Snowboarding Gear For Fun
By fthomas | November 15, 2008
With the winter season fast closing in on us, it's time to start getting ready to hit the slopes. Burton Snowboarding Gear is one of the best companies to come up with snowboarding equipment that keeps the fun-loving ones in mind. Where other snowboard manufacturing companies tend to focus on professional level gear that's patterned after "the equipment used by professionals" or some other similar sales pitch, Burton's focus is on the rest of us who just want to snowboard for fun, have a good time, and stay warm and comfortable while doing it.
Burton's lineup involves not only snowboards, but apparel and accessories that focus on stylish appearance, safe performance, and user comfort. While they also have their own line of competition level gear, a vast majority of their equipment is meant for casual enjoyment and usage. Here are some samples of their offerings.
Kiddie and Beginner Snowboards – these snowboards are designed like bikes with trainer wheels, in that their balance and shape are very forgiving on the slopes. Performance wise, don't expect to pull stunts with these boards, but if you don't know much about snowboarding, you can expect that you'll be eating the snow a lot less than you would with a normal board.
Intermediate to Advanced Snowboards – these are top quality snowboards designed for speed and agility. If you actually know what you're doing and want to hit the slopes with a board that will let you strut your stuff, these are good purchases. Just make sure that you really DO know your stuff, as these boards can turn pretty quick, and it you're not quite as agile as you think you are, you might wind up making a pretty good snowman on the slopes.
Kid's Apparel – snowboarding is for everyone, even little kids, and Burton's lineup takes into account high factors of both warmth and safety in their children's clothing. Warm multi-layered socks, flashy jackets that make it easy to spot your kids on the slope, and heat-retaining pants are just some of the offerings. There are even additional lines for girls, featuring fleece jackets and beanies. These are meant as much to look good as they are to keep their wearers safe and warm.
Adult Apparel – these are full sized regular adult snow gear that affords warmth and protection. However, Burton's winter gear lineup for adults also offers a greater degree of freedom of movement than some other winter gear manufacturers. While still warms and comfy, these jackets, boots, and pants are built light and sturdy to allow for quick and easy motions.
Gear Bags – Burton's lineup of winter gear bags are made to mold to a snowboarder's back during a run. Compact, light, and built with shallow profiles that cut on wind resistance, these bags can be taken on a board with no worries about their weight and balance throwing you off at a crucial moment. Even the arrangement of the straps has been taken into consideration, as they are designed to avoid binding up a person's arms and shoulders when snowboarding.
Belt Pouches – Burton also has a lineup of belt pouches that hold small odds and ends if you don't want to hassle with a full backpack on a snowboarding run. Some of these belt pouches are even specialized, like ones meant to hold the average portable CD player so you can listen to your favorite sounds while you're on the slopes.
Topics: Snowboarding Skateboarding | No Comments »
Skateboarding and Surfing – Two Cool Activities that are Worlds Apart
By fthomas | November 15, 2008
Skateboarding and surfing are two activities that can be equally fun and exciting. The two sports are based on very similar tools – boards. However the similarity between the two pastimes ends there since skateboarding and surfing are very much different from each other. If you are not convinced, then you definitely have to read on.
Skateboarding and Surfing Defined
Skateboarding is basically the process of rolling or moving by riding on a skateboard. With surfing, on the other hand, a person also moves while riding a board, but the movement is induced by a breaking wave. So from the very definition of the two hobbies, you can already see that they are quite different from the other. First of all, one is performed on land, while the other is performed on the surface of a body of water. Next, the mechanics of movement in the two are very different as one uses wheels and the other uses waves.
Skateboarding can also be considered a means of transportation, apart from being a sport or a hobby. Many people, kids in particular, can travel using skateboards, especially for short distances. Meanwhile, surfing is not usually considered as a way for traveling as it is only thought of as a hobby and a sport. Even people living along shores cannot travel considerable distances using a surfboard.
History of Surfing and Skateboarding
Although the origin of surfing has not yet been established, the earliest record of surfing traces back to the 1770s when Captain Cook witness people in Hawaii riding boards on the waves. Skateboarding, on the other hand is a fairly new sport and thus its origins are still very much remembered. Skateboarding was invented around the 1950s, when surfing was also becoming popular in the western world. Some say that skateboarding evolved from surfing, which is probably why it was called sidewalk surfing during its infancy.
