All posts by Blake Clark

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Summer Snowboarding Main Chute, Alta

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My 2018-19 snowboard season was epic. We had record snowpack and I was snowboarding until July 7th. I got over 200 days on snow and this video is My 200th Day Snowboarding Main Chute, Alta. Follow us by subscribing on YouTube to get all our new videos & tips. Flowing Freeride will teach how to pick the right snowboard gear best for you and drills to improve your skills. You’ll have access to all our snowboard tutorials when you sign up that cover every step and feedback from your coach. We also have some free snowboard videos to prepare for snowboard safety on our YouTube Page. I recommend watching these snowboard videos; Building Rhythm, Advanced Snowboarding Getting Air, Snowboard Bumpy Terrain, Snake Course, Snowboard Dynamic Flex & Extend, Advance Snowboard Lesson: Dropping Cliffs, Snowboarding Off Piste, Snowboarding Chutes, Active Passive Absorption, Funnel Turns For Navigating Obstacles & Snowboarding Moguls.

The season started on October 10, 2018. Some resorts like Brighton opened up in October. I hiked almost everyday until my resort Park City opened around ThanksGiving and I had over 30 days of snowboarding by then. With the snow conditions this good the whole mountain was able to open early. This gave a lot of terrain to spread out. I didn’t have to worry as much about rogue skiers and boarders. I love the trees because they don’t move. Some of them have been in the same spot for hundreds of years. Floridians don’t and tourists have been known to crash into others. Glades are a safer choice for me because I know how to ride them. If you don’t you should watch Snowboard Lesson Navigating Trees & Obstacles.

Park City Resort closed early April but the Epic Pass allows you to snowboard other resorts and Vail stayed open for 3 more weeks and Abasin was open till July. I had some mates invite me out there and I rode Beaver Creek, Vail, Abasin and Breckenridge with my pass. I left a board out there and that gave me an excuse to go back out there. I stayed out there until the end of May and then made another trip out there in June. I made some good connections out there in Colorado and would love to move out there. Colorado has the better bigger mountains but Utah has better snow and more of it. When the resort’s base elevation is higher the snow doesn’t melt as fast.

When I was in Utah I would hike Alta. Alta has good steep terrain that is great for snowboarders. Alta is a skier only mountain watch Free Alta to learn more about why that is. My mate Johnstone would always comment on my social media #FreeAlta and we had planned on snowboarding Alta together. We lost a couple of Snowboard Legends Mike Johnstone and George Medina last year. They were on the front lines to Free Taos to allow snowboarding. They were successful in 2009 they were able to buy a ticket and snowboard Taos. It’s too bad that Alta has to keep the attitude that skiers are better than snowboarders. The resort wouldn’t allow children or women on the slopes when they first opened and they like discriminating. 

Snowboarding in the summer is brilliant. The days are much longer and sometimes I would snowboard late in the evening. I drove up to Alta after work to get my snowboard fix. When I realized I could get over 200 days on snow I made it a goal to snowboard everyday. Hiking is great exercise and I would get to snowboard down. The conditions weren’t the greatest but being able to snowboard Alta in July was a nice treat.

On day 200 I decided to hike all the way up Baldy. It took over 3 hours to hike up. I would usually hike to the top of Collins lift or Wildcat because a lot of the time I had other things I needed to do. I met some other hikers along the way and that made the hike more enjoyable. We all got to the top of Baldy and we could see the tram at Snowbird running. It stayed open until July 4th that season. We took a few minutes to rest and to enjoy the views. Main Chute was still filled in with decent conditions. I took video and you can see how beautiful the scenery was. The ride down Main Chute was amazing! After exiting the chute I had another ten minutes of snowboarding to get to the base.

If you go out hiking in your area try to find slopes that have good vertical. I can park my car at Alta, walk 30 meters and be on snow. Alta makes snow and that gives a deeper base making the snow last longer. You cannot hike on private property. Alta is forest service land and when they close anyone can use the land to recreate. You can sign up for the full course to gain access to all of our snowboard lessons, study guides, textbooks, glossary, tests and direct feedback from your coach. Learn to snowboard online with flowingfreeride.com and take a look at our YouTube Page for more free content and learn to snowboard right! Online snowboard resources like videos on our YouTube Channel and articles like these can help you a ton. Professional snowboard lessons help even more. My name is Blake Tholen Clark Contact Me if you want to book a lesson or have any questions about Snowboarding.

