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On-snow Training
One word of caution before you begin practicing skills on the snow: Snowboarding is more difficult than it looks at the beginning stages. The natural assumption of most students is that the on-hill movements will be as easy to perform on the snow as they are on dry land. This is simply not true. Almost every student will be tempted to start out by going straight to the top of the hill, and our athletes are no different. RESIST THIS TEMPTATION! If there is one piece of advice that should be followed when learning to snowboard, it is that snowboarding skills are best learned at slow speeds on shallow terrain. If you progress up the hill too soon, you will only increase the likelihood and severity of falls. Please remember that one bad fall can end your lesson, and in some cases can cause an athlete to quit snowboarding! The teaching progression that has been outlined here has been designed with the safety (and success) of the athlete in mind. Leaning to snowboard safely can seem slow at first, but extra time taken to practice and master skills on shallow terrain will pay off by helping the athlete adjust more quickly later.
- Magic stic: a kind of stick or pole about 50 to 70 cm (approximately 24 – 42 inches) in length (approximately one arm length). It should be made of an unbreakable material like wood or plastic (from a slalom pole). The ends of the stic should be taped and padded to avoid injury and give a good grip. The stic can be used in many different ways: To pull the athlete (for example, from the ground to stand up and while gliding from one point to another); to support the athlete (for example, in learning new movements) and giving the athletes different kinds of movement experiences (for example, using the stic as a steering wheel or handle bar).
- Colored tape/ Stickers: to be fixed on the front and backside of the board. If the athlete has problems with keeping in mind toeside and heelside, it is easier to have a blue and red edge. This helps the athlete react faster when you give advice such as, "Give pressure on the red edge!" while he or she is riding. The frontside and nose of the board may also be marked with tape or stickers. In the beginning, many athletes may have difficulty keeping in mind which end is the front.
- Safety equipment: It is a good idea for athletes to wear protective padding on the first few days, especially for their knees! (Use in-line skating/skateboarding/volleyball guards such as wrist, elbow and knee pads.)
- Hand assistance: Keeping in mind that one hard fall can end a lesson and/or cause an athlete to quit, be available while teaching to offer assistance and support while the athlete learns new skills. In this way, you can help prevent falls. Also, be ready to re-position the athletes as necessary so that they can feel the skill performed in the correct way.
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