So, you’re looking for something to do this winter, something new, exciting and fun. Well, snowboarding could be just the ticket. Snowboarding began in the USA in the mid 60s and the equipment has come a long way since then. 

Like most things in life, size matters. The correct snowboard length depends on your riding style, height and weight. Most people will need a board that reaches to about their chin or nose when stood on end. Deep powder or race boards will be longer; freestyle or trick boards shorter.

Riders heavy for their height can go a little longer as well as stiffer - likewise, riders light for their height can go shorter and with a softer flex. Width is just as important as length, especially for women, or a guy with really big or really small feet. Women and small-footed men need narrow snowboards; big-footed guys need wider boards.

When standing on a snowboard in your riding stance, your boots should extend just slightly past the edges, by about a centimetre or so. A new trend in the market is towards women-specific boards; narrower for smaller feet, and softer flex for a lighter rider.

There are actually two ways to stand on a snowboard - the right way and what’s often referred to as the goofy way. Regular is left-foot-forward and goofy is right-foot-forward. It’s kind of like being right or left handed - almost everyone has a personal preference one way or the other. You won’t know for certain, if you are regular or goofy until you head up to the mountain and give it a try.

Better still, try running across the kitchen floor and skidding to a stop, check which foot you placed forward.  Or you can have a trusted friend sneak up behind you and give you a push to see which foot you use to catch yourself. If you fall flat on your face, maybe snow boarding is not the sport for you.

Your bindings should be set so your feet are just slightly further apart than your shoulders. Like many other sports, this gives optimum stability, balance and movement. The angle of your foot in relation to the board is based on personal preference and riding style but, the angle measurements are printed on the binding.

The rear binding should be angled depending on what is most comfortable for you. To find your optimal setting, start with a rear binding angle of 0, or straight across the board. Then adjust from there until your feet feel comfortable and at ease.  Boarding is pretty democratic, there are very few right or wrong ways, if it feels natural for you, it’s probably right.

At some point, probably after you’ve been out a few times, you’ll need to consider what style of boarding you are going to pursue. In the four decades that snowboarding has been around, a few distinct styles have emerged. These styles are characterised by the terrain, equipment and the type of competitions. Of course the type of riding you do will also influence the type of equipment you need, so before you drop $450 on a board, you might try renting first. 

If you’ve seen boarding on television sports shows you’ve probably seen freestyle riding which focuses on jumps, tricks, rail slides, halfpipes and switch riding. Freestyle riding is fun to watch and pros can really do some amazing stunts. Many resorts have designated areas for serious freestylers. 

Freeriding is the general style of snowboarding that most recreational riders enjoy. If you don’t know what kind of terrain you like, or know that you like everything, this is your category. Freeriders prefer the all mountain experience: open terrain, backcountry chutes, and fresh powder.

Freecarve or race is sometimes called alpine snowboarding. Freecarving takes place on hard-packed or groomed runs and focuses on the ultimate carving turn, with little or no jumping.  Freecarve equipment involves a hard boot and plate binding system, while the boards are stiff, narrow and relatively long. Competitions in freecarve closely resemble skiing competitions such as the giant slalom.

If you’re just starting out you should avoid getting equipment that is too specific. You’ll want to play around and find out where your preferences lie and as importantly where your skills are strongest. After your first season you’ll have a better idea what sort of equipment to specialise in.