Watching an Olympic snowboarding champ like Shawn White is enough to make nearly anyone consider taking up the sport. While snowboarding pros strap on their boards almost instinctively, you might not know how to do this if it's your first time on the board. Avoid looking like a total amateur by knowing -- at the very least -- which end of your snowboard is the front. Once you've gotten the basics of your board down, it's easier to take lessons and start carving up the slopes on your own.
Step 1
Hold the snowboard in front of you with your hands supporting the bottom and the board running horizontally in front of your body. Observe the edges of the board. The front of the snowboard will have a raised edge. If both of the ends of the snowboard are raised, the front is the edge that is raised higher. This is necessary to keep the board from digging into the snow as it glides.
Step 2
Place the board on the ground and look at its overall construction and shape. Traditional boards and especially alpine snowboards will have a slightly oval front edge, which helps increase overall speed, so you know that the thinner edge denotes the front of the board.
Step 3
Check for writing and graphics on the board. In general, graphics and lettering are situated so they're readable front-to-back. That means when you look at the top and bottom of the board, words begin at the front and end at the end of the board. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case for some boards. Analyze this characteristic along with others to identify the front of a snowboard.
Step 4
Place your feet in the snowboard bindings. The vast majority of snowboards are made to ride regular, which means placing the left foot in front. Other boards are made for goofy riding, which uses the right foot in front. Since goofy riders are less common, their boards are purchased specially. If you're in a snowboard shop, ask which boards are regular and which are goofy. If purchasing secondhand, assume that you're using a regular board unless otherwise noted. Place your left foot in the front binding and the front of the board will be that edge to the left of your left foot.
References
- ABC of Snowboarding: Snowboard Parts
- Oracle Thinkquest: Goofy or Regular
- "Snowboarding Skills: The Back-to-basics Essentials for All Levels"; Cindy Kleh; 2002
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