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Archive for May, 2009

Characteristics Of A Freestyle Snowboard

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The choices of snowboards are many, even among the 3 main styles of snowboarding. The most common is the freeride board which is the snowboard that most first time riders would use. The speed freaks who love shredding the groomed hard-packed trails will have Alpine snowboards. But for those who really want to test themselves and grab as much air as possible and test themselves with tricks and radical boarding will get themselves a freestyle snowboard.

A freestyle snowboard is wider, not as long and more stable than other boards. It will usually have twin tips which means that the tip and the tail are equal in character. Lastly a freestyle board will be lighter than other boards, just the thing for grabbing enough air for the mid-air tricks, half-pipe moves and rail slides that the freestyler loves to carry out.

The boots worn with freestyle snowboards provide a reasonable amount of flex allowing the rider a better feel for their board. Things have changed over the years and they have become more like the freeride boots in terms of added stiffness, a good mix of comfort and performance.

Within the freestyle board category there are also a pair of distinct styles of boards to cater for the different ground upon which the tricks are going to be performed. It’s possible to buy a snowboard particularly for half-pipe which will be more flexible so that it is able to bend to the curve of the pipe. you can buy a slopestyle board which is more fitting for the skateboard-type of ground tricks that can be performed.

A diverse range of freestyle snowboards are stocked by the big snowboard manufacturers so one of the most difficult choices the snowboarder is going to have to make is which one to prefer. Brands are occasionally so evenly matched that decorations or graphics may be the deciding factor.

Buying a snowboard will mean that you must first think about the kind of snowboarding you’re going to want to do and then buy the type of snowboard that suits that type. The chance to execute freestyle tricks on the half pipe or on the ground will mean that you will want to buy a freestyle snowboard. There are plenty of used snowboards to choose from and some really good quality bargains to be found if you look hard enough.

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May 31st, 2009 at 3:00 am

Burton Malolo Snowboard

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The Burton Malolo is an excellent all-mountain snowboard that uses its shape to force the front of the board up and the rear down. It gets over the top of the snow nicely. The Malolo is a bit heavier than other all mountain boards but it is still capable of pulling off some freestyle tricks. It rides groomed runs adequately, but shows its true self when in deep powder.

If you are looking for a single all mountain board, you really can’t go wrong with this one.

Product Details

Ride Style: All Mountain

Specs:
NEW Sintered WFO Vision Base
NEW Powder Fly II™ Core
Dualzone™ EGD™
Triax™ Response Fiberglass
Infinite Ride®
10:45™ Sidewalls
Pro-Tip™
Tapered Shape
Size 2 to 4 cm Down From Normal Board Length

Available Lengths : 144 148 151 154 158 162 166
Effective Edge (cm): 124.75 128.25
Waist Width (cm): 25.4 25.6
Nose Width (cm): 30.82 31.14
Tail Width (cm): 28.82 29.14
Sidecut Radius (m): 8.22 8.48
Rider Weight (lbs): 150-200+ 170-210+
Set Back (in): 0.2 0.2

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May 26th, 2009 at 12:41 pm

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What Is A Freeride Snowboard?

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A style of snowboarding that refers to a generic snowboard style that can be enjoyed in just about any environment and situation. The snowboards used are so versatile they can be fitting for beginners and experienced riders equally. The idea behind freeride snowboarding is to simply enjoy the ride you get from going down the hill. It is a style that is as untroubled about the sport as it is possible to get.

The type of snowboard you will need to buy will depend on a range of factors beginning with your weight, height or your foot size. It will also depend on the kind of snowboarding you are proposing on on taking part in. This gives us 3 broad categories of snowboards. Freestyle boards, also known as technical boards, Alpine boards which are sometimes referred to as carving boards and finally freeriding boards, also called all-mountain boards.

Whether you have heard about an want to buy an Atomic snowboard and would like to try out one from their range or simply know that you want a wide snowboard there is much research to be done.

Freeriding boards are the most well-liked types of snowboards and are probably the kind of snowboard you are handed if you are snowboarding for the first time and have lobbed into a hire shop. The freeride board is a good versatile snowboard that will allow you to complete some basic tricks and will also give you good speed down the mountain. In other words this kind of board has been designed to suit the widest range of snowboard skill as possible.

Generally speaking, the freeride snowboard is an average sized snowboard with run of the mill rigidity neither soft-flexing nor stiff making them appropriate for a range of snow surroundings. They are also made with the tip and the tail slightly turning up so they can be ridden forwards or, for briefly, backwards (which is termed fakie) if that’s the kind of thing you want to do with your board.

