Back on the Horse Board: Castleford 30-09-2011
Last Friday was the first time that I’ve snowboarded in a while; more importantly, the first time that I’ve snowboarded since snapping my leg. Almost 16 months ago.
Naturally I’ve had some doubts about whether or not I was ready to try snowboarding, whether or not it would hurt, be restrictive, etc. However, over the past 6 weeks or so I’ve noticed good improvement – notably I’ve been able to run on concrete and take the impact. It’s not 100% by any means and I’ve done it sparingly, preferring the treadmill and bike. But the progress has given me confidence.
Friday night was good. Actually, better than good, it was frickin’ awesome!
From the first run down I knew it was going to be ok. Two things gave me some pain:
- Toy-soldier/waddle. This was in fact the most painful part of all. Nothing to worry about, but it was repeated the most as you need to cover flat ground when getting off the lift. Occasionally it would be like landing flat on your foot…
- Kicker landings. I had two landings where I compressed a lot and felt it. Again, nothing too bad – and there were a boat load of other landings where I didn’t’ feel anything…
The small moments of pain went away immediately, and I had no problems the following day, either.
Is Off-Piste and Backcountry Snowboarding Something “Older” Snowboarders Gravitate To?
When you first start to snowboard everything is new. What gear do you need, how should you learn, which mountains should you go to… so many questions. If you stick with it, sooner or later you reach that magical point where you can ride. You can cruise the pistes/trails, get some real speed up, explore the mountain – it feels great!
If you continue to snowboard, go on a few more trips, another winter holiday, you might class yourself as a “snowboarder”. Maybe you’re “into” snowboarding.
That’s not a term that I particularly like – but here’s the point. When people have a hobby, or they’re into something, they spend time doing it, and thinking about it. They look for new challenges, for more knowledge, to progress at it.
What do snowboarders look to once they’ve “got the hang of it”? The Park is a popular choice. Freestyle, jumps, jibbing and that thing you see other riders do where they bend the board. Carving – honing your snowboard technique is another option. It can be rewarding to feel that you really understand the mechanics of snowboarding; to lay down perfect, pencil-thin carves and to ride technical terrain, well.
Powder. Riding off-piste, or maybe even in the backcountry. Searching for good freshies. Many snowboarders look here.
So here’s the question: is the quest to ride powder something that “older” snowboarders gravitate to?
New Snowboarding Gear for This Season…
The season is getting closer all of the time. It seems like ages since I’ve bought any snowboard gear, but with the winter coming and new products out in the shops, it’s time to decide if I need to buy anything…
And actually I do. There are two definites, one really good idea and one don’t really need that but it would be nice on the shopping list.
New Snowboard Helmet
I wear a lid most of the time. Last year I asked the question How do you know when to replace your helmet? Well, I’ve been rocking mine since 2004 and I know it’s had quite a few knocks in that time. If I’m gonna wear a helmet – I may as well get a new one. This is a definite.
As for which one? I’m not quite sure. I do like the idea of a helmet with built in audio, that would probably suit me well. I like some of the designs from Bern and Pro-tec – some of the Smith lids too. Shortly, I’ll be taking a more detailed look at some of the models I’m considering.
Snowboarding Plans for the 2011/2012 Season
It’s been a long time since I’ve mentioned my plans for snowboarding this coming season. Last time I discussed this, I was aiming to spend the whole season in resort – or at least a few months. That’s not going to happen. By my own words that makes me a wimp – for not having the guts to follow through with the plan. I haven’t dwelled on this – so I won’t dwell on it here, but it’s worth a little coverage…
There are two reasons that I use to explain this. The first one is ugly. The car driver in my accident was judged to be at fault – so I stand to receive some compensation. That type of affair can take a long time to reach conclusion; in this case it hasn’t yet. It’s an ugly reason because I’m not a fan of the “compensation” culture that we live in. Seems as though the accident stopped me from snowboarding, I figured that using some money to go do a season wasn’t so bad. But I can’t avoid the fact that pursuing this is optional. It’s a choice; I don’t have to do it.
It’s also an ugly reason because I’ve allowed it to hold back the plans; I wasn’t willing to “sell up” and throw my life down a different road entirely, which is what I would need to do around now, or sooner, to get things going.
The Art of Flight Trailer
There’s been a lot of build up and a lot of hype for the Art of Flight. Given that the premiere “went off” in New York City, 7th September, not to mention the fact you can download the movie from iTunes, the trailer below is already old news. Forgive me, I’m away from home at the moment…
Is it the world’s most anticipated snowboard movie? Probably. Question is, are you going to watch it?
On the off chance you haven’t seen it – here’s the trailer:
Street Style Rails and Hips Tutorial with Snowboard Addiction – Review
Not too long ago, Snowboard Addiction added a Handplants video to their Freestyle Program – it was reviewed here. Another recent release was their addition of a video showing riders how to tackle street-style rails, and hips. Weighing in at 10 minutes minutes, the Street Style Rails and Hips lesson is good example of their modular approach to adding content to the overall program. In the last week they’ve added a further video for 180s, which will be covered soon…
So, what’s the deal with the street style rails vid? Here’s an overview to give you a taste:
Isenseven’s “Kaleidoscope” Trailer
If you haven’t seen Isenseven’s trailer for their new film, “Kaleidoscope“, you should watch this. As far as teasers go – this one is pretty sick. It sets a high standard for the full movie – but then again, Isenseven usually deliver! Check it out:
How Important is Having the “Right” Board for Powder
Riding powder is a lot of fun, not many people would disagree with that. However, it’s not easy at first. When you first start to make tracks away from the piste you’re confronted with conditions that require a change to your riding technique. It’s not uncommon to enter the deep snow, only to have the nose of your snowboard dig in, resulting in a fall; you might even go over the handlebars. Not knowing what you’re doing wrong, you struggle to get back up only for it to happen when you set off again. That can be frustrating rather than fun!
So what role does the snowboard play in this? Is it Rider > Snowboard, so just get on with it? Or is it a case of Having the right tool for the job?
