Snowboarding for Geeks • Hacker News Board

Re: Snowboarding for Geeks

#141

Post by JaRail » Fri, Dec 14, 2018, 9:06 PM UTC

sudosteph wrote: post #47

Snowboarding absolutely is as fun as it looks, but don't underestimate how much it's going to hurt the day after. I've gone nearly a dozen times and I still end up bruised by the end of the day. Admittedly, I'm a bit clumsier than most, but I've never collided with another human being at least. Also, I was surprised that the article didn't mention the one aspect that I actually found way harder than anything else to…

Yea, it can be a pain. Certainly you'll improve at it over time. While strength always helps, especially with getting tired, I do think this is primarily a balance/timing skill. That said, with experience a couple things also mitigate the annoyance.

* Stopping in locations that have a little extra slope makes standing back up easy. On the far edge of a cat-track, on top of a bump, etc.

* Keeping an eye on snow conditions. Soft snow or powder makes standing up on your heel edge difficult to impossible. If you arm just pushes straight down 2' into the snow, you aren't getting up that way. Sometimes when you fall in fresh snow, you'll need to refill a hole five times over to create a stable packed spot to push off of. Those are the good days :)

But basically, experienced riders will stand up in the appropriate way for the terrain, on toe or heel. From there, they'll hop a 180, make a turn, etc to get in the direction you want. Forcing yourself to stand up in the non-optimal direction is a lot of extra work.

Re: Snowboarding for Geeks

#142

Post by Analog24 » Fri, Dec 14, 2018, 9:07 PM UTC

acconrad wrote: post #103

woolvalley wrote: post #95

I've found snowboarding sucks compared to skiing if your skiing in somewhat consistently icey conditions like we have here at Tahoe. Getting kneepads definitely made it less painful, since it's easy to trip over your toe edge onto your knees when you turn into a groove on ice.

> I've found snowboarding sucks compared to skiing if your skiing in somewhat consistently icey conditions You should try New England :) I'd add that skiing is superior if you're doing a lot of backcountry traversing as well. The only remedy is to either learn to ski or get a split board (which will set you back $800+).

While I agree that backcountry travel, in general, is easier on skis you're going to shell out more money for an AT ski setup then you will for a splitboard.

Re: Snowboarding for Geeks

#143

Post by searine » Fri, Dec 14, 2018, 9:10 PM UTC

I have snowboarded for 20 years.

Wear a helmet.

Seriously WEAR A HELMET.

Re: Snowboarding for Geeks

#144

Post by Gys » Fri, Dec 14, 2018, 9:13 PM UTC

sudosteph wrote: post #47

Snowboarding absolutely is as fun as it looks, but don't underestimate how much it's going to hurt the day after. I've gone nearly a dozen times and I still end up bruised by the end of the day. Admittedly, I'm a bit clumsier than most, but I've never collided with another human being at least. Also, I was surprised that the article didn't mention the one aspect that I actually found way harder than anything else to…

> going from sitting to standing on the board with your feet strapped in is HARD

I was going to teach my girlfriend snowboarding. So we go up a hill with an easy lift. Once out we strapped the board, while sitting in the snow. I got up to get started. She did not get how to do that... and for me it was so natural that i could not understand the problem...

To sum up we survived a very severe crisis in our young relationship and she ended up taking lessons from a real teacher ;-)

Re: Snowboarding for Geeks

#145

Post by chickenbane » Fri, Dec 14, 2018, 9:20 PM UTC

Surprised such a comprehensive guide for geeks didn't get into bluetooth headphones! As a rider for a few years now, I've had good luck with the headphone inserts which fit into most helmets. Riding with your favorite music truly feels like playing the best of games and sports combined.

Re: Snowboarding for Geeks

#146

Post by fuball63 » Fri, Dec 14, 2018, 9:20 PM UTC

jmkd wrote: post #113

GuB-42 wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Senior iOS developer, medical doctor,... The common ground is not just geekiness, it is money. Skiing is expensive, and in order to get good, you need to practice a lot. I am curious to know how nerdy skateboarders are. Skateboarding and snowboarding share some similarities, but the former is much more affordable.