Surfing and Skateboarding in the form the people of today know, grew popular in parallel times. Their development can thus be thought of as simultaneous. However, the tradition of surfing is more deeply rooted due to the fact that it has been existing for centuries. Nevertheless both sports are continuing to grow in the coming years.
Equipment for Surfing and Skateboarding
As mentioned, the boards used for surfing and skateboarding are very different. Surfing uses surfboards, wave skis, surf mats, kneeboards, and body boards. Boards used for surfing originally used wood, and were thus quite heavy. Eventually, surfers looked for lightweight materials so that they can easily bring around their boards, which is more difficult considering that they do not have wheels. Most surfboards nowadays are made of polyurethane foam, which is quite sturdy but very light.
In skateboarding, skateboards are obviously used. The original skateboards were reminiscent to surfboards in the sense that they were not concave, albeit having wheels. Like surfboards, the old skateboards were made of wood, and eventually of plastic. Nowadays, most skateboards are made of composite fiber and their wheels are made of clay composite or polyurethane.
Surfing and skateboarding are obviously two different sports. However the most important commonality between the two apart from their histories is the fun and excitement the both can potentially bring and the likelihood for both of them to stay popular in the years to come.
Topics: Snowboarding Skateboarding | No Comments »
Snowboard & Friends Tips & Tricks 3 – Fernet
By admin | November 14, 2008
Un’altra domenica !! Che dire snow snow snowboard
Topics: Snowboarding Skateboarding | No Comments »
Tips When Buying Snowboarding Pants
By fthomas | November 13, 2008
Like any piece of al fresco sports' wear, snowboarding pants serves one main purpose and that is to ensure your protection from injury, weather conditions, and any other external force. There is generally an accepted method to maintain your core temperature and prevent you from cooling off easily and this is known as the Three Layer System. This system is composed of a base layer, an insulation layer and an outer shell. The base layer is the only layer directly in contact with your skin and its sole purpose is to turn the moisture away from the skin. On top of the base layer lies the insulation layer which is also intended to get rid of moisture away from the body but its more important function is to insulate your body by confining your body heat. The outer shell is the layer directly exposed to the environment. It is expected to be waterproof, windproof and has also a breathable outlet for moisture.
Most snowboarding pants combine 2 or contain all the 3 layers in one piece. Most will also have waterproofing, a thin outer shell, and an efficient insulation layer.. During warmer conditions, you have the option to wear only the snowboarding pants. Meanwhile, when the weather turns colder, you can add a base layer bottom beneath your snowboarding pants. However, when the weather goes extremely cold, have the liberty to wear all three layers while wearing a layer of extra insulation between the base layer of your bottoms and your snowboarding pants.
Before buying your snowboarding pants, consider these tips.
-Never make the mistake of wearing normal pants for snowboarding. You really need to buy your snowboarding pants especially if you are just a beginner. Remember that if you are a neophyte, you are most likely to be the one stumbling most of the time on your knees or on your behind. Hence, if you happen to be wearing casual jeans then the ice will melt every time you fall on the snow and you will eventually get soaked and cold. This is not a good way to learn.
-Although you can use ski pants as an alternative when you don't have a snowboarding pants yet, it will not allow you to do the movements that you can normally do using a snowboard pants. Unlike the snowboard pants, ski pants are not intended for tricks like aerial spins or jumps. So unless you only want to do what a skier does, stick to the ski pants. So when you're buying a snowboard pants, look for one that does not pinch in the crotch area or one that has enough room for you to do your tricks.
-You need to anticipate a few rough falls. So, one important aspect that you need to look for snowboarding pants is extra padding especially on the knee and buttocks area since these are the parts that commonly catch your plunges. Having extra padding will not give you enough protection to minimize the chance of any injury plus the possibility of getting your pants damaged thus losing their waterproof capacity.
-Go for quality and not for the price. You want enough protection and durability. Don't go for cheap pants that will be ripped off after a day of practice. If you want to be a pro, get yourself the right snowboarding pants that will last you until you become one.
-Choose function over fashion. Although it's good to be noticed for your cool clothes, it's a lot better to be to be wearing something that gives you adequate protection and provides you with great comfort.
Topics: Snowboarding Skateboarding | No Comments »
Skateboard Tricks : Fakie Backside Spin Skateboarding Tips
By admin | November 12, 2008
Skateboarding tricks such as a fakie backside spin are difficult but a lot of fun once mastered. Learn how to do a fakie backside spin on a skateboard from an expert in this free video clip.
