Informal Measures of Progression

The American Association of Snowboard Instructors has published a skills progression to help you figure out how much your riding has advanced.

But perhaps a more informal guide should be established as well. You know that you’re learning how to ride when:

– You can finish messing with your bindings even as you start sliding down the hill.

– You can, with ease, descend from a chair ramp lift of varying grades. This includes snowboard-friendly gentle grades and steep grades first designed for advanced skiers.

– You no longer ask your soon-to-be lift chair companions “Can we switch places? It’s a lot easier for me to head right (left) off the chair.” You adapt to whatever the lot of the line gives to you.

– When you come to a stop on a trail, you don’t have to sit down; can balance yourself over your toes, or even heels.

– When you’re at the base of the mountain or hill, you don’t have to unbuckle to get from one lift to another. You can skate, without the board always slipping out from under you.

– You can go down a trail without using the entire width for speed control.

– While at the lift, you can slide into the right place for loading, without slip-sliding into place.

– You’re not afraid of riding the lift with anyone.

– You start thinking of how you can teach your family and friends how to ride.

– You start thinking of changing your binding angles for different kinds of snow conditions.

– You can recognize how different kinds of snow affect your riding.

– You can ride on ice as well as on corduroy.