 

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Learn How To Snowboard Better By Mountain Biking With Greg Gibb

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In the US we have no snow right now but we can Develop Our Snowboarding By Mountain Biking. Mountain biking is very similar to snowboarding. You use gravity especially when you’re going downhill. I’m joined with a good mate Greg Gibb to give tips on biking and snowboarding. Follow us by subscribing on YouTube to get all our new videos & tips. Flowing Freeride will teach how to pick the right snowboard gear best for you and drills to improve your skills. You’ll have access to all our snowboard tutorials when you sign up that cover every step and feedback from your coach. We also have some free snowboard videos to prepare for snowboard safety on our YouTube Page. I recommend watching these snowboard videos; Building Rhythm, Advanced Snowboarding Getting Air, Snowboard Bumpy Terrain, Snake Course, Snowboard Dynamic Flex & Extend, Advance Snowboard Lesson: Dropping Cliffs, Snowboarding Off Piste, Snowboarding Chutes, Snowboard Lesson Navigating Trees & Obstacles, Active Passive Absorption, Funnel Turns For Navigating Obstacles & Snowboarding Moguls.

After you’ve been teaching snowboarding as long as I have, you transfer teach. If you can relate body movements and muscle memory from other sports the student will learn to snowboard more efficiently. It’s best if they have done any board sport in the past. Out of surfing, wakeboarding, skateboarding/longboarding and mountain boarding I think wakeboarding is the most similar to snowboarding. Most folks that have never snowboarded haven’t done these board sports but most people know how to ride a bike. I can use the movement patterns to relate to snowboarding. When you learn to ride a bike you need to have good balance or you fall. When you ride a bike it’s easier to keep your balance with a little more speed. If you go slow you lose your balance or have to put your foot down to keep you up. Snowboarding is easier when you have a wee bit more speed to help balance yourself.

One of the first things that you need to do in snowboarding is choosing your front foot. There are many ways to do this but the best way is to ask the student if they ride a bike. Most folks will have ridden a bicycle. I have them think which foot they put down when gliding or which foot is in front. That is your front foot in snowboarding and it works almost %99 of the time. We steer with our front foot in snowboarding and being able to ride a bike is a great precursor for snowboarding.

When I go fast on a bike I lean into my turns and turn the front wheel less. When I go fast on my snowboard I can start using the sidecut and edge angle to turn. The snowboard has technology designs and if you can ride the board the way it’s meant to be used you’re riding efficiently. If I pivot the board around I’m not really steering it and it won’t stop. You need to tilt the board and ride the edge. I’m a raft guide in the Summer and I think about snowboarding and carving when I steer the boat. I like to relate any sport to snowboarding but sports that involve speed and racing will transfer to snowboarding better. Mountain biking also helps you to learn how to survey the terrain. When you survey the terrain you plan ahead and are prepared. I will turn up the hill to slow me down and use gravity on my bike and snowboard. This way I peddle less, save my breaks and I flow on both my board and bike.

Mountain biking is an excellent way to stay fit for the snowboard season and it’s very similar to snowboarding. If you’re thinking about learning how to snowboard, get out on your bike and watch more of our How To Snowboard Videos. If you already snowboard, mountain bike to keep your skills up. You can sign up for the full course to gain access to all of our snowboard lessons, study guides, textbooks, glossary, tests and direct feedback from your coach. Learn to snowboard online with flowingfreeride.com and take a look at our YouTube Page for more free content and learn to snowboard right! Online snowboard resources like videos on our YouTube Channel and articles like these can help you a ton. Professional snowboard lessons help even more. My name is Blake Tholen Clark Contact Me if you want to book a lesson or have any questions about Snowboarding.

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Snowboard Tuning Tips With Australian Snowboard Legend Grant Elliot

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It’s snowboard season for those of you lucky enough to be down in the Southern Hemisphere. My good mate Grant Elliot gives us some Great Tips To Tune Your Snowboard. Covid has changed a lot of peeps lives. I was supposed to be down in New Zealand but hope things get back to normal soon. Follow us by subscribing on YouTube to get all our new videos & tips. Flowing Freeride will teach how to pick the right snowboard gear best for you and drills to improve your skills. You’ll have access to all our snowboard tutorials when you sign up that cover every step and feedback from your coach. We also have some free snowboard videos to prepare for snowboard safety on our YouTube Page. I recommend watching these snowboard videos; How To Repair Snowboard Part 2, How To Repair Core Shots, Snowboard Binding Types, Binding Angles, Picking The Right Size of Snowboard, Demo Snowboards, Snowboard Camber Technology, & Sizing Boots & Bindings.