If you are planning on buying a cheap snowboard you must first think about the kind of snowboarding you’re going to want to do and then buy the type of snowboard that suits that type. If you plan on generally enjoying the diverse types of snowboarding options to be tried at a ski resort} then perhaps a used freeride snowboard is the board for you.

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May 24th, 2009 at 3:50 pm

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New Zealand 2009 Ski Season

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The New Zealand ski resorts are preparing for an early start to the ski season with severe weather warnings around Otago and the Southland being lifted immediately after a cold snap that has brought a good deal of snow to the area. Around the Queenstown area, the ski field operators have jumped into action in preparation for a strong early season.

The Otago ski fields such as the Remarkables Ski Area have already received around 2 feet of snow ahead of the official season opening on June 20. The low lying ground is getting snow down to around 700m. Ski resorts such as Coronet Peak has had some good falls and is looking good for its June 6 opening with snow machines expected to be in operation from May 22.

It’s a promising start to the season but with opening day still weeks away, ski field operators aren’t getting overly excited just yet. Still, you’d rather see snow and colder temperatures now than not.

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May 19th, 2009 at 3:44 pm

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Different Snowboards Are Made With Different Sidecuts

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In many of the catalog descriptions that you read when explaining bits about a snowboard such as a Rome snowboard, is the sidecut of the board. It all depends on what the snowboard was calculated to be used for and how maneuverable it needs to be.

The sidecut of a snowboard refers to the size of the curve in the contact edge of a board. The depth it is measured by is the radius of a loop in meters should the arc in the side of the snowboard be extended. This radius describes the turning circle that the board is capable of making if it follows the curve of the boards arc. The distinction concerning the nose and the tail width compared to the waist width of the board is an added way of specifying the board’s dimension.

As stated earlier, the discrepancy that the size of the sidecut makes from one board to the next is in the radius of the turn that the board is capable of achieving. If the radius is tighter the board will be capable of a tighter turn and this will accelerate the board’s turning reaction in the snow. However a wider sidecut|One that is wider} will give the board a wider turn.

It will then depend upon the style of snowboarding you want to do. If you want to go pipe riding or execute tricks you will need a snowboard with a shallow sidecut. Somebody who wants to go mountain riding will be more inclined to choose a board with a deep elliptical sidecut to give them more steadiness at the higher speeds they are probably going to be going.

Different snowboard manufacturers set their boards up in a different way and go after various designs. You will feel more comfortable with some than others and so you will need to look around to be in a position to buy the board that performs best for your body type and weight.

There are a lot of factors to think about when buying a snowboard and finding the type of board that is right for you is a choice that could take some time.

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May 17th, 2009 at 10:35 am

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Snowshoes

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There are many pieces of dedicated footwear for travel through snow and ice. One of the crucial innovations that was required to save lives in such regions was the snowshoe.

The examples for the first snowshoes came from local animals whose feet were adapted to the setting for over-land travel. A snowshoe rabbit’s hind feet were the muse for a pair of unique styles of snowshoe.

For those who like categorizing things the snowshoe can be broken down into 5 basic categories: bearpaw, Yukon, beavertail, Ojibwa and Western. This doesn’t take into account the various distinct sizes or overlaps in local names which can blur the lines involving the various types.

Snowshoes can be made both as wood-framed or the more modern metal-frame. Early models were webbed with animal hide and were made to look like animal tracks such as those made by the bobcat or lynx. Some were also made to look like bear tracks, even if bears left much deeper tracks than those made with snowshoes.

For over-land travel through soft, deep snow, there was not anything that could beat a well made pair of snowshoes.

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May 12th, 2009 at 8:14 am

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Snowboard Leashes Must Be Worn

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The nature of the way snowboards are joined to the boots as well as their capacity to run easily and speedily over the snow makes keeping hold of your snowboard a challenging task at times. A piece of safety equipment that is vital for people snowboarding to wear always is the snowboard safety leash.

A safety leash is a strap that is fastened to the snowboarder’s front leg and is designed to avoid escaped boards if your bindings free for any reason or if something happens while you’re taking it off or putting it on. The snowboard leash is planned to be worn in the neighborhood of knee height which will mean the snowboarder can keep it attached while carrying the board back up the slope when on foot.

The idea of the leash is to decrease the dangers that arise from runaway snowboards. Getting into and out of the snowboard bindings can sometimes put the snowboarder in an uncoordinated place mainly when attempting to do so on a steep mountainside so the possibility that the board will slip away is more real than some people will acknowledge. A runaway board can harm an unwary person below or can be dented itself if it runs into something solid.

