Now that the snow is rich and deep, it is a good time for skiers to think about trying out life in the snow on a snowboard.

Do you happen to be a long time skier who has watched your fellow snowboarders float on by and wonder if you should take the plunge into this undiscovered territory? Think you’re too old? Don’t see yourself vaulting into big air at the terrain park?

Or, are you like my best friend and ski buddy who defiantly states, “I tried it once, I’ll never do it again.” Or as another friend recently commented, “I tried it, but I wasn’t very good at it.”  

Some folks equate snowboarding to surfing. I can attest to the fact that surfing is far more challenging than riding a board down the hill.

Snowboarding can seem intimidating for those of us that are used to having two feet and two boards under our legs.

However, there are two really great things about snowboarding that makes the effort worthwhile. They are much more comfortable boots and the fun factor. Quite simply, snowboarding is just more fun.

An ideal mountain day for me is sunny with warm temps, no wind, and great snow with some skiing in the morning and boarding in the afternoon.

I am of two minds when it comes to broaching the hill. I prefer snowboarding when the snow is deep and soft and skiing when the snow is hard and icy. Snowboarding is much more difficult on icy, hard packed snow than skiing those difficult conditions. However, if I am with friends that ski, I stick to skis, just to better keep pace with my buddies. It is no fun for skiers to watch and wait at the top of the hill as their boarding friends struggle to find a comfortable place to plop their butt down, and then to buckle up.  

When it comes to traversing flat terrain, skiers leave their boarding buddies far behind. Skiers exit the lift and go right down the hill, while the boarders slide off the lift and look for a perch to buckle up.

An important point: when making the transition from skiing to boarding, you need to develop a more intimate relationship with the ground as you are often on it. Every time you buckle up, exit a lift, or hit the deck you are going to be in the snow, so need to get used to the relationship of butt to snow. Also, during the initial stages of board life you have to anticipate falling. The object lesson here is to expect it, and to fall gently, at slow speed, or when standing still, in soft, fresh snow. Soft snow is key. Your first day on a board should never be on hard pack or icy conditions.

Another rule of thumb, never take snowboarding lessons from your teenaged children. They just have an entirely different frame of reference and the result can be disaster. A qualified instructor or a friend in your age bracket will make a world of difference.

Another helpful hint to getting confident on a board is to find a gentle inclined slope serviced by a convenient lift and run it over and over until you fully explore the toe and heel edges before heading out to more challenging terrain. Strange as it may seem, trying to learn on flat ground is much more difficult than gently gliding down a little hill. Standing still or pushing yourself on flat ground is much more challenging then riding down a gentle incline.

Green Novice trails with lots of flats will make you wish you were back on skis, so pick your first novice trail carefully. A short green run with no flats is ideal.

There are two categories of snowboarders ”“ Jumpers and Cruisers. I am a cruiser and will always be. From my estimation, jumpers are consummate athletes, under the age of 29,  with nerves of steel and rubber bones. I like to watch jumpers soar through the air twisting in and out of somersaults from the comfort of my television set. My personal favorite is Snowboarder Cross,  a great spectator sport. Watching four to six boarders, in close confines, racing down jumps, curves and steeps then soaring to the finish line is just great fun to watch.

To capsule:

1. Your first day on a snowboard should be when the snow is soft and deep.

2. Find an instructor in your age bracket, never take lessons from your teenager.  

3. Be prepared to establish a new relationship with the snow covered ground.

We have been blessed this year with a rare abundance of deep, rich, soft snow. And although we may curse it when shoveling our driveways and raking our roof, it’s the ideal time to get out and enjoy the drifts that Mother Nature has dumped upon us.  

— Greg Morell can be reached at Morell.Gregory@gmail.com. The Snow Business column seeks to encourage winter outdoor adventure.