As you ride your snowboard it gets wear and tear. If you ride a bike or drive a car you have to do maintenance on your tires. It’s good to do the same for your snowboard. If you like to ride powder you will sometimes hit obstacles under the snow. Rocks, trees and dirt damage your base and edges. I like to use a stone to get the burrs off of my edges. This will let your board flow smoothly through the snow. It will help you go off jumps better and ride with less friction. There are other files that can sharpen your edges and let you cut into stiff hard snow conditions. Keeping your edges tuned are little things that can make a huge improvement to you snowboarding.

I have videos that teach you How To Wax Your Board, but we go into more depth with @Instagrunta. I prefer not to use base cleaners because they can dry out and damage your base. Instead you can do a hot wax and scrape. Most folks will wax their snowboard and let it sit but if your board is dirty then do a hot scrape as soon as you wax it. This will suck all of the dirt and unwanted materials out of your base without drying it out. I would do another wax and let it sit for a while before you scrape it. This is a great way to keep your snowboard flowing at it’s best capability. 

I like to keep my edges sharp but my style of riding is Freeride. If you’re a park Freestyle rider you may want to detune your snowboard. That means instead of making the edges sharper we round them. This will help you from grabbing your edge on rails and boxes. A lot of Rippers will just make park laps all day. When I was living in Australia there wasn’t much snow or vertical. Me and a couple others set up boxes and just hit those all day practicing our board slides. I’ve done this in the postseason up at Alta, Utah. We’ve been able to snowboard there in the preseason and postseason. Watch Free Alta and join us to start allowing snowboarding there.

Grant talked about tuning tips and you can go to CustomCult.com/GrantElliot to get his design or choose from other riders’ designs. You can also design your own with different lengths, widths, sidecuts, camber shape and flex patterns. You can sign up for the full course to gain access to all of our snowboard lessons, study guides, textbooks, glossary, tests and direct feedback from your coach. Learn to snowboard online with flowingfreeride.com and take a look at our YouTube Page for more free content and learn to snowboard right! Online snowboard resources like videos on our YouTube Channel and articles like these can help you a ton. Professional snowboard lessons help even more. My name is Blake Tholen Clark Contact Me if you want to book a lesson or have any questions about Snowboarding.

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Top 10 Tips To Learn As A Beginner Snowboarder

Blake Tholen Clark Certified Snowboard Instructor, Flowing Freeride Online Snowboard School, Free Snowboarding Lessons, From Your Snowboard Coach, Snowboarding Tips, , , , , , ,

The first few times you learn to snowboard can be challenging. Here are the Top 10 Tips For A Beginner Rider. The learning curve is more difficult to snowboard over skiing. If you get these 10 tips your skills will be much better and avoid injuries. Follow us by subscribing on YouTube to get all our new videos & tips. Flowing Freeride will teach how to pick the right snowboard gear best for you and drills to improve your skills. You’ll have access to all our snowboard tutorials when you sign up that cover every step and feedback from your coach. We also have some free snowboard videos to prepare for snowboard safety on our YouTube Page. I recommend watching these snowboard videos;Beginner Snowboard Lesson on Steering, Learn How To Ride The Lifts Safely, How to Snowboard: Balance Twist, Beginner Snowboard Stance, Snowboard Pads, Snowboard Training Hill, Demo Boards, Snowboard Camber, Building Rhythm, Snowboard Freestyle Boards, Snowboard Dynamic Flex & Extend, How To Size Your Snowboard.Responsibility Code #1, Snowboard Responsibility Code #2, Snowboard Responsibility Code #3, Responsibility Code #4 Look Uphill, Snowboard Responsibility Code # 5, #6 Obey All Signs & Snowboard Responsibility Code #7.

One, two, three, boots, bindings, board your snowboard deck. You need to be able to Put Your Boots On Right! Your bindings should allow your boot to fit in Learn To Size Boots & Bindings. Your snowboard should be sized to you and a beginner board has a softer flex pattern How To Size Your Board. I like boots that are a laceless system, bindings that are a ratchet system and a snowboard that is stiffer with regular camber shape. A beginner board is usually flat or reversed camber to help prevent catching an edge. Catching an edge is when your downhill edge digs in or “catches” the snow and that causes a whiplash. These can be very hard falls and should be avoided. The top 3 things are your equipment. Once you’ve got this sorted we can start snowboarding. 

