Westbound Boarder

Being a veteran of competitive snowboarding with titles in OISA, USASA and, as discussed yesterday, an “I tried” sticker in the Burton AM Series, I’ve learned a thing or two over the years about prepping for comps.  And, as promised in part 1 of this series, I’ll share a few of those tips with you today.

First things first – competing is fun!  It’s such a great way to stretch your ability and push you to try things you never would otherwise.  But, its also a lot of work and requires a lot of prep time, both mentally and physically.  The best thing to do if you’re serious about competing is to join a team, like a high school or college snowboard team, for example, or group of people you can ride with and learn from.  I realize that’s not always an option for everyone, though, so read our tips below on things to remember before competing for the next best thing:

• Familiarize Yourself With The Course: If you can, try to head to the mountain one day prior to your competition and spend the day practicing the course.  During most competitions, for time’s sake, you’ll likely get just one or two practice runs so it’s good to know the course well before hand.  You’ll always be more comfortable on a course you’ve practiced!
• Plan Out Your Run Prior To Your Spot: As tempting (??) as it may be to make up your run on the fly, you’ll do much better if you plan out your winning run a few days prior to the comp. and practice it to the T.  Take all things into account while planning – What tricks are you best at?  What will show off your ability?  What will the judges go for? – and make sure your run aligns.  Also, right before you go, take a mental moment – close your eyes and envision your PERFECT run; I promise it will get you hyped!
• Step Outside of Your Comfort Zone: The only person putting barriers on trying new things is you!  So use competitions as a way to try something new and work at it until you get it perfect.
• Know What You’re Good At: One the flip side, you want to have a good, solid run so definitely choose tricks that show the best of your ability.  For example, if you can pull a 3, but barely, and with little air, but you can do a sick method, go for the latter instead; it will be much more impressive than something that’s not done right.
• Learn What The Judges Like: Typically (in slopestyle and pipe), judges look at air, toughness of the trick, smoothness of the run, and variety of tricks, but every competition is different.  For example, in slopestyle, jumps are usually weighted more heavily than rails, so if you have a choice between two definitely go for the jump.  Try to find out what criteria the judges are looking for and match your run accordingly.
• Pay Attention To The Rules: Most of time, the comp. rules are the same, but double-check beforehand just to make sure.  For example, I’ve competed in comps. where they don’t allow inverts, and also where you get DQ’d if you swear.  Most competitions require helmets, so plan accordingly!  
• Take It Easy, Then Go Big: In most competitions, if time allows, you get two runs and they’ll take the best of two.  Though it may be tempting to go big and pull your best tricks both times through, I’d recommend keeping your first run smooth and solid, to make sure you get it right at least once.  If you fall on your first run through the park, you’ll go into the second run knowing that its the one that will make or break the deal.  However, if you go into it knowing that you have a solid first run to fall back on, you’ll be able to pull big air and new tricks with confidence.
• Have Fun! That’s what you’re doing it for, right?

Above all, it’s important to remember that competing is 1/3 physical and 2/3 mental.  Yes, you can go bigger.  Yes, you can pull that 3 you never thought you could.  You just need to go for it.  

Have any other questions about competing?  We LOVE e-mails!  And don’t forget to check out our events calendar to find a competition near you!

For those of you who have not heard, the USSA Revolution Tour is coming to Mt. Hood Meadows this February 20-22! With events in Slopestyle, Superpipe and Snowboard Cross, the tour is open to all riders over age 13 (must be 15 for the SBX events).

If you are looking to take your snowboarding skills to the next level you should really consider pushing yourself to compete in this event. All you need is a National USSA membership and an FIS license to compete. Don’t worry, these credentials are easier than you may think to obtain. All you have to do is follow the USSA and FIS links from above, fill out the forms and send them some cash. Be sure to act quickly, as the competition is right around the corner – and registration is required.

Got cold feet? Don’t let your nerves get you down. Competing in snowboarding is a great way to push your skills to the next level. Although the park, rails and pipe may be intimidating at times, don’t let that scare you. Everyone has to start somewhere, so take the Revolution Tour as a chance to motivate you all the way through the park. Believe me, you will be so glad that you did.

Still nervous? Stay tuned for our upcoming blog post which will include lots of tips on how to begin your tricks in the park; you will be shredding big time in no time. Until then, check out our friend Dan’s blog Boards and Decks; he has some great tips on how to master those rails!

So get those forms filled out, and let us know what you decided to compete in by emailing us at www.westboundboarder@gmail.com. If you still don’t want to compete, no problem – just be sure to make your way up to the mountain so you can see it all go down and give your fellow Portland riders your support. See you at the Revolution Tour!