On my first ever snowboarding experience, I wasted the whole day trying to learn how to ride on my own and with some bad tips from friends who were trying to help, but were actually hindering me.

I know you will be tempted to just get out there and try to go down the hill, but DON’T! You’ll thank me later.

There are 2 skills in snowboarding that you need to learn first before anything else. They are the foundation of snowboarding, and without them, you simply can’t do it.

Start out by finding a mellow hill (not too steep, but not flat). Most ski and snowboard resorts usually have a beginner area, and this is usually the best place to learn. Find a good place that’s out of the way, sit down, and strap your boots into the bindings.

Step 1: Heel Slide

1. Starting out, you should be facing downhill with your board perpendicular to the slope of the hill (your nose should not be angled down toward the bottom of the hill).

2. Dig the back edge of your snowboard into the snow and stand up, keeping most of your weight on that back edge. You are basically standing on your heels here.

3. Once you feel comfortable and balanced there on your heel edge, begin to roll the balance off of your heels and the back edge of the snowboard, until you start to slide forward. Then roll the balance back to your heel edge again. This should raise the front edge and dig the back (heel) edge back into the snow, stopping your sliding.

4. Practice this heel slide for a while, sliding down and stopping with your heel edge, until you feel comfortable sliding down the hill.

Step 2: Toe Slide

This is exactly the same as the heel slide, except that you are facing the top of the hill this time, with your back facing the bottom of the hill. For some, the toe slide seems more difficult, and for some it seems easier. Either way, they will be equally easy in no time.

Step 3: Connecting the Two - Heel Edge to Toe Edge

Believe it or not, you are already past the hard part. Now you just need to learn how to link the two essential skills that you have learned.

1. Start out on your heel edge and begin to slide down the hill. This time, lean a little bit more toward the nose (front) of the board, so now instead of going down sideways, you are actually moving forward. Now lean back with more weight on your back heel until your board is sideways (perpendicular to the hill again) and stop. Practice this a few more times, until you are able to get the nose of your board pointed straight down the hill and come back to a stop with the board sideways. Now practice the same thing on your toe edge.

2. Once you feel comfortable, we are going to attempt to make the transition from the heel edge to the toe edge. Start out in your stopped heel edge position and begin to slide down, and angle the nose down until you are moving forward, like the step above.

3. The trick to turning the board is to turn your upper body, leading with your front, or leading arm. Turn your body slowly toward the way you want to turn. Remember, lead with your arms, and rotate the entire upper part of your body at the waist. The board should follow, and before you know it, you’ll be sliding on your toe edge. Do the same to get back to your heel edge.

TIP: Sometimes it takes a little bit more of a push to get from one edge to another, so use your back foot to re-enforce the rotation of your torso to help push the board to onto the next edge.

Good luck, and have fun.