The fourth thing is strapping on the binding and to start skating around one foot in pushing with the back foot. Learn How To Skate On Your Snowboard. This is very similar to skateboarding and we put our back foot on the board right next to the binding. I suggest you push your back foot next to the binding to help keep your foot from sliding around. Number 5 is keeping your eyes up. You will go where you look and that’s why when you look down you fall. Number 6 is keeping your balance. Big huge movements will lose your balance so be subtle and finesse your movements. Skate keeping your eyes up and you will keep your balance. Once you’re comfortable moving around we need to start turning and steering the board.

There are two edges and number 7 & 8 are Heelside & Toeside Stances. You ride the edge and the board will turn. Tilt the board up on edge creating an edge angle. Snowboards have a sidecut on the edges. A sidecut is a circle or arc cut into the edge, the edge is not straight. The heelside edge is a position where you are sitting down or squatting. You balance on the balls of your heels bedding at your ankles, knees and hips. You face down the slope and heelside is usually the edge that peeps prefer at first. Toeside is standing up tall extending your hips towards the edge. You will face up the hill and it might feel awkward since most folks haven’t put their bodies in this position. There might not be any muscle memory but you need to learn both edges or you’ll be a heelside hero. Once you’re able to stop on both heelside and toeside whilst skating then you’re ready to put the back foot in.

Two feet in is number 9. Skating is great but snowboarding is done with both feet in and it makes it much easier to ride. Think of riding a bike, with more speed it’s easier to steer and to keep balance. Once we put our second foot in we need steeper terrain. You might not agree with me at first but once you are able to get some speed in control you will understand. It’s like taking the training wheels off. You won’t be able to drag your back foot to help you stop so it’s important to be able to stop with your back foot on the snowboard. Ride your edges steering across the slope.

After all that the last thing is transitioning edges making “S” shaped turns. Give yourself enough room to turn. Let the board go diagonal then straight. Once you’re parallel to the fall line you can go to either edge but we want to transition edges going from toeside to heelside to toeside to heelside. It might not happen quickly for you but these tips will help you to learn to Ride Right!™ You can sign up for the full course to gain access to all of our snowboard lessons, study guides, textbooks, glossary, tests and direct feedback from your coach. Learn to snowboard online with flowingfreeride.com and take a look at our YouTube Page for more free content and learn to snowboard right! Online snowboard resources like videos on our YouTube Channel and articles like these can help you a ton. Professional snowboard lessons help even more. My name is Blake Tholen Clark Contact Me if you want to book a lesson or have any questions about Snowboarding.

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Learn How To Develop Rhythm By Setting Up A Race Course

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Snowboarding is an action sport that relies on timing so Develop Rhythm With A Race Course. This will help you to snowboard moguls with flow and to rip through glades with confidence. Follow us by subscribing on YouTube to get all our new videos & tips. Flowing Freeride will teach how to pick the right snowboard gear best for you and drills to improve your skills. You’ll have access to all our snowboard tutorials when you sign up that cover every step and feedback from your coach. We also have some free snowboard videos to prepare for snowboard safety on our YouTube Page. I recommend watching these snowboard videos; Building Rhythm, Advanced Snowboarding Getting Air, Snowboard Bumpy Terrain, Snake Course, Snowboard Dynamic Flex & Extend, Advance Snowboard Lesson: Dropping Cliffs, Snowboarding Off Piste, Snowboarding Chutes, Snowboard Lesson Navigating Trees & Obstacles, Active Passive Absorption, Funnel Turns For Navigating Obstacles & Snowboarding Moguls.

Grab dead tree branches and I place them in the snow placing them in the snow staggering left and right to make an “S” turn shape. I don’t want to go straight down the fall line. The more you turn in the same spot you create an actual berm the snow gets pushed up and you create a bank slalom! We’re going to turn in the same spot and we’re going to create a bank slalom, a snake course or a bobsled course. This helps improve your snowboarding because when we’re riding in trees, off piste and in moguls there’s a pattern or a rhythm where people turn in the same spot. This is going to help you to develop rhythm. It’s going to help you become a faster, better rider in glades, bumps and off piste conditions. Depending on what you want to practice, place the sticks farther apart and it becomes a giant slalom the closer together it’s more of a slalom course. You want to have a pitch that’s pretty steep. You don’t want your course to be too flat because we’re really practicing on gaining speed and turning quickly. 