Topics: Snowboarding Skateboarding | 19 Comments »
Creating a Layout for a Snowboard-themed Myspace Webpage
By fthomas | November 11, 2008
We have gone a long way in terms of developing things and activities which we can use and enjoy. Snowboarding and Myspace are two examples of such innovations.
Why would a snowboard enthusiast want to have a Myspace account? For those who are not that familiar with Myspace, it is a system that provides its subscribers with webpages which they can customize according to their specifications up to a certain extent. Al l the accounts are connected to a single worldwide network and it proves to be a great way to be able to find certain people and promote one's works.
A snowboarder who would like to meet other snowboarders or other people who are snowboarding enthusiasts can use Myspace as an avenue to do so. Some people will also use the system to be able to promote their snowboarding products and services. Myspace is a very user-friendly system that connects people into a single network.
What does a normal Myspace webpage contain? It usually contains general information about the subscriber like his name, age, affiliations, occupations, etc. However, one ca n customize his Myspace account to be able to upload other things like animation, music or video.
So what are some of the important things that one should remember when setting up his snowboarding-themed Myspace webpage? Here are some suggestions:
-General appeal
The first thing that you need to be able to know when customizing your Myspace account layout is to determine the general appeal that you would like your website to have. Do you want it to be a website which has a powerful personal appeal or do you want to speak to your visitors in a professional tone? Knowing this will determine the other things that you would like to do in your layout.
-Background color
In determining the background color, you should always have the general theme of your website in mind. The colors should never clash against each other, rather, they should complement one another. A snowboarding-themed Myspace webpage should revolve around soothing colors such as white or blue.
-Text
The layout of Myspace accounts should maximize the readability of the text that is contained in the said account. It's all about conveying a message to your visitors and the text should be emphasized. The background colors should not overpower the text color. Of course, substantive content is also important.
-Other elements
You can upload video or audio-visual presentations to your Myspace account by customizing the layout. You might want to consider uploading footages of some of your snowboarding escapades. It's really a great tool to attract more visitors to your Myspace webpage.
Customizing the layout of a Myspace account can really be tricky. There are some free Myspace layout customizing services that are available in the Internet but they can use your account as a backlink to their own websites and this can complicate things.
There are free tutorials on how to use the html or what we would call the language of the internet to be able to modify the layout of a Myspace webpage. One can simply cut and paste some of the codes that are provided in the Internet to be able to customize the layout of the page.
However, if you find these things to be a little bit complicated, you can try to hire a professional to do the job for you. This can cost you a little money, but it saves you the hassle of going through all the nitty gritty details of customizing the webpage.
Topics: Snowboarding Skateboarding | No Comments »
Snowboard Tricks: Jumps : Snowboard Tricks: Good Jump Landing
By admin | November 10, 2008
Keeping a center of gravity results in a good landing for a snowboard jump trick. Stay focused during a snowboard jump with tips from a snowboarding enthusiast in this free video on snowboarding tricks.
Topics: Snowboarding Skateboarding | 3 Comments »
Snowboarding Gear For Fun
By fthomas | November 10, 2008
With the winter season fast closing in on us, it's time to start getting ready to hit the slopes. Burton Snowboarding Gear is one of the best companies to come up with snowboarding equipment that keeps the fun-loving ones in mind. Where other snowboard manufacturing companies tend to focus on professional level gear that's patterned after "the equipment used by professionals" or some other similar sales pitch, Burton's focus is on the rest of us who just want to snowboard for fun, have a good time, and stay warm and comfortable while doing it.
Burton's lineup involves not only snowboards, but apparel and accessories that focus on stylish appearance, safe performance, and user comfort. While they also have their own line of competition level gear, a vast majority of their equipment is meant for casual enjoyment and usage. Here are some samples of their offerings.
Kiddie and Beginner Snowboards – these snowboards are designed like bikes with trainer wheels, in that their balance and shape are very forgiving on the slopes. Performance wise, don't expect to pull stunts with these boards, but if you don't know much about snowboarding, you can expect that you'll be eating the snow a lot less than you would with a normal board.
Intermediate to Advanced Snowboards – these are top quality snowboards designed for speed and agility. If you actually know what you're doing and want to hit the slopes with a board that will let you strut your stuff, these are good purchases. Just make sure that you really DO know your stuff, as these boards can turn pretty quick, and it you're not quite as agile as you think you are, you might wind up making a pretty good snowman on the slopes.
