Don’t get stuck snowboarding!
I see it all the time at resorts. Snowboarders who have been dropped in a line that eventually leads them into a long drawn out ravine. You watch them suffer as they wave their arms trying to move forward or eventually shed their snowboard entirely and walk away. For most snowboarders, this is usually a horrible experience. You get so tired from exerting yourself, you get hot and sweaty with fogged up glasses, your ski friends are waiting for you, Ugh! It gets even worse on a powder day and even worse than that if it’s really deep. Core muscles that you just need to push yourself up and out of that awkward hole make you wish you had trained a little more in the summer and preseason.
Then there are the snowboarders looking for a new line of powder like everyone else. They get into these sleepers that seem endless. Our legs are pumped up, so pumped up that we have to take a break when we get to the line we want to land on. Oh, and that is if you make the crossing. Often, we don’t make the crossing and end up having to arrive early, getting separated from our friends, rushing, or simply getting lost.
You may even find yourself stuck in the middle of traversing, holding the entire group of people behind you. Often these are your “double plank straw” comrades yelling and cursing you for ruining their ride too. I can’t help but yell at you too if I’m snowboarding and you ruin my own ride because you’re lying there like a roadkill. Does this sound familiar? Maybe not if you don’t go off track very often, but I see you too, stuck on the beaten track floors.
Snowboarders have many different techniques to get out of those low areas. There’s the good lean-over-knuckle push, there’s the smart ones who actually learned to snowboard with just one foot in and “skate” their way out of trouble. Recently, I’ve noticed more and more snowboarders doing this weird crawling thing where they stay tied up and more or less try to walk on their tips and tails, like a crippled chicken. This not only looks like you’re a puncher, but it’s incredibly dangerous.
Skiing or snowboarding collisions are one of the most common causes of injury. People can be seriously injured when they make contact. They may even be legally liable in an accident. Did you know that it is illegal to leave the scene of a ski collision?
With skiing and snowboarding becoming more popular, collisions are happening more frequently, and hopefully you’re smart enough to wear a helmet. I think everyone heading to the resort should re-read that “skiers and snowboarders code of responsibility”. Too many people simply don’t comply and it’s dangerous for everyone.
Being stuck again while snowboarding. There are only certain parts of the resorts that become traffic bottlenecks. These melting points, cat tracks, funnels or whatever are a nightmare. I hear they really suck if you ride in Southern California. We all need to move through them as quickly as possible at a speed that is safe. If you’re on your snowboard doing that crippled chicken thing, you’re an elf. Avoid the bogeys at all costs! I have two simple solutions for No be, “that guy.”
The first solution is to get fit to ride. Participate in a specific training regimen for skiing or snowboarding. Having a strong core, legs, arms, and neck will only help you. Your legs will handle those sleepers, your back won’t hurt as much, and you’ll have a better experience if you get stuck. You’ll get unstuck faster. Yeah!
The second solution is really simple. Tune up your snowboard! A properly fitted snowboard is easier to turn, protects your investment, and most importantly helps you glide over all those other snowboarders. Wax is essential to get through the floors. You’ll be amazed at how far you can glide on flats with a fresh coat of ski or snowboard wax. It also helps protect your base from freezing and much more. A simple wax coat is easy to do. You don’t have to take it to a store and pay your hard earned money. With a few simple tools, you can do it yourself. Personally, I like to wax my board almost every three days of sailing. Even more so if it’s going to be a powder snow day. I’ll discuss waxing and tuning your rig another time, but do yourself and everyone else on the mountain a favor. “Tune up your body and tune up your board!”