I’ve talked about turning above the gate or obstacle in other articles and videos. I want my turn to start early. As I’m coming across the fall line is when I’m going across the gate. That’s what you want to do. You want to turn it eight to ten feet early in front of the gate. We’ll be turning in the same spot and you’re going to start banking up to the snow creating berms. It’s really great to go out and do these courses with a lot of people. This way the course is formed a lot quicker and you’re creating your own freestyle terrain park, banks slaloms, bobsled courses. The berms are great ramps and you can actually start jumping off of those doing your tricks. You can ride them as a bank slalom or a berm and that becomes a nice way to turn. This is going to help you into the bumps too because if you go into the bumps that’s what a bump is. It’s snow being pushed up peeps turning in the same spot. That’s pretty much what bumps are is a bank slalom people turning in the same spot. Skiers turn differently than a snowboarder. 

Sometimes the bumps form differently for a skier than a snowboarder and this drill is great for a skier too if you’re a skier you want to get out here and start doing the same thing because you want to be able to turn quickly as well as a skier. Skiers can practice turning on one ski helping them carve. It also makes them ready to balance on one board or becoming a snowboarder. 

Plan your line by looking ahead. This will help you to predict what the best gravity fall line is. This will make you a more advanced snowboarder. Get Hooked On Snowboarding with Snowboardclass/Flowing Freeride’s techniques by going back to other snowboard videos that teach how to improve your skills, improve your knowledge on equipment, safety, terrain and weather. You can sign up for the full course to gain access to all of our snowboard lessons, study guides, textbooks, glossary, tests and direct feedback from your coach. Learn to snowboard online with flowingfreeride.com and take a look at our YouTube Page for more free content and learn to snowboard right! My name is Blake Tholen Clark Contact Me if you want to book a lesson or have any questions about Snowboarding.

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How To Put On Burton Bindings Custom EST 2 Screws

Blake Tholen Clark Certified Snowboard Instructor, Flowing Freeride Online Snowboard School, Free Snowboarding Lessons, From Your Snowboard Coach, Snowboard Gear Reviews, Snowboarding Tips, , , , , , , , , , ,

This snowboard tutorial gives tips on How To Set Up Burton Bindings Custom EST. I bought these EST Burton Bindings and found out that I can only use them on Burton Boards! I just want to warn peeps of this money making scheme that Burton has created. Follow us by subscribing on YouTube to get all our new videos & tips. Flowing Freeride will teach how to pick the right snowboard gear best for you and drills to improve your skills. You’ll have access to all our snowboard tutorials when you sign up that cover every step and feedback from your coach. We also have some free snowboard videos to prepare for snowboard safety on our YouTube Page. I recommend watching these snowboard videos; How To Repair Snowboard Part 2, How To Repair Core Shots, Snowboard Binding Types, Binding Angles, Picking The Right Size of Snowboard, Demo Snowboards, Snowboard Camber Technology, & Sizing Boots & Bindings.

When I first bought this board it didn’t have all the parts I needed. There are unique screws for the bindings and the female parts for the board. I had the bindings for over a year because I couldn’t use them with other boards. I had to go back to the shop to get the female parts for the board. I know this whole process is cumbersome. I had to talk to lots of people and research about how to use the system. I feel like I went to university just to get all the knowledge of how to set up this Burton board and bindings. Hopefully this article saves you time and money if you’re thinking about going Burton. 

I’ve been riding the Custom EST Bindings on a Custom Wide 158. I’ve noticed that I have had to tighten my front binding several times. There are only 2 points of contact for the binding and that makes the screws come loose much quicker. I have noticed when I’m out on the slopes and folks come up to me asking for my screwdriver that they are riding Burton boards. Burton boards originally came with a 3 hole triangle system that made mate sawed off. Why can’t they just use the 4 hole system that everyone else uses? It’s all about the Benjamins! 

Once you have all the unique pieces for this setup it’s easy. You’ll just need a screwdriver. There are markings for width and binding angles. The bindings move toward the toeside edge and heelside edge smoothly. I do like that it is easy to move the bindings. I’ve just seen too many riders have the screws come loose and then the bindings move so they are riding a super wide stance.

