Breckenridge, Colorado: A Perfect Place to Learn a New Sport

Psyched for a winter getaway to the charming mountain town of Breckenridge, Colorado. Colorado is known for its majestic snow covered mountains and great slopes, it’s always safe to assume you would be spending a lot of your vacation time out and about the snow. A lot of time with snow would naturally mean you should learn something good that has to do with it, a snow related sport. Now all you have to do is decide whether you will be taking skiing or snowboarding. Here are few helpful points to consider before you decide.

If you’re new to the sport, it would be wise to try the gear you will be using. A skier as what you have seen in the sports channel, attach each of their feet to a long slender ski with curved end towards the top. Snowboarders strap both of their feet on a board. As the name suggest, the board of course, looks like a skateboard only most of the time shinier and probably bigger and of course minus the wheels at the bottom. To get the idea which gear you are most comfortable with, try and move around a little and see what position you feel most natural to you while speeding down a mountain. Of course, snowboarders bottom half face forward almost all the time, switching sides along the way. Skiers, normally face forward most of the time while skiing. If you’re a beginner and you spend most of the time skiing with your back facing forward, that is most definitely not good.

Boarders have their hands free and of course use them as their balancing device. Beginners of skiing use the poles to help them stand after a fall, boarders however; since they’re bound to have more difficulty in balancing themselves should be able to scoot their way up. Don’t worry the first thing instructors teach is the correct way to fall. How encouraging. Skiers use very thin but strong poles. The length of these poles may vary, usually depending on the height of the skier. These poles are used to launch or start skiers and use it to maintain or gain speed. The poles help maintain their balance, on top speeds; the skier assumes a crouch-like position with the knees firmly together and the poles are tucked in the armpit.

In learning any new sport, it is very important to know what risks you will be encountering as you try and learn it. Knowing what sport injury you are most likely to have is one way of deterring an injury itself. Skiing will be hard on the knees, so it is more likely a skier will have a knee related injury. So take it easy on your knees. Since snowboarding is harder to balance, you will most likely spend more than half of your learning time on your backside. Snowboarders’ hands are free, it is most likely the body part you would use to break your fall, your wrist will take a beating and is most likely to be injured. Trying to learn a new sport will make you use muscle groups you never knew you had, so brace yourselves for a lot of muscle pain after your first few sessions.

The snow where these sports are based upon is a big factor to consider when you are about to choose your sport. You have to consider your long term plans in choosing. Breckenridge will have both deep, fresh snow and icy, bumpy patches so it’s perfect for both snowboarding and skiing enthusiasts depending on the time of season and weather conditions. Snowboarding is better suited for deep, fresh powder while skiing is a good choice if the snow is more icy and bumpy. If you are so into speed, which sport could offer you the adrenaline rush you need? Snowboarding is often portrayed as the more adrenaline rush sport, so daring daredevils tend to incline more likely to this sport. But skiers who are of the same level as snowboarders counterparts are almost always faster.

Remember that you won’t become a pro overnight. You will experience your muscle hurt in places you don’t even know could hurt. Remember to prepare yourself for the sunny Breckenridge slopes, the sun could hurt your chances of having fun by getting sunburn, not including the unsightly red patches of uneven sunburned skin. By applying sunscreen and lip balm you will be able to prepare for a whole lot of time learning with the beautiful snow all around. Keep hydrated by drinking lots of water. Skiing and snowboarding are a great way to exercise; exercise helps release endorphins in your body, endorphins make you happy. So go out and enjoy the snow and most of all, have lots of fun. With patience, lots of practice and determination, you will be able to glide down the mountain slopes in no time.