Learning to snowboard can be challenging, especially during your first few days on the mountain. Between figuring out your balance, controlling your speed, and learning to turn, there's a lot to take in. The good news is that a few simple techniques can make learning much easier. Here are 11 beginner snowboard tips to help you progress faster, avoid common mistakes, and feel more confident on the slopes. 1. Always Place Your Snowboard Base Down One of the first mistakes begin

Setting up your snowboard correctly is one of the most important things you can do before heading to the mountain. The right setup makes your board more comfortable, improves your control, and helps you progress faster. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced rider, taking a few minutes to adjust your bindings can make a huge difference. In this guide, I'll walk you through how I set up my snowboard, including stance direction, binding angles, stance width, boot positioni

Buying snowboard gear can be exciting, but it can also get expensive quickly. With so many different snowboards, boots, bindings, and clothing options available, knowing what to prioritize can save you hundreds of dollars and make a huge difference in your experience on the mountain. Whether you're buying your first snowboard setup or upgrading your current gear, here are 10 important things to consider before spending your money. 1. Snowboard: Choose the Right Type The most

One of the biggest questions in snowboarding is whether the Epic Pass or Ikon Pass has the better ski resorts. Both passes offer access to some of the best mountains in the world, but which one actually has the stronger lineup? To find out, I created a March Madness-style tournament featuring 32 ski resorts, with 16 representing Epic and 16 representing Ikon. I compared each resort based on terrain, snow quality, powder, terrain parks, and my personal experiences riding these

Choosing the right snowboard profile can completely change the way your board feels on the mountain. Some profiles are designed to carve hard and ride fast, while others make turning easier, improve float in powder, or give you a more playful feeling in the terrain park. A snowboard's profile is essentially the shape the board takes when viewed from the side. During manufacturing, the different layers of a snowboard are pressed together in a mold using heat and pressure. That

Getting the right size snowboard gear can make a huge difference in how comfortable you feel and how well you ride. Gear that’s too big can feel loose and unresponsive, while gear that’s too small can cause pressure points, pain, and restrict your movement. From your boots and snowboard to your bindings, outerwear, and goggles, getting the sizing dialed in will help you stay comfortable and get the best performance possible on the mountain. Snowboard boots are one of the most

This summer I traded summer in North America for winter in Chile and spent several weeks traveling through the Andes looking for the best snow I could find. Instead of staying at one resort, we rented a car, followed the weather, and snowboarded different parts of the country. The trip took us from the huge mountains outside Santiago to the volcanic terrain farther south. We had everything from deep powder and storm days to bluebird spring conditions. These are four of the re

I spent ten seasons riding and teaching in Whistler, which means I've watched a lot of people arrive for their first trip and make the same handful of mistakes. None of them are serious. All of them cost you days. Here's what I'd tell a friend flying in. It's genuinely two mountains Whistler and Blackcomb are separate mountains connected by a gondola, and they ride differently. A lot of first-timers spend their whole trip on one because they don't realise how much is on the o

This comes up constantly in my comments, usually from someone who's ridden one continent their whole life and is about to book a trip to the other. And the honest answer is that they're more different than people expect. Not better or worse — different in ways that change how you plan your day, what gear you bring, and in one case, what can actually get you hurt. Here's what's worth knowing before you go either direction. 1. One resort vs. a connected network In North America