An Introduction to Snow boarding

Snow boarding is a relative newcomer to the winter sports scene, although it's been practiced since the 1950's by surf and skate enthusiasts who fancied a bit of winter action. It didn't make an auspicious start. initially shunned by the skiing fraternity, boarders were condemned to ride off-piste. It gave them an outsider status that they enjoy to this day.

Despite this, throughout the 1970's and 80's boarding gradually gained acceptance. In 1983, only ten per cent of ski slopes allowed boarding. Now it's hard to find a slope that won't. In fact, according to current figures and projections, in another ten years time there'll be more boarders than skiers.

Perhaps that's not surprising. In theory, snow boarding is the simpler discipline. Boarders strap their fet to a board that resembles a skateboard without wheels, and then use gravity and body movement to manoeuvre down a slop. Whereas skiers shift weight from one ski to another, boarders shift weight from heels to toes.

Snow boarding may have a wild and wacky image, however it pays for beginners to be over-cautious. They should invest in safety gear such as wrist guards, knee pads, hip pads, helmets and a safety leash. This is , after all, an extreme winter sport and it's mostly beginners who get injured, sometimes in high impact crashes. Learning to fall is as important as learning to stay on two feet. Lessons are essential.

Snow boarders clothing tends toward a looser fit than ski wear and comprises of layers - base, middle and outer. as with all winter sports clothing, it should draw moisture away from the body whilst being waterproof on the outer layer.

How wet one gets when boarding depends upon snow conditions. Powder -freshly fallen, dry snow - is the preferred surface for most because it allows for soft landings when falling, and also increases speed.

Crud is an uneven surface caused by intensive use, with areas of soft powder and slippery patches where the snow has been packed. This provides a more challenging ride because the surface is constantly changing.

Other surfaces include crust - a hard layer on top of soft snow - which can make boarders punch through the top layer - slush is a melting layer of top snow that means heavier work for boarders, because turning meets greater resistance. Ice is an unpopular surface that requires subtle movements, otherwise painful falls are likely - this is not a surface for beginners.

As with skiing, there are various boarding disciplines. Free riding is an all round style that involves handling any terrain, particularly off-piste. This style means spending most of the time on the ground as opposed to Freestyle which sees boarders performing aerial tricks in snow board parks, half pipes (tubes cut into snow) and mountain obstacles. popular European resorts that have specialised snow board parks and half pipes include; Verbier in Switzerland, Tignes, Courchevel, Les Deux Alpes in France and St Anton in Austria.

Free carve focuses on speed and making huge slalom turns. This is a style preferred by many skiers who try boarding - not that being a good skier means a seamless graduation to snow boarding expertise. Hence the need for lessons, and an element of respect for snow boarding despite its devil-may-care image.