Setup of Burton boards and EST Custom binding systems are quick but they come loose. I always carry a screwdriver in case binding screws come loose. I now need to carry glue or nail polish to keep these Burton Bindings tight. Get Hooked On Snowboarding with Snowboardclass/Flowing Freeride’s techniques by going back to other snowboard videos that teach how to improve your skills, improve your knowledge on equipment, safety, terrain and weather. You can sign up for the full course to gain access to all of our snowboard lessons, study guides, textbooks, glossary, tests and direct feedback from your coach. Learn to snowboard online with flowingfreeride.com and take a look at our YouTube Page for more free content and learn to snowboard right! My name is Blake Tholen Clark Contact Me if you want to book a lesson or have any questions about Snowboarding.

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How To Avoid Stress By Snowboarding

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There are so many bad things in this world. You Can Avoid Stress By Snowboarding. It is crazy with all the political things going on in the US. Covid is still going strong and folks are raiding the capitol. Let’s get along and start snowboarding right! Follow us by subscribing on YouTube to get all our new videos & tips. Flowing Freeride will teach how to pick the right snowboard gear best for you and drills to improve your skills. You’ll have access to all our snowboard tutorials when you sign up that cover every step and feedback from your coach. We also have some free snowboard videos to prepare for snowboard safety on our YouTube Page. I recommend watching these snowboard videos; Building Rhythm, Advanced Snowboarding Getting Air, Snowboard Bumpy Terrain, Snake Course, Snowboard Dynamic Flex & Extend, Advance Snowboard Lesson: Dropping Cliffs, Snowboarding Off Piste, Snowboarding Chutes, Snowboard Lesson Navigating Trees & Obstacles, Active Passive Absorption, Funnel Turns For Navigating Obstacles & Snowboarding Moguls.

Watching the news lately can be detrimental to your health. President Trump is not letting go. The elections have split our nation especially the verdicts in Georgia. There are ways to lose gracefully and admit defeat. My uncle just got released from the hospital after being in there for 2 months due to Covid-19 complications. That was a positive but total numbers for positive tests and deaths from Corona keep making new records everyday. Many economies are shutting back down. Luckily if you’re in a state like Utah you can still enjoy the outdoors and snowboard. Enjoy little things and take a win by getting on the slopes. 

This last year has been overwhelming. Black lives matter, Corrupt Police, Covid Pandemic,  Karrens, Trump, Republicans and Democrats have all come to a head. People are sick and have lost so much. These are hard times and we will get through it. Myself and many others go to work everyday putting themselves at risk but we have to survive. Some of us can’t work from home and are grateful to have work again. Get out on the slopes while the lifts are still spinning. Who knows what wild things will happen tomorrow with all the loaded guns and mentally unstable peeps. The mountains are calling.

Being on the mountain with brilliant views, fresh powder and clean air makes all the evils of the world take a back seat. There is something serene to be up on snow covered slopes. I have been coaching clients and they’ve been telling me about things in their areas. Some economies are open and going whilst others and closed and quarantine laws are enforced. Find an area that has a functioning economy with snowboard slopes near if you can work remotely. Your production quality will increase dramatically.

One thing I’ve learned in life is that we have a choice to choose. ”If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice” FreeWill RUSH. You may have voted for Trump, Not For Trump or didn’t vote at all. We are one nation and need to be strong together. Get Hooked On Snowboarding with Snowboardclass/Flowing Freeride’s techniques by going back to other snowboard videos that teach how to improve your skills, improve your knowledge on equipment, safety, terrain and weather. You can sign up for the full course to gain access to all of our snowboard lessons, study guides, textbooks, glossary, tests and direct feedback from your coach. Learn to snowboard online with flowingfreeride.com and take a look at our YouTube Page for more free content and learn to snowboard right! My name is Blake Tholen Clark Contact Me if you want to book a lesson or have any questions about Snowboarding.

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How To Put Snowboard Boots On Right!

Blake Tholen Clark Certified Snowboard Instructor, Flowing Freeride Online Snowboard School, Free Snowboarding Lessons, From Your Snowboard Coach, Snowboard Gear Reviews, Snowboarding Tips, , , , , , , , , , ,

Putting on your boots can be a difficult task for folks new to snowboarding. Learn How To Put Your Snowboard Boots On and Ride Right™! Snowboard boots are much more comfortable than ski boots. If they’re not put on right then it can cause uncomfort and pain. Follow us by subscribing on YouTube to get all our new videos & tips. Flowing Freeride will teach how to pick the right snowboard gear best for you and drills to improve your skills. You’ll have access to all our snowboard tutorials when you sign up that cover every step and feedback from your coach. We also have some free snowboard videos to prepare for snowboard safety on our YouTube Page. I recommend watching these snowboard videos; How To Repair Snowboard Part 2, How To Repair Core Shots, Snowboard Binding Types, Binding Angles, Picking The Right Size of Snowboard, Demo Snowboards, Snowboard Camber Technology, & Sizing Boots & Bindings.