Skated regularly for 31 years, in many countries, with thousands of others. Skateboarders are not nerdy. The accessibility of skateboarding puts it leagues ahead of an expensive sport possible only in certain locations at certain times of year.

There are definitely nerdy aspects to skaters, despite most skaters being non-argumentative and easy going about those aspects.

A lot of skaters are very particular about their wheelbase, deck width, wheel size/durometer, tail/nose style.

Skaters are also obsessed with archival of magazines and video parts, leading to some nerdy discussions of 30 year old events that the mainstream would consider trivial.

Re: Snowboarding for Geeks

#147

Post by bendixso » Fri, Dec 14, 2018, 9:21 PM UTC

albertgoeswoof wrote: post #140

bendixso wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I dunno. I actually don't think it's all that expensive of a sport if you can invest in your equipment and keep it long term. Sure, you'll spend a few grand one season for a setup that will last you three or four seasons. The season pass will set you back another $600 per year roughly. I've had my current setup for five seasons. Same board. Same boots. Same jacket, helmet, pants, etc. If I do a back of the envelope c…

> It’s not that expensive > you’ll spend a few grand ... 1000 dollars a year Pick one

lol, you invest a few grand one year up front but it smoothes out over the coming seasons to roughly one grand on average because you keep your gear and don't have to invest in new stuff every season.

Also that's not the super frugal version of this. If you really wanted to, you could just buy all of your stuff on Craigslist. I've done that with some of my stuff, and you can get a huge discount.

You wouldn't believe the kind of people who buy gear, ride like two days, and then sell it a few years later. The market is glutted with this kind of stuff.

Re: Snowboarding for Geeks

#148

Post by bendixso » Fri, Dec 14, 2018, 9:23 PM UTC

sakopov wrote: post #71

bendixso wrote: post #26

Some of the geekiest people I know have become the best skiers/snowboarders on the mountain. I know a guy who used to regularly show up to the terrain park and do double frontflips over 60 foot jumps. He's got a PHD in physics now. I know another guy who used to compete in big air competitions. Senior iOS developer. My friend Brian does double cork 10s. Medical doctor. This sport is for nerds. If you're nerdy, you ha…

I do a lot of expedition-style backpacking either alone or in a guided group. The groups are always full of tech people, mostly from SV. It's almost like the only people who can afford fun shit are the techies.

Park is fun for me. It's relatively cheap too. You just need a ski pass and your gear. I would also qualify as a tech d-bag but I don't spend a ton of money on the sport and generally look like a dirtbag when I'm out and about

Re: Snowboarding for Geeks

#149

Post by joefkelley » Fri, Dec 14, 2018, 9:24 PM UTC

Yizahi wrote: post #51

As a skier who only took a beginning level instructor and then learned by myself for multiple seasons - take as many instructor hours as you can, even if can already ride down black slopes. Seriously, last year I took an advanced instructor and it was a revelation. Take instructor even when you think you don't need him and don't listen to your friends joking about it.

Definitely agree with this.

I've been skiing my entire life (age 3 to currently 28) and a spent a great deal of time with an instructor.

My girlfriend has also been skiing her entire life, pretty much never with an instructor. Her first time she joined me and my family with the instructor, she was blown away by how much the instructor was able to improve her skiing in ~20 minutes of teaching.

Seriously, good ones know their shit.

Re: Snowboarding for Geeks

#150

Post by starpilot » Fri, Dec 14, 2018, 9:25 PM UTC

Yizahi wrote: post #51

As a skier who only took a beginning level instructor and then learned by myself for multiple seasons - take as many instructor hours as you can, even if can already ride down black slopes. Seriously, last year I took an advanced instructor and it was a revelation. Take instructor even when you think you don't need him and don't listen to your friends joking about it.

I really encourage this. So much of skiing is counter-intuitive probably because the whole sport is counter-intuitive. Skiing is all about falling down a hill in a controlled manner, the opposite of what humans are used to. One example is leaning forward down the slope. It feels scary and less stable, your "reptile brain" doesn't want to do it, but it actually gives you more control.