Burton-Academy

Sitting in the airport waiting for my flight to Dallas, I saw a news report that Lake Tahoe got a bunch of snow dumped on its peaks just in time for closing weekend at many of the resorts. It made me wish I was headed there for some last-chance snowboarding instead. Earlier in the season, I took a road trip to Northstar-at-Tahoe to learn how to snowboard at Burton Academy, a non-traditional school that manager Chris Hargrave says allows pros to “share the sport with the world in a way that is fear free and pain free.”

A boarding enthusiast and instructor, Hargrave was enlisted by a friend to open Burton Academy and develop an easier way for aspiring riders to learn how to snowboard. Hargrave’s claims about the teaching methods are true; my experience learning to ride at the academy was a fearless, painless one. (Unless you count the achingly sore muscles I had to soak the following morning!)

Admittedly, I wasn’t the best student the mountain has seen. As my klutzy nature would have it, I spent a good part of the day on my bum, but I had an absolute blast nonetheless. After my lesson, I caught up with Hargrave to find out more about the history of Burton Academy and how I can continue to develop my skills to become a totally sick rider!

TWS: First things first. How can a newbie look cool on the slopes? Any must have gear or fashion faux pas?

Hargrave: I think every rider should find a look with their gear that they really like. I had a friend tell me once that if you look good (to you) then you will shred well, too. “Must haves” are a sweet beanie, rad goggles, a couple of personal stickers for your board. Always wear you pant legs over your high backs and binding straps (never stuck in them), and never allow a gap between the top of your goggles and the bottom of your beanie. Always Always Always wear tight clothes extra tight, and baggy clothes extra baggy. That said, looking cool on the slopes is dictated by what you do intentionally and unintentionally. If you ride with bad habits that you don't even know you have, it shows. Good riders can tell when someone has no idea what they are doing.

TWS: Help me sound cooler than I am! Give me some examples of must-know and totally sick snowboarding lingo.

Hargrave: It’s always cool to blend words starting with the word “shred” like shred and ready... “shredy.” Or “shradical” It's totally cool to use the word “awesome” if you are being half serious in the way that you say it, but really fully believe it. When in doubt, don't fake it. Never try to take old surfer lingo and try to sound serious. Instead, make fun of it and say things like “cherry cherry pow pow bro brah” in a full-on surfer dude accent to make your friends laugh!

TWS: Got it! So, tell me: How is snowboarding more shradical than skiing?

Hargrave: The ability to bend and manipulate a snowboard is so much more intuitive. This makes it far easier to feel the relationship between pressure build up and release relative to the snow, board, and body. That is what makes both sports so sensational and fun. Not to mention that laying over a hard slash and fighting with gravity, centrifugal and centripetal forces is about the closest you can come to flying without leaving the ground. Snowboarders get to do this so much sooner then skiers. If you don’t believe me, come to the Academy, and we'll help you figure it out!

TWS: How is Burton Academy different from other snowboarding schools?

Hargrave: Where do I start? The Academy has a fully interactive lounge that plays a huge role in the program – from resting and indoor training to chilling and watching video. We use a Terrain Based Teaching system that focuses on helping riders understand how to move their body to work with the mountain and enables them to do so in a fear free environment. We have specially trained our staff to help our riders progress at their pace and to protect them from the hard slams that usually occur when learning. We focus on fully immersing our riders into our industry and sport helping them to feel like they understand and belong in snowboarding.

We work hard to identify with our riders and help them achieve their goals while building a style that enables them to ride the mountain the way they want to. We limit our group sizes to 4 and work hard to make sure that every rider is in a group that fits their goals, ability, and personality. This is the best place in the world to become a snowboarder, and we aim to help our sport grow.

TWS: What is the most challenging aspect of snowboarding? How can beginners get past that?

Hargrave: I think for beginners, it’s gaining enough control of their body, board and experience to be able to manage the mountain. When people start riding, the mountain tends to grab hold of them and push them around, generally resulting in some tough falls and frustration. To get past that, riders should learn how the movements they make directly affect their board.  Then they should work on sequencing those movements to help them turn and control changes in the terrain.

From there, they should really work on mastering challenging moves on simple terrain.  After that, they should have strong foundation to start exploring the mountain. It’s important to have a great coach. When riders come to see us at the Academy, we help them to become a solid snowboarder.

TWS: Is there anything boarders can do to prepare before they hit the slopes?

Hargrave: Get a core ball and a balance board (like a vew-do or bongo board). Get on your wii balance board and play Shaun White Snowboarding. Make a good plan that includes understanding everything you might experience on your way to the mountain and while you’re there. Dream up some good goals so that your coach can help you get there.