I can’t believe how many students show up to my snowboard classes with their boots put on wrong. Part of my job as a coach is to make my students better. Equipment adjustments like putting your snowboard boots on correctly will make your riding improve. Most snowboard boots will come with two tongues. Yeah that sounds like a cow with multiple stomachs but the first tongue should go right against your shin without overlapping. These types of mistakes can cause actual bruising on your leg. In my lessons I will check everyone’s boots right off.

Your socks should be pulled up without wrinkles. The snowboard pants have a snow skirt that goes over the boot. Stuffing it down in, multiple socks or other layers can cause big problems. Other problems are that you use way more movement and energy to get the same result. If your heel is coming up out of your boot on the toeside then something is loose. Little things can make huge differences in your riding. 

The inside laces need to be tight. Most boots will have a locking mechanism that keeps the boot tight. Pull the inside and outside laces tight to make sure you have a snug fit. If you don’t the laces will come loose. A loose boot will make your foot swim in the boot. That can cause and ankle injury. Keep that foot secure in your boot. There is a lot that can be done to make snowboarding have a better flow state to it. Be the best you can be with proper techniques!

Hope you’re staying safe during the holidays and these odd times of Covid-19. It help me and my fellow coaches stay safe if we don’t have to fix your boots. Your snowboarding will be much better with tight boots. Get Hooked On Snowboarding with Snowboardclass/Flowing Freeride’s techniques by going back to other snowboard videos that teach how to improve your skills, improve your knowledge on equipment, safety, terrain and weather. You can sign up for the full course to gain access to all of our snowboard lessons, study guides, textbooks, glossary, tests and direct feedback from your coach. Learn to snowboard online with flowingfreeride.com and take a look at our YouTube Page for more free content and learn to snowboard right! My name is Blake Tholen Clark Contact Me if you want to book a lesson or have any questions about Snowboarding.

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Tips For How To Wax A Snowboard

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Get Super Stoked for Winter! Snowboarding is much better if you can go fast! I’ll give some snowboard tips on Waxing Your Board. If you wax your board it will go faster and protect the base. Follow us by subscribing on YouTube to get all our new videos & tips. Flowing Freeride will teach how to pick the right snowboard gear best for you and drills to improve your skills. You’ll have access to all our snowboard tutorials when you sign up that cover every step and feedback from your coach. We also have some free snowboard videos to prepare for snowboard safety on our YouTube Page. I recommend watching these snowboard videos; How To Repair Snowboard Part 2, How To Repair Core Shots, Snowboard Binding Types, Binding Angles, Picking The Right Size of Snowboard, Demo Snowboards, Snowboard Camber Technology, & Sizing Boots & Bindings.

Who doesn’t want to go faster on a snowboard?! You can learn riding techniques and skills that will help you to be more comfortable on your ride. Building Rhythm in snowboarding will help you to transition from edge to edge smoother.

 

There are many other snowboard tutorials you can watch to learn those movements but what about your equipment. Your snowboard can go faster if the base is free of core shots, scratches and has wax on it. There was a tennis player named John McEnroe that would never blame himself. It was always the refs, the weather, the court or tennis racket. You too can blame your equipment especially if you’re not using it how it should be used.

I’ve been competing, teaching and coaching snowboarding for a long time and it works to not get down on yourself. Blame your equipment and if you fall off a horse get back on it. It really works to have a competitive spirit and to be your best. If you’ve snowboarded think how many times you’ve been a wee bit too slow or when you’ve got stuck. If you had waxed your board you probably wouldn’t have lost as much speed. I’ve seen a lot of peeps get stuck in deep powder fields and have to expend a ton of energy to get free. If you have the right movement patterns and good equipment it can make your day on the mountain that much better.

There are different temperatures of wax you can apply. All purpose or all temp is a good choice. I will sometimes blend that with either a colder wax or warmer wax depending on conditions. If you apply the wrong wax it can cause more friction so choose wisely. Melting the wax into the board’s base is easy, just use an iron. There are irons that you can buy that don’t have holes in the iron for steam. They will cost a bit more. They will give a more even melt and application but a clothes iron will work fine and is cheaper. Make sure the iron temp isn’t too hot. You will see smoke if it is and you don’t want burnt wax on your base. Too cool won’t melt the wax so find the perfect temp and then mark it on your temperature dial.

