So you think you wanna start snowboarding?

Nothing beats learning on the real stuff

A week of snowboarding in the French Alps, staying in a gorgeous wooden chalet, sipping a little Après-ski after a full-on day on the slopes, enjoying some winter sunshine… All sounds so tempting, doesn’t it? So you’re contemplating dipping your toe into the world of snowboarding, but you’re not sure if you’ll spend seven days cruising down the slopes looking super cool or whether it’ll be a seriously bum-bruising experience. Understandably you’d be a little hesitant to shell out £600 for a trip, should the latter be true.

Fear not, because you can try before you fly, right here in the UK. I too wasn’t sure how I would fair on the slopes, so I went and tested a couple of indoor beginner lessons at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead and Skiplex in Reading to test my skill and love of the sport. (I was also able to get you some discounts — scroll down for more info…) Here’s what I thought…

Beginners learn on the smaller of The Snow Centre’s two slopes

The Snow Centre, Hemel Hempstead

Being a bit of a newbie to snowboarding, I was naturally a little nervous about throwing myself down The Snow Centre’s 160m snow slope. But I needn’t have worried. As soon as I met our instructor, Dwayne, my nerves disappeared. The Level 1 Adult Group Lesson took us through the real basics of snowboarding. Learning the little things, like how to tie your shoes right or what angle your knees should make with the board, are a great way to build that solid foundation you need to become an awesome snowboarder!

While they really packed a lot into our hour and a half session, it never felt too rushed. Equally, with eight of us on the course, we never got bored either. When it came to riding down the slope, those who were a bit nervous were glad of a little wait for an instructor to guide them down, while the more competent riders could board down on their own.

Instructors allow you to progress at a pace you’re comfortable with

If all Snow Centre instructors are as good as ours was, you’ll be in for a treat. Recently voted instructor of the year by his colleagues, Dwayne claimed 8th place in the Boardercross British Championships in 2006. And he’s as conscientious an instructor as he is a quality snowboarder. If we really wanted to hold his hand he’d let us, but if he could see we were capable, he’d leave us to it — keeping a watchful eye on us of course.

Learning how to use the button lifts comes a few lessons after your first

So, what’s covered in the lesson? First thing’s first, we were taught how to dress correctly so we didn’t overheat or lose our boots on the slope. We then learnt how to move about with one foot strapped in and how not to lose our boards to gravity. Finally it was time to put all the theory into practice and ride down the slope, and considering I was a little scared of the riding part, I loved it! Dwayne’s soothing words, “Screaming won’t slow you down, but I’ll stop you screaming!” were enough to calm any tentative boarders down. We practised coming down on both the heel and the toe edge. The only time we ever pointed the board downhill was for a cheeky little run down the slope at the end.

Our snowboarding crew – ‘scuse the shakey hand, it was cold, brrr…

And being the fun-loving guy that he is, Dwayne squeezed a final little toboggan in too — on our snowboards of course! Overall, a great lesson with a brilliantly talented instructor. Highly recommended.

Skiplex, Reading

The First Time Snowboard Session at Skiplex was a little different to our lesson at The Snow Centre. Firstly, I found it a lot calmer, and instead of snow, we had our session on two revolving astro turf carpets. So no salopettes required. Our group was also a lot smaller, due to the size of the treadmills.

Skiplex’s rotating astro turf surface is a lot more responsive than snow

While this session was a bit more informal, the atmosphere in the centre was really relaxed. It’s a lot smaller than the Hemel centre, and right at the front is a cosy little café with a lovely ski-hut-feel to it. Insider tip — they do great coffee! After signing in, our instructor Kyran, gave us our boots and boards and talked us through the things we would cover in the lesson.

Within an hour session, you get about 30 minutes on the slope — that could be three 10 minute sessions or two 15 minute sessions with breaks in between. It doesn’t sound like much, but because the treadmill is constantly moving, I found this lesson more tiring than at The Snow Centre. Of course there’s nothing stopping you from taking a little breather if you need to. The astro turf is incredibly responsive, so the whole feel on the dry slope was very different to snow. Makes it a great place for honing and practising specific skills though.

Skiplex is a great place for honing your skills

Throughout the lesson, we were able to keep an eye on our technique in the large mirror at the front and at those times we felt a little wobble come on, we could grab onto the bar in front of us. And did you know that that astro turf surface can reach a speed of 25mph? We weren’t quite ready for that though!

As there were only two of us in the group, the instructor could gauge our proficiency and allowed us to progress as much or as little as we wanted. Skiplex is a great place to pop in to for a little training sesh after work, although I must say, I preferred learning on real snow. But, saying that, once I’ve upped my skill, I wouldn’t mind coming here to refine my technique.

The one-way glass acts as a mirror on the other side, allowing you to keep an eye on your technique

And because you lot are so awesome, I was able to wangle a little discount off some snowboarding lessons for you. Hope you enjoy!

Discounts from Outdoor Chics

For 10% off a beginner’s snowboarding lesson at Skiplex, simply call and quote “Outdoor Chics” (offer expires end April 2015)
For 10% off a lift pass at The Snow Centre, just call or visit www.thesnowcentre.com and quote “GYBSLP10” (offer expires 21 March 2015)
For 10% off a group lesson at The Snow Centre, just call or visit www.thesnowcentre.com and quote “GYBSGL10” (offer expires 28 February 2015)

Summary: Beginner snowboarding lessons

	The Snow Centre	Skiplex
Cost	Adult weekend/school/bank holiday: £52.00 Adult weekday: £47.00	Adult: £35.00
Duration	1 hour 30 minutes	30 minutes on the slope
Group size	Up to 8	2-3
Pros	– Real snow – More detailed instruction – As close to boarding in the French Alps as you can without getting on a plane	– Great for practising specific skills – Warmer – Less busy
Other discounts	55% off adult and junior memberships & 10% off permanent recreation prices for SCUK members