The wise course of action is to take away the risk of injury or damage completely by wearing the appropriate snowboarding equipment. In some cases you won’t have a choice with some resorts enforcing a no leash – no ride policy. And it doesn’t matter what type of snowboard you use either.

When you go out to buy a Sims snowboard you should seriously consider adding the snowboard leash on the list too. They’re rather easy on the pocket and they could wind up saving you a lot of money in the long run.

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May 10th, 2009 at 12:59 pm

Excitement In The Snow

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A particular well-liked types of skiing that became popular a few decades ago was a style of skiing that was known by several names such as “exotic skiing” and “monkey business prior to becoming better known as hotdogging and finally freestyle skiing. This type of skiing involves the more audacious and raw spirit of breathtaking moves with jumps and mogul skiing featuring prominently. It has lately become part of the Winter Olympics programme.

The hot dog skiing movement started a completely different language onto the ski resorts with terms such as “Back Scratcher”, “Wheelie”, “Iron Cross” and “Mule Kick” to describe some of the types of moves in the sport. Boogying down a mogul run also held enormous attraction.

This newfangled type of skiing also prompted a whole new range of colorful clothing that typified the radical attitudes of the participants who were establishing themselves as a party culture of the snow resorts.

There are a few assorted styles of freestyle skiing but they offer those with a inclination for going in search of the adrenaline rush the complete occasion to get out and get the blood pumping. The three initial essentials of freestyle skiing are mogul skiing, inverted aerials and stunt/ballet skiing.

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May 8th, 2009 at 9:01 am

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Wrist Injuries Whilst Snowboarding

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Parts of the body like the wrists, ankles and knees are all at risk to getting hurt through falls or a hard landing while snowboarding. Even though snowboarding is an unbelievably agreeable pursuit and you use even the safest snowboards such as Ride Snowboards, the reality is that there is a distinct prospect that it can result in injury.

There are ways to avert injuries as well as prudent protective gear to use and wear, but frequently no matter how mindful of the dangers you are, now and then accidents simply occur.

This doesn’t mean that you should avoid going snowboarding. On the contrary it is still quite a safe activity. As with all activities the more care you take the less prospect you’re going to get injured.

The most frequent types of injuries you can get while snowboarding are wrist injuries. For people who are new to snowboarding, falls are usual chiefly those where you fall backwards and reflexively put your hands out to lessen the impact. You are going to fall but when you do, try to get into the habit of not catching yourself with your hands, but instead keeping your hands out in front of your body and allowing yourself to fall onto your elbows. Your elbows will be able to soak up the impact a lot more easily than your more delicate wrists.

An answer that is even safer is to try to keep your arms close to your body and allow yourself to hit the snow and roll with the momentum. By going with the fall there will be a lot more surface area with which the impact will be dissipated. Sure, you’ll get more snow on your body but your wrists will remain safe.

If you don’t think you’ll be able to stop from using the hands to catch yourself go out and get a pair of wrist guards. A few makes of gloves come with wrist guards integrated into them, but if you have some skating or skateboarding guards, use them under the gloves. They are the best process for ensuring you don’t get a wrist injury and if it’s an image thing you’re worried with reference to nobody needs to know that they’re under your clothes.

For the first week of snowboarding in particular you should be very aware of the danger to your wrists. A modest bit of avoidance could save you weeks or months of pain as you find yourself laid up and recovering from a fracture.

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May 5th, 2009 at 10:40 am

Cross-Country Skiing Benefits

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Two types of skiing dominate the interest of snow sliders around the world with the most popular being Alpine skiing which is also known as downhill skiing. Getting to the top of long hills and mountains is made easy thanks to ski lifts so it’s just a matter of pointing the skis downhill and pushing off.

The second type of skiing that enjoys great popularity is the original type of skiing that was enjoyed before mechanical ski lifts made downhill skiing fun. This type is known as either cross-country skiing which is also known as Nordic skiing.

Nordic skiers can travel over flatter, longer distances as well as uphill allowing them to take in the panorama and getting enormous health benefits from the exercise provided. The skis used for cross-country are distinct to the skis used for Alpine skiing in that they are longer and narrower. Also, the bindings and boots necessary for cross-country skiing differs. The heel is not fixed to a cross-country ski which allows the skier to pick up their feet in a walking motion when going up hills.

Cross-country skiing is as fun as it is a practical way to cover long distances in the snow. It is a great way to walk around some good-looking geography and the skis and boots have been particularly crafted to handle any snow-covered landscape.

Normally the varieties of cross-country skiing can be grouped under three categories: ski touring, track skiing and backcountry skiing.

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May 4th, 2009 at 1:03 pm

Posted in Skiing

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