First Time Snowboarding: How to Get Through Day One
You will fall a lot on your first day on a board. Knowing that in advance is what stops it from being demoralising — and by day three it clicks.
The hardest part of learning to snowboard is not technique, it is the psychology of day one. You fall repeatedly, you get tired, and at some point you decide this is not for you. Almost everyone feels that.
What follows is the reward: once past the threshold, progress is faster than on skis. A snowboarder linking turns on day three is usually having a better time than a skier at the same point.
This guide plans day one and gives the details that reduce the falling.
Regular or goofy? Finding your stance
Regular means left foot forward; goofy means right. It is an innate balance preference, and starting on the wrong one makes learning considerably harder.
The quickest test: have someone give you a gentle push from behind. Whichever foot you throw forward to catch yourself is the one that goes in front.
A second method is to run and slide on a smooth floor; the leading foot shows your natural stance. We run this test at handover and set the bindings accordingly.
First moves: one foot strapped in
Everything on a snowboard starts with only the front foot strapped in. Getting off a chairlift, crossing flat ground and standing in a queue all happen that way.
So the first skill is skating: front foot in, pushing with the back foot. Anyone who has used a skateboard will recognise it immediately.
Then comes gliding: putting the back foot on the board and riding a short distance. Those two moves are all you need to use a lift, and without them the day is a struggle.
Side slipping: your first real skill
Side slipping means descending under control with the board across the slope, using one edge. It is the snowboard's braking system, and you should not attempt turns before it is solid.
Start on the heel edge, back to the slope: lift your toes slightly to let the board slide, press your heels down to stop.
Then do the same on the toe edge, facing the slope, with knees pressed gently forward. Moving between the two is the foundation of a turn.
- Look where you want to go, not at your feet
- Keep knees softly bent at all times
- Do not lean back — weight stays over the middle of the board
- When you fall, make fists and land on your forearms rather than open palms
Protection is not optional on day one
Wrists take the largest share of snowboard injuries. Throwing your hands out as you fall is reflexive, and your whole body weight lands on them. Wrist guards reduce that risk substantially.
The tailbone comes second. Landing on your heel edge happens constantly at first, and padded impact shorts turn a painful day into a tolerable one.
A helmet is not up for discussion. Falling backwards on a board puts the back of your head straight onto the snow — a different and far more common fall pattern than in skiing.
Day two and three: the turns arrive
Day two starts by turning side slipping into a traverse: holding the board at a slight angle and crossing the slope.
Then comes the first turn. A turn is a change from one edge to the other, and the critical moment is the brief instant the board is flat. Hesitating there puts you on the ground; committing to the movement does not.
By day three linked turns begin to settle, and you understand why people love snowboarding. The first two days exist entirely to get you here.
Getting on and off a chairlift with a board
The most frustrating part of a first snowboard day is not riding — it is the lift. What is trivial on skis is a separate skill on a board and has to be learned.
Approaching the queue, only your front foot is strapped in. You move by pushing with your back foot — skating. Anyone who has used a skateboard will recognise it.
On the chair, the weight of the board hangs off your front foot and tires it on the first few rides. Resting the board on your free foot takes that load off — and remember to lower the safety bar.
The unload is the critical moment: as the board touches down, place your back foot on the stomp pad, keep your weight centred and glide straight. Clear the unload area quickly — the person behind you is landing in the same spot.
You will probably fall on the first few unloads, and that is entirely normal. If you do, move aside fast. After three or four repetitions it becomes automatic.
Getting up: saving your energy
Falling on day one is unavoidable; getting up is what tires you. The right technique directly determines how much energy you have left at the end of the day.
From the heel edge: sitting on your back, pull your knees to your chest, set the board across the slope, place your hands on the snow rather than on the board, and push your hips forward to stand. Pushing off the board is a common mistake and loads your wrists.
From the toe edge: roll onto your front, come up onto your knees, hold the board across the slope and push yourself up with your hands. Most people find this easier and it takes less strength.
You do not have to choose: get up on whichever side you fell. Rolling over to the other side costs more energy than it saves.
And ignore the offer of help that always comes: being pulled up by the arm is the single most common cause of shoulder strain in beginner snowboarders.
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KayakKiralama Editör Ekibi
Editorial team
Our editorial team of rental specialists and instructors works on the slopes all season and writes these guides from direct experience.
Renting and servicing equipment at Turkey's four major ski resorts since 2015.