If you’ve ever asked an arborist when the best time to plant a tree is, you’ll know the sarcastic answer: “The best time to plant a tree was ten years ago, but the second-best time is right now.” The same sentiment applies to snowboarding.

If you start now, your only regret will be that you haven’t been enjoying this sport for the last decade. That holds true whether you’re an experienced skier or just someone who’s vaguely interested in winter sports. Either way now is the time to dip your toes into the awesome world of snowboarding. There’s no better time than now to get started.

But isn’t Snowboarding Difficult?

We can hear the excuses already “I’m too old” “I don’t want to learn something new” “But what if I’m bad at it?” Picking up a new sport or activity, especially an outdoor one like snowboarding isn’t about being instantly an expert. Instead, it’s about getting the opportunity to learn and grow.

There’s a special feeling that comes when you’re trying something new and start to unlock the fundamentals. It’s like riding a bike, sure there might have been some skinned knees along the way, but at some point, you realize that your dad isn’t running along behind you holding you up anymore, that you’re gliding along balanced on your own. And that sense of accomplishment, that taste of pride mixed with relief is a fundamental part of being human.

We’re built to learn new things, to grow new skills, and snowboarding offers the perfect medium for that progression.

Yes. You are going to fall down. Probably several times. Snow will find its way up into every imaginable spot in your snowboard jacket. But you’re falling down in an environment that’s designed to help you get back up. Snowboarding is built around the idea of finding success after failure, from the structure of each lesson to the fundamentals of linking turns. So get out there and seek a little of the good kind of adversity. You’ll be a better person for it.

And there’s no such thing as being “too old” to start snowboarding. Go into any snowboard shop and chat with the staff. We guarantee they’ll have stories about some guy who started riding even later than you and is now totally hooked and rides every day he can. Snowboarding is a lifelong sport, regardless of when you get started, you can continue to carve smooth turns long after retirement.

Snowboarding is Great Exercise

But snowboarding isn’t just fun, it’s also good for you. It provides a healthy amount of exercise, and a good motivation to get out and be active, especially during the dreary winter months.

It’s impossible to snowboard well without a strong core muscle group, and at least some level of endurance. And snowboarding will keep you stoked and motivated to maintain that fitness all winter long. The best kind of exercise never feels like exercise while you’re doing it, and snowboarding never feels like a workout, even though it undoubtedly is one.

Isn’t Snowboarding Expensive?

From the outside it can seem like the barriers to entry are rather high, you need specialized gear and training after all. But much of the snowboard industry is designed around bringing new riders to the sport. There are snowboard rentals at many shops that offer beginner packages or even season-long leases for riders.

Some people even like to make picking up snowboarding a family affair and will get kids snowboard rentals for their little ones so everyone can get out on the slopes together. And ski resorts love to offer package deals that combine lessons and lift tickets. These bundles make a bunch of sense, you can save a lot of money and get professional instruction to help you grow as a rider.

So it doesn’t have to be expensive and complicated to start snowboarding. Just shop around for deals and figure out what works for you. If you get a jump start looking for gear early in the season, a snowboard Black Friday Sale typically has a wide selection of choices for someone just looking to get started.

Final Thoughts

Finally, there’s a slightly less tangible reason that there’s no better time than now to start snowboarding. Being a snowboarder gives you a reason to look forward to winter. Fall can be a dreary time as you start to anticipate the long cold months that follow. But if you’re a snowboarder you’ll be too busy giving your board a good snowboard wax and sharpen to get down about the end of summer. Instead, you’ll be looking forward to deep powder days.

It can be hard to stay active and motivated through winter, but as a snowboarder, you’ll have something to anticipate as soon as summer says goodbye. So don’t wait, start snowboarding this winter, in ten years you’ll be so thankful that you did.

