by Michael Hodgson

Rent, do not buy! Until you know what you want, experts recommend that you rent from a competent snowboarding specialty shop or resort that caters to snowboarders. Always ask for the demo packages. They'll be a few dollars more, but the gear is typically the most current on the market and in the best condition. Besides, you're older, you can afford it!

Hardwear
• Board - Choosing the right board is a size thing and yes, size does matter. In general terms, longer is better for heavier boarders and shorter is best for the lighter ones. Standing next to the board the tip should rest somewhere between your chin and eyes. The board should also be wide enough that when you stand on it in a balanced position, your feet are more or less inside the width of the board. If your big toe is peeking over one edge, that's not a big deal. Also, no matter what the young bucks at the rental counter may insist, you will have the most fun and success on a free riding board. Finally, though you may have read that the stiffness of the board is related to weight, you aren't going to have much choice in a rental department here. Just do you best to ensure you're not boarding on a brick.

• Boots - Because you're older, you're going softer, at least in terms of footwear. Hard boots are for the alpine skier who has been around for a really long time and would rather die than switch. There is nothing wrong with that approach, but keep in mind most rental departments won't offer hard boot bindings simply because the demand is not as high.

• Bindings - While antiques are cool, they are more fragile. So it is with your joints. Protect them by insisting that the angles your bindings are set to are not more than 5 to 8 degrees different from front to back. Request that your front binding be set to 30 to 35 degrees--which most instructors agree is best for beginners--and your back binding angled at 5 to 8 degrees less. Again, no matter how much the rental dude insists that you'll have more fun boarding duckfooted (toes point outward like a duck in this stance), our aging joints just won't hold up under that kind of pressure.

The rule of thumb is that the width of your stance should roughly match the width of your shoulders--traditionally around 20-21 inches. However, if you find you are having trouble with turns and maneuvers, you might ask the shop to narrow your stance slightly -- you'll be amazed at what a difference an inch makes.

Clothing
Toss the stretch ski pants, jettison the heavy ski sweater and forget anything that is remotely figure-enhancing and not loose. Snowboarding requires freedom of body as much as freedom of mind. For your first time on the board, two purchases are essential. First, because your hands make regular contact with the snow--you'll learn to trail a hand on the snow's surface when turning and you'll spend hours pushing yourself up off the snow after falling or resting--I would invest in a pair of sturdy, insulated, waterproof snowboarding gloves. Second, because you'll be sitting or kneeling on the snow a lot--it's difficult to balance, while standing on a stationary snowboard--buy yourself the best pair of snowboard pants with reinforced knees and seat you can find. As for socks, long underwear and hat, anything you have that is warm will work just fine. Ditto for a waterproof / breathable jacket. If you already own a loose-fitting Gore-Tex mountaineering parka, that'll serve your needs well.

Padding
I know you are worried about looking like a beginner, but face it--you are one! Unlike the days of your fading youth, you no longer bounce through life. In fact, your pratfalls and pitfalls will begin to resemble splats more than anything else. That said, wear the protection cowboy and stay healthy. Wrist guards, like you would wear for in-line skating or skateboarding are an absolute must. The donning of knee pads, elbow pads or butt pads depend on your mood and need for added protection. My advice? If even the slightest fear of injury exists, pad heavily now, worry about the ego later. Check to see if you can rent wrist guards and / or pads before dropping the green on a purchase. Finally, Dr. Moore and many other medical experts suggest wearing a helmet. Sure you'll look like a geek, but since upper body impacts are far greater when boarding and the only thing more ridiculous than a geek with a helmet is an old geek with a head injury, we'd serious recommend you consider wearing a brain bucket.

© 1999 Michael Hodgson; All Rights Reserved