4. MAKE THE PROPER TRIP PREPARATIONS

Once you've got the proper equipment and dressed yourself in all the latest chi-chi snowboarding fashions, you're only steps away from executing the trip. Here's how to plan a proper trip:

  • Although 97% of American resorts now allow snowboarding, a few elitist (and perhaps not very financially savvy) resorts still forbid it. So don't plan your trip to one of these.

  • If you're flying to the resort of your vacation, check out our internationally renowned article SYW find cheap airline tickets? If you're driving, then check out SYW drive cross-country? If you're walking, then check out SYW find a therapist?

  • Make sure to call ahead and ask about the conditions, because it's damn hard to learn to snowboard (let alone drive) on sheets of ice.

  • The night before you leave, you should eat lots of food, drink lots of water, and get a good night's sleep.

  • Make sure that your board is well tuned and you packed everything you need, including extra cash for those unanticipated expenditures (ski lodges are really expensive). If you have your equipment at home, it's a good idea to strap on the board to try a little carpet riding. This will help build muscle memory and hopefully mitigate the ensuing damage.

  • Give yourself extra time, especially if you plan on renting equipment at the mountain.

In order to find a place to go snowboarding, one can use traditional sources like the yellow pages to look up ski resorts in the area. However, since you're already on the web anyway, check out GoSki.com. These are some of the things this site offers:

  • You can search by country and state in order to find the most convenient resorts.

  • You get links for travel services in order to help you plan your trip.

  • The "gear" section has reviews on almost all of the major snowboard companies' products.

  • You can read reviews and comments by skiers about various snow resorts should help to point people searching for specific criteria in the right direction.