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Snowboarding

Billy Crafton Time to Go Shreddin

Snowboarding FAQ

Billy Crafton here with a few of the top questions you’ll often hear asked when discussing snowboarding, especially for beginners.

Billy Crafton Snowboarding Portrait

What exercises can I do to help prepare my body for the pain in store?

What gear do I really need to buy (versus renting on-site)?

Do I need to take snowboarding lessons?

Welcome to Billy Crafton Snowboarding

Yes, Brazillian Jiu Jitsu (see Billy Crafton Jiu Jitsu) and surfing (see Billy Crafton Surfing) may register higher on my list of passionate hobbies (I mean it’s San Diego, how can you not surf, right?), but snowboarding doesn’t lag too far behind when the season is here in California. So I wanted to show a little love to the wintry side of great California pastimes as well, and for

my money, nothing beats snowboarding. No, we’re not as well-known for winter sports as we are for surfing (and that’s fair), but as I’ll showcase here, you’ll be surprised to learn just how many great snowboarding and skiing spots exist in Cali.
Let’s get started…

California is More Than Just Beaches…

Although we’re certainly not famous for skiing and snowboarding like Colorado or Utah, Cali will surprise you with some high quality snowboarding locales to the east. Scroll below, and let’s take a look at some of the best spots to go ridin’ in the state.

4 Snowboarding Moves That Will Change Your Life

In this outstanding video from Duncan Mainland over at Snowboard Addiction, you’ll learn four key snowboarding moves that, although relatively simple, will help you more throughly enjoy your snowboarding experiences — especially when you combine them.

What exercises can I do to help prepare my body for the pain in store?

As you might venture a guess, the primary areas of your body that you need to focus on are your legs and your core (and some work on ye olde glutes won’t hurt either). Lunges and squats are great, uphill hiking helps, and of course planks and ab workouts go a long way as well.

What gear do I really need to buy (versus renting on-site)?

Of course you need to buy the clothing essentials: gloves, warm socks, thermal underwear, plus a hat and  goggles. If you’re just starting out, rent your board and boots, and you can also rent safety gear as well, like a helmet and wrist guards — yes, you need BOTH of these!

Do I need to take snowboarding lessons before I start?

Although need may be a strong word, to put it simply, if you don’t get at least one lesson before you begin, chances are extremely high that you’ll try snowboarding once, fail miserably, and then never snowboard again. Even  donning the gear can be tricky, so yes, take that lesson!

Billy Crafton Snowboarding Blog

The Billy Crafton Snowboarding Blog showcases much more on snowboarding, from great mountain locales across the USA, to some of my favorite snowboarding resources online, to personal tips, and more…

30 Questions for First Time Snowboarders

For a part-time sport that you can only do in certain areas of the country, snowboarding certainly commands a strong online presence, both good and bad. The bad is that, like most any topic these days, you’ll find an abundance of misinformation online. Thankfully, on the good side, there are outstanding pieces like 30 Questions for First Time Snowboarders over at Snowsbest.com, written by guest writer and snowboard instructor, Alex Parsons. Click the button below to give it a read!

Best California Snowboarding Locations

If you’re as yet unfamiliar with the snowboarding scene in Cali, this article will likely surprise you. Why? Because it highlights not one.. not two… but EIGHT different snowboarding and skiing destinations here in the state. Although that count might surprise you, there are even more than eight, this is just the cream of the crop! Check it out below…