I like to let the snowboard dry out before waxing. Waxing in the morning gives my snowboard plenty of time to dry out and to warn up. The wax will bond better to a board that is warm compared to a cold board left outside. Get it all melted in and then let it sit for at least 30 minutes. The longer you can let it sit the better. You can then scrape the excess wax off with a plastic scraper. A metal one can scratch the base. It is alright to not scrape and just let the snow do it but you will get a little more speed if you do. If you race you want to scrape right before your run. You can also but other things like hydrofluorocarbons you can add to the base but Hydrofluorocarbon Can Be Bad To Environment and Health. There are saver alternatives or just use wax.

Take care of you snowboard and wax it about every 3-5 days you snowboard. Scrape of any excess wax and repeat. You’ll protect your snowboard, give it more life and you’ll go faster if you learn to wax your snowboard right! Get Hooked On Snowboarding with Snowboardclass/Flowing Freeride’s techniques by going back to other snowboard videos that teach how to improve your skills, improve your knowledge on equipment, safety, terrain and weather. You can sign up for the full course to gain access to all of our snowboard lessons, study guides, textbooks, glossary, tests and direct feedback from your coach. Learn to snowboard online with flowingfreeride.com and take a look at our YouTube Page for more free content and learn to snowboard right! My name is Blake Tholen Clark Contact Me if you want to book a lesson or have any questions about Snowboarding.

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How To Fix A Snowboard Part 2

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We haven’t had snow for a few weeks but the weather is staying cold enough to make snow. There isn’t any off piste riding yet and with little terrain the slopes get crowded. Thin patches may hide rocks that can damage your board. This tutorial will give tips on How To Repair Snowboard Part 2. Follow us by subscribing on YouTube to get all our new videos & tips. Flowing Freeride will teach how to pick the right snowboard gear best for you and drills to improve your skills. You’ll have access to all our snowboard tutorials when you sign up that cover every step and feedback from your coach. We also have some free snowboard videos to prepare for snowboard safety on our YouTube Page. I recommend watching these snowboard videos; Waxing Your Board, How To Repair Core Shots, Snowboard Binding Types, Binding Angles, Picking The Right Size of Snowboard, Demo Snowboards, Snowboard Camber Technology, & Sizing Boots & Bindings.

This is the time you should visit shops to get any supplies you need to fix your snowboard. Find a cool shop that likes chatting about all things snowboarding. The main thing you want is a p-tex color that matches the color of your snowboard base. You can buy a p-tex gun to fix your core shots or you can just use a lighter. You do need to melt the p-tex into the base at the right temperature. Too hot will burn it causing carbon to appear making it not bond well. Too low of a temp will not bond well either. If you have a really deep core shot or the damage is near the edge you may need to base weld the board. That would involve getting a torch and clamps. I would clamp a piece of wood over the repaired area and let it bond over night. I could also use some adhesive glue mixed with p-tex pieces. If you can’t fix it, take it to the cool snowboard shop you found.

You can buy an expensive iron or just get one for cheaper at a retail store. I use an iron to help pressure in the material whilst it heats. Heat and pressure will pack the p-tex into the hole tight to give a solid bond. If you start seeing smoke from the iron your temp is too hot and you might damage your snowboard. I recommend trying to fix older boards first so you can learn from your mistakes. Snowboards are expensive and you don’t need to ruin them by burning them. I would look online for local classifieds. There are always folks selling used snowboards. That could become your new junk board that you can trash and learn how to fix it without breaking your budget.

The best thing to do is avoid rocks. Easier said than done but if you do you can DIY for little money. You might be able to fix your friends’ stuff now too. Get Hooked On Snowboarding with Snowboardclass/Flowing Freeride’s techniques by going back to other snowboard videos that teach how to improve your skills, improve your knowledge on equipment, safety, terrain and weather. You can sign up for the full course to gain access to all of our snowboard lessons, study guides, textbooks, glossary, tests and direct feedback from your coach. Learn to snowboard online with flowingfreeride.com and take a look at our YouTube Page for more free content and learn to snowboard right! My name is Blake Tholen Clark Contact Me if you want to book a lesson or have any questions about Snowboarding.