Kid's Apparel – snowboarding is for everyone, even little kids, and Burton's lineup takes into account high factors of both warmth and safety in their children's clothing. Warm multi-layered socks, flashy jackets that make it easy to spot your kids on the slope, and heat-retaining pants are just some of the offerings. There are even additional lines for girls, featuring fleece jackets and beanies. These are meant as much to look good as they are to keep their wearers safe and warm.
Adult Apparel – these are full sized regular adult snow gear that affords warmth and protection. However, Burton's winter gear lineup for adults also offers a greater degree of freedom of movement than some other winter gear manufacturers. While still warms and comfy, these jackets, boots, and pants are built light and sturdy to allow for quick and easy motions.
Gear Bags – Burton's lineup of winter gear bags are made to mold to a snowboarder's back during a run. Compact, light, and built with shallow profiles that cut on wind resistance, these bags can be taken on a board with no worries about their weight and balance throwing you off at a crucial moment. Even the arrangement of the straps has been taken into consideration, as they are designed to avoid binding up a person's arms and shoulders when snowboarding.
Belt Pouches – Burton also has a lineup of belt pouches that hold small odds and ends if you don't want to hassle with a full backpack on a snowboarding run. Some of these belt pouches are even specialized, like ones meant to hold the average portable CD player so you can listen to your favorite sounds while you're on the slopes.
Topics: Snowboarding Skateboarding | No Comments »
Knowing the Basics: Skateboarding
By fthomas | November 8, 2008
Skateboarding is an easy and fun way to get some exercise, meet a lot of people, and in some sense, to look cool. Some may view it as a fairly risky activity, but a lot of youngster would still prefer to get into it because of its benefits. Majority of skateboarders in the world are 18 and under and this translates to around 10 million young skaters worldwide.
If you are someone who is interested in skateboarding, then read along for some basic guidance on how to start.
Protective Gears
The first things should always come first. Before you go ahead and try to do some stuff using a skateboard, you need to have some protective gears with you. A helmet, a couple of elbow pads and knee pads should do the job. You can borrow some gear from your friends if you are not sure if you'll push through with skateboarding on the long run, just make sure that they would fit properly on you.
A lot of kids today disregard the fact that safety is a real issue in skateboarding. They think that wearing protective pads and helmets don't look cool and so they skate without them but suffering from grave injuries from skateboarding is not so either, huh?
Meet your new friend: your skateboard
After putting on your protective gear, the next thing that you need to do is to get acquainted with your skateboard. Skateboards come in different sizes and designs. It is advisable that you borrow a skateboard first so that you can assess what kind of skateboard you would like to have in the future.
Before you hit the streets with your skateboard, you must find some time to be able to get properly acquainted with it. You should try standing, jumping and moving your feet on the skateboard for some time before you actually make any movements. This will prevent you from being too surprised with the "feel" of the skateboard.
Stance
Another important thing that you need to do before you start skateboarding is to determine your stance. If you like the feel of having your left foot forward, then do so, otherwise, put your right foot in front. You can determine which foot goes where by kicking a ball. If you kick a ball with your right, then you should put your right foot at the back of the board and vice versa.
Movement
You already know your preferred stance on the skateboard, what do you do next? You push your back foot to get some movement going on. Remember to relax your body while you start off and bend your knees if you have to. The first movements may feel a little bit weird but you'll definitely get the hang of it.
Please try to do your initial practice in a place where you have ample space and little disturbance such as vehicles and people. A flat surface is also preferable than sloped ones.
Halt!
Another basic thing that you need to know is how to stop. There are different kinds of methods used for stopping a skateboard, however, we would recommend the use of the back foot to stop to stop the movement for beginners. All you have to do is to get your back foot on the ground and use the friction to stop your skateboard.
These are some of the basic things that beginner skateboarders need to master before they get to the tricks and the stunts. Always remember that safety comes first, and that building sound fundamentals is one's best weapon to avoid accidents while skateboarding. Enjoy!
Topics: Snowboarding Skateboarding | No Comments »
Skateboard Tricks : Fakie Kick Flip Skateboarding Tips
By admin | November 7, 2008
Skateboarding tricks such as a fakie kick flip are difficult but a lot of fun once mastered. Learn how to do a fakie kick flip on a skateboard from an expert in this free video clip.
Topics: Snowboarding Skateboarding | 23 Comments »