go through your pre-boarding checklist every time and you'll be ready for what comes up!