What to wear – It maybe pretty straight forward but he’s a little check list to help you come prepared
- Waterproof Jacket and pants
- Thermals/Layering appropriate to weather/temperature (Our home page shows information of daily weather in Courchevel and Meribel)
- Ski/Snowboard specific socks
- Gloves/Mitts
- Goggles/Sunglasses – Sunglasses only when sunny!
- Headwear – Helmets are highly recommended for all but not mandatory for adults
- Other recommendations are wrist guards and impact shorts
- A Buff or similar
What to bring – It’s worth checking the weather each day so you bring/wear the appropriate below
- Lift pass! (For beginners a local pass is adequate, for intermediate and up we recommend the full 3 Valley Pass)
- Suncream and Lip balm
- Pocket-size drink/snack – Or at least money to get one
- Mobile phone or contact number (Incase of emergencies)
- Insurance details incase of an accident (It is your responsibility to have holiday insurance)
- Positive attitude and plenty of determination!
Set-Up
- Board – If you’re thinking of buying, renting or borrowing a board then make sure it’s right for you. As a rough guide, your board (when stood on-end) should reach between your nose and chin height. Any longer and you could be struggling to turn it. If you’re a Beginner or Intermediate or even a Freestyle rider then it should be a soft to medium flex.
- Stance – This is the distance between the middle of one binding to the middle of the other. The distance should be just wider than shoulder-width apart. Your bindings should be both turned out slightly towards your nose and tail, this is known as a ‘duck stance’. Angles between your front and back foot should be no more than 30 degrees difference. +15/-15 is a good starting point.
- Boots – Boots can make or break your day. Make sure they fit well, they should be snug but not overly tight. You should just be able to feel the front of the boot with your big toe but when you flex into the boot, it should just move away from the end. Also when standing in your boots in a flexed position and rolling on to the ball of your foot, your heel should not lift independently of your boot. Boots should be at the top of your equipment priority list, they can make or break your week. Often asked is how many pairs of socks should you wear? The answer is one.
- Which Foot Forward Am I? If it’s your first time Snowboarding then you will need to figure out which foot forward you are. Regular (Left-foot forward) or Goofy (Right-foot forward). Snowboards can be ridden in both directions but to begin with you will need to have a preferred direction. Probably the best indication of which foot forward you are is if you have even done any ‘Sideways’ sports before, i.e. Skateboarding, Surfing or Wakeboarding. If you have experience with these sports then you’ll stand the same on your Snowboard. If you haven’t don’t worry, try imagining you’re stood on a kid’s scooter, whichever foot you push yourself along with will be your back foot. Another test is to imagine running in your socks and sliding/skidding across a polished floor. Which ever foot you place forward will be your lead foot.
Snowboarding is classed as an ‘extreme’ sport but with the expert tuition provided by RTM, we try and open the sport to all.
If you’ve never been Snowboarding before, there are a few things you can do to prepare yourself for your trip to really make the most of your holiday. Not to mention, learn quicker, have more fun and reduce the chances of any knocks and bumps.
Wherever possible, do some exercise – You don’t have to be going to the gym regularly or running marathons but every little helps. If you do sport/exercise regularly then great. If you don’t do much exercise in your day-to-day life then try and consciously make an effort to do some before you arrive. It will definitely pay off. Swim, cycle, jog – You name it! Anything that gets the heart pumping and those muscles working. Even do some light stretches or even some yoga.
Test/Develop your balance – Ultimately when you’re Snowboarding down the slopes you’re balancing all the time against the edges of your board. You’ll be balancing either on your heels or on your toes. Any exercises that involve using your core muscles to help you balance are beneficial and of course sit ups too. Even try standing on the bottom step on just your heels (with the rest of your foot hanging over the edge) and doing a few light squats. Then try then opposite, standing on the flats of your toes and balls of your feet and again doing some little squats. Doing this a few times a week before you come will make a difference.
