Snowboarding pants
Author: Jakob Jelling
Baggie pants can be more than just fashionable.
Do you remember the days of having to put a snowsuit on in order to go out sledding or skiing? No matter what you did the snowsuit would always climb, let snow in, get wet and usually was uncomfortable because your pants where bunched up inside. Fortunately for those of us who can remember that, those days are long gone.
Modern snowboarding pants, and even regular snow pants, have vastly improved over what we might remember. Snowboarding pants are now worn like regular pants, thinner, lighter, tougher and warmer than ever before. Of course this is only possible thanks to demand and technological advances.
When thinking about snowboarding pants it helps to understand how they work. Generally snowboarding pants use a three-layer system. Some may only have two layers and are either inteended for very mild climates or to be worn over some type of underpants.
The first layer is the base layer and it is in direct contact with your skin. When riding outside you will heat up very quickly and then cool down while on the lift before repeating the process. The purpose of the base layer is to ensure that this can be done without you getting cold. The main reason you get too cold is because your sweat gets caught in the base layer against your skin and begins to freeze. A modern base material will prevent this by wicking the moisture away while providing some temperature balancing benefits.
The next layer is the insulation layer. The purpose of the insulation layer is to retain your body heat and the best way to do so is by trapping a layer of air around your body. This air will greatly decrease the heat exchange between your body and the outside world.
Generally the insulation layer mostly consists of polyesters. The most popular materials are fleece, bunting and pile. Fleece is the most common material and is a dense fabric that has been raked on one side to make the ends of the fibers stand up and trap the air. Bunting is a fleece that has been raked on both sides creating a tight solid weave with wooly air retaining surfaces on both sides. Pile is a single-sided fleece that has undergone more raking and has been processed further to create a much thicker open fabric.
The final layer is the outer shell, which is the only layer with direct contact to the outside world. The purpose of this layer is to protect against wind, rain and snow while letting moisture escape and protect the wearer from cuts, scrapes and chaffing. This layer is made from a material, such as Gore-Tex, which has holes that allow water vapor from your body to escape but are too small to allow a large drop of water in.
Now that you know how the products works you can begin shopping. After determining the number of layers you require you must look for other features. If you like to ride at night or in the dusk you may want reflective strips. For security you may wish to have inside zippered pockets. Large pockets are great for packing around food and water and a see through pocket is great for you lift pass.
If you keep in mind your snowboarding style, needs and what products are available you are sure to get the correct snowboarding pants. Having the correct gear goes a long ways towards maximizing your comfort and enjoyment while snowboarding. Have fun and stay warm.
About the Author
Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.snowboardinghelp.com. Please visit his website to discover the world of snowboarding!
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Snowboarding has become increasingly popular over the past few years with freestyle snowboarding taking the lead. First and foremost let us define what is freestyle snowboarding: the combination of skateboarding, surfing and windsurfing, which inevitably makes it more fun, exciting and the maximum amount of followers.
The Different Types Of Freestyle Snowboarding
It is hard to believe but even in a mixed up sport such as freestyle snowboarding there are different categories and they are: half pipe, jump, power snow driving and border cross. Each of these categories has rules and regulations on how to be performed, which is strictly followed by the snowboarder.
Freestyle snowboarding requires a great deal of practice even if the name itself does not suggest so; it gives you the opportunity to express yourself but at the same time within the rules and regulations of the sport. Freestyle snowboarding has become so competitive and popular that it is an official Olympics game as well with a high number of extremely talented followers and fans.
The Right Gear
Freestyle snowboarding is a lot of fun mostly because it brings the highest number of thrills a game can offer, which also makes it a very dangerous game. Of course if you ask a snowboarder he/she will not agree to the same but a professional snowboarder will also ensure that he or she is well equipped before getting on the snowboard.
Probably the most important piece of equipment you will require is the helmet that protects your head. You will see many snowboarders practice with just a wool hat over the head but, you will never catch a professional snowboarder without a helmet. If you will ever fall when snowboarding, the helmet is the only piece of protection between your head and the hard ground. Therefore, wear a helmet better to be safe than sorry.
You can also find professional snowboarding gear in specific stores or if you choose not to invest in purchasing professional gear, you can also rent it at the snowboarding resort where you should easily find a number of stores for the same. You can rent for the day or several days, depends how long you plan to stay but do not attempt to get on the slopes without being fully and properly equipped for the same.
Helpful Tip
Freestyle snowboarding can be as fun as you want it to be while letting your imagination run wild. Try it yourself today and find out why so many have turn to freestyle snowboarding and if you are a beginner make sure to get an instructor who can assist and teach you the tricks of the trade.
Skidded turns and beyond
Author: Jakob Jelling
For many beginners, learning to turn on a snowboard can be rather challenging and unnerving. The reason for this is that turning on a snowboard requires you to twist and turn is such a way that you feel like you are going to fall. Of course turning is absolutely essential to riding a snowboard and the feeling of loosing control goes away with time and practice.
A skidded turn and a linked skidded turn are one of the first turns that you should learn. There are several ways to make these turns on the slopes but the basics of the turns are the same. A skidded turn is a turn preformed while your snowboard is skidding across the slope. This is very useful for slopes that may have hard packed snow or ice.
First lets look at performing a basic skidded turn. Begin practicing your skidded turns on a slope that you are comfortable with. Ride down the slope with your knees bent slightly and face your shoulders in the direction that you wish to travel. As you ride down the slope pick a point where you will execute your turn. When you approach this point simply push your back leg out thus forcing your snowboard to skid along its side down the hill. Now shift your weight onto your front foot and you will begin to move in the direction that your snowboard is pointing.
While this is the basic procedure for a skidded turn, there are some finer points to keep in mind that will almost seem like another technique. When you are skidding down a hill raising one end of your snowboard to a higher angle than the other will also make it turn. The reason that this works is because the end of your snow board that has a higher angle will bite in to the snow a little harder than the other end thus causing that end to slow down and force the snowboard to rotate.
Another option that sometimes favored is the hip rotation technique. And begin by skidding down a hill. When you are ready to turn simply rotate your hips in the direction that you wish your snowboard to rotate. Rotating your hips will naturally cause your body to shift its weight to accomplish the turn and push the correct end of the snowboard in the direction that it needs to go to turn.
Which method is more correct depends upon you and what you wish to get out of snowboarding. The easiest option is the third way, to rotate your hips. The most technical way that also builds up skill for other maneuvers is the second way. The key is to know your riding style and to get out there and try each method to see what works for you.
When you are on the slopes practicing your turns you may also wish to practice a linked skidded turn. A linked skidded turn is the act of going from your skidded turn to another. One important point is to make sure that you allow a few seconds to travel before turning in the other direction. If you turn too quickly you run the risk of catching the downhill edge of your snowboard and bailing very fast.
Learning and practicing skidded turns are an essentially part of snowboarding and depending upon the style you prefer may help you with other tricks that you will soon be learning. Try each of the techniques mentioned here and learn to use each method regardless of what your favorite method is. This extra experience will make you more confident on the slopes and will round out your skills thus opening more doors later on when you are ready to try new tricks.
About the Author
Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.snowboardinghelp.com. Please visit his website to discover the world of snowboarding!
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