1. When getting on or off the lift always have your back foot free and resting on the stomp pad or up tight against the back binding.

2. After getting off of the lift skate away from the unloading area to the side of the trail.  This helps keep traffic to a minimum and promotes safety.

3. Before you set out for a day of riding, check your equipment. Make sure your bindings are secured to the board correctly, your straps are not missing or broken, and that your board's edges and base are properly tuned and waxed.

4. On days when the snow is wet and sticky make sure your board has been properly waxed and tuned.  This will allow you to keep your desired speed and hit the jumps with enough speed to make the landing.

5. There is a wide variety of snowboards to choose from, each with its own flex, look, composure, weight, height, radius, and side cut.  It is a good idea, when buying a board, to demo a few to find the one that suits you the best. The Demo Center at Mountainside Ski & Sport Shop has many boards to choose from.

6. Snowboarding is a winter sport that requires hours of being outside on cold days. Make sure you are properly clothed in layers such as long underwear, t-shirt, sweater, fleece, and of course a jacket. Water Resistant outerwear could keep a wet day dry.

7. There is no advantage to riding regular instead of goofy. This means putting your left foot in front instead of your right foot. Doing what feels natural is the best way of choosing. If you don't know which foot that is, think about which foot you would initially put in front if you were to run and slide on a slippery surface.

8. Snowboarding requires the use of several muscles which you normally might not use. Stretching your upper and lower body, such as legs, hips, hamstrings, calves, and other muscles could prevent injury and ensure a more enjoyable day of riding.

9. When a rider secures their foot into the board, they place the boot onto the back of the binding, fasten the ankle strap to lock the boot into the binding, and then fasten the toe strap.  Don't forget to attach your leash, runaway devices are required for your safety and the safety of others.

10. Knowing how to fall is very important in order to prevent injury. The most common injury is a sprained or possibly broken wrist. Always keep your hands in a fist which will help  prevent bending your wrists too far back. Try to absorb a fall with your entire body.

11. Getting up once you have fallen can be difficult.  The easiest way to get up is from your knees. If you are on your back, lie down, bend your knees into your chest, and begin to roll by putting the tail of the board into the snow. Roll the nose of the board around and your body will follow. Once on your stomach, bend your knees, move your hips over the board and push off the snow with your hands.

12. Whenever you get up after a fall, get right into a stance and pay attention to where you are going in order to avoid running into others.

13. When riding, your eyes should be focused on an object in the horizon. Be aware of your surroundings. Don't watch the snow or you will end up falling.

14. Rather than walking from one place to another, try skating. Skating is exactly what it sounds like. The front foot is strapped into the front binding while the back foot is used to push. This is normally used on flats or on slight declines.

15. When riding the pipe, keeping the necessary speed to get out of the walls can be better acquired by keeping the base of the board flat while riding through the middle of the pipe.

16. When riding on challenging conditions, such as ice, make sure to flex through the knees and ankles more than usual in order to control the pressure on the edges of the board.

17. Make sure you have the right snowboarding equipment for you. A snowboard that is too tall will be hard to turn and learn on. A board with too much toe drag can cause you to fall. Boots that fit properly will keep your feet warmer. The staff at Mountainside Ski & Sports would be happy to help you find the right gear for your snowboarding ability.

18. When landing a jump or an ollie, extend your legs to reach the ground in order to absorb the landing.  As you touch down, bend your knees while keeping the board flat and your weight centered.

19. Before attempting a 180 off a jump try it on a flat.  Next try it while moving on a cruiser run.  In order to stick a 180, you must be able to ride fakie.  Riding fakies is when you put your rear foot forward (opposite or your normal riding stance).

20. Gloves, hats, and goggles are very important when riding.  Gloves and a hat keep you warm. Goggles make riding when the snow guns are on or its snowing or hailing, much safer and easier. Mountainside carries all the gear you need including goggles from Oakley, Spy, Scott, Smith and Carrera.

21. Before progressing to grabs off jumps, make sure you have mastered the basic air abilities. Wachusett's Ski & Snowboard School provides lessons for all levels of boarders from beginner to advanced skills in park, pipe, and rails.

22. Rails can hurt. Watching more experienced riders hit the rails with such ease may give you the impression that rails are easy. Make sure you have learned about rails, how to ride them, and how to fall off them before you finally hit one. Start on a flat rail or a mailbox which is close to the ground. Lean forward with your weight centered when you hit the rail in order to avoid falling.

23. Whenever you have any questions about snowboarding ask the riders at Wachusett. Members of the Ski & Snowboard School staff would love to answer any questions you may have. You can also get information from our Mountainside snowboard shop staff. They will assist you when buying new products, fixing old equipment, tuning and waxing, or anything else snowboard related.

24. On your first day of snowboarding, start small and think big. Snowboarding is harder than it looks, so starting on smaller hills will allow you to move forward at a pace which you can handle. Falling is inevitable so don't let yourself be discouraged. Taking a lesson is always a good idea.  Not only do you learn about the board, but you also learn the fundamentals of snowboarding, basic turns, safety, and everything you need to know to go on to be the snowboarder you dream to be.