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What is snowboarding? It is a winter sport where you strap both feet into a board, and go down a mountain. It is a lot of fun.

Where can you snowboard? Around here, you can snowboard at Black Mountain, or Saddleback, which are two great places to learn. You can also go to Mt. Abram, Sugarloaf, or Sunday River. If you lived in Spain, you might go to ...... If you lived in Chile, a great place to go would be.... The cool thing about snowboarding in Chile is that it is cold there when it is hot in Maine. So, you could be snowboarding in August!

What do you need to snowboard? First of all, you need a board! In Spanish, the word is called “la tabla”. You need more than just a tabla however. You also need bindings and boots. A good pair of boots is essential in order to snowboard. You want a snug fit so that your feet do not slip out of the bindings.

What else do you need to snowboard? It is really important to dress for the weather. You should wear ski pants, or pantalones para la nieve, a warm jacket, or chaqueta, a good pair of gloves, or guantes, and of course, a hat, known as a gorro.

How can you snowboard safely? Everyone agrees: WEAR A HELMET! The word for helmet in Spanish is “el casco”. This is really important to have and wear every time you go out. You will also need “gafas” or goggles. Goggles protect your eyes. Without a casco and gafas, you could really get hurt, and that would be no fun!

So how do you snowboard? Here are some tips to get started.

Do you ride in a regular or goofy stance? Regular stance means that when riding downhill, your left foot is forward; with goofy, the right foot is forward.
 * Step 1**

Skating: This is a great way to get acclimated to moving around on the board, and also how you'll move around at the bottom of the hill to the ski lift. Its very simple. Strap your front foot into the binding and keep your other foot free. Then, push off the snow with your free foot, and glide across the snow. Rest your foot on your stomp pad (the pad in between the bindings). Practice this until you are comfortable before getting on the lift.
 * Step 2**

The Lift: Alright, you're finally ready to get up on the mountain! Find the beginner run (bunny slope) and jump on the lift. Getting On: Skate into the line for the lift and pay attention to the lift operators. When its your turn skate up to the indicated lift boarding line, and wait for the chair to come up behind you and sit down. Relax and enjoy the ride. Getting off: When you're approaching the end of the lift, turn your body so that the front of your board is facing the ramp off the lift. Let your board hit the snow, and push off the chair to stand up on the board. Your front foot should be strapped in, and your back foot should be on the stomp pad. Glide down the ramp on the board until you come to a stop. If you fall: 1. STAY DOWN! don't sit up right away or you might get hit by the chair. 2. Watch out for the next people coming off the lift. They're only a few seconds behind, so make sure they're not getting off when you're trying to stand back up. Let them avoid you if they are coming. 3. Stand up and skate away.
 * Step 3**

Turning leaf: At the top of the hill, sit down and strap in your other foot. Then, stand up, keeping your weight even between your two feet, but leaning back on the heel edge of your board. You should be standing up and still. Shift your weight toward your front foot, and slightly off your heel edge, and you'll start to move toward your front foot. Shift your weight toward you're other foot, and you'll slow down and then move in that direction. Keep repeating this, and you'll slide down the hill in a falling leaf motion.
 * Step 4**


 * Step 5**

Riding: Stand up, and put your weight on your front foot, and not leaning on either edge. This will propel you straight down the hill. Ride with your knees bent slightly, and always have your weight over your front foot.

Slowing down and stopping: To slow down, lean onto your heel edge, and move your weight towards your back foot. This will turn your board perpendicular to the mountain, and dig heel edge into the snow to slow you down. Keep your knees bent to make a smooth stop.

ALWAYS slow down and stop if you think you are starting to get to an out of control speed. You are responsible for avoiding riders downhill from you, so do not run them over. Always board in a safe, defensive manner, or ski patrol may take away your lift ticket.


 * Step 6**

Turning: Turning is easy in theory but definitely takes practice to do accurately. When riding down the hill with your weight on your front foot, simply lean onto your heel edge and keep your weight on your front foot to perform a heelside turn. When you have turned far enough, stop leaning on your heel edge. A toeside turn is performed the same way, but lean on your toe edge. Toeside turns are usually more difficult for beginners.

Falling: You will fall as a beginner. There are a couple techniques that will keep you from getting hurt. Make a fist with each hand, and land on your forearms. This will protect your wrists and also spread the impact out, making it easier on your body. Also, if you fall backwards, pick a butt cheek to land on. You want to avoid a painful landing on your tailbone, and the padding provided by your butt will do just that. Lastly, after you fall, it is your responsibility to look up the mountain to make sure its clear when you get back up.
 * Step 7**

Keep practicing: When you first learn to board, you will fall, and you may get discouraged. Your first few hours or first day of getting down the basics will be the hardest, but if you stick it out, you'll be able to board the whole mountain in no time. Happy Riding!!
 * Step 8**

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