So, you have decided that you want to take up snowboarding as a sport. You have seen snowboarders gracefully carving down the mountain, doing 360's over jumps effortlessly. And you want to look that cool. But where, as a snowboarding newbie, do you start? There is a ton of things you are going to need to get before you actually hit the slopes for the first time.

Getting Your Gear

The first thing you need to do before you get up on the mountain is prepare yourself with the proper snowboarding gear. The best place to start is an outdoor sports specialty store. If you are a true snowboarding newbie looking to get all the gear you are going to need, Sports Authority has a great sale every season called "Sni-a-grab" with great discounts. So, what exactly are you going to need to get started on the mountains? Let's start from the bottom and work our way up. Obviously, you are going to need a snowboard. Choosing a snowboard is going to set the stage for your entire snowboarding career. You want to keep in mind what type of snowboarding you are going to be doing - if you are planning on specializing in tricks, you will want to buy a different board than if you want to race as fast as possible down the mountain. Once you decide what type of board is going to best suit your needs, then you are going to have to find the right fit for you - any snowboarding shop you go to will be able to tell you the proper size board depending on your size. Once you have your board picked out, you are going to need to get the rest of your gear. Boots and bindings are the next, and possibly most important, step in assembling your snowboarding arsenal. When trying on boots, keep in mind that the temperature on the mountains is going to be freezing and you are going to want to wear more than one pair of socks. Your boots should be snug, but loose enough to accomodate extra layers. Your bindings should also fit comfortably around your boot and be easy to adjust - if you are having trouble adjusting them in the store, it's not going to get any better when you are in four feet of snow on the top of the mountain.

So now on to the true aesthetics - your actual snowboarding outfit. You can wear whatever you want underneath the essentials (I usually rock flannels, sweatpants, a sweatshirt, and a hoodie), but you are absolutely going to need a jacket and snow pants. There are countless options, from different colors to fabrics to textures, for you to choose from, and as long as they are from a reputable brand and you are comfortable then they should be fine. Make sure that you buy that jacket and pants large enough to fit enought layers underneath to stay warm!

All you need now are your accessories: gloves, a hat, goggles, and you are ready to hit the mountain!

Keep in Mind

You may look the part, but you need to realize that snowboarding a sport, and just like any other sport requires training, patience, hard work, and time. Don't be discouraged if all you do is the fall the first, second, or even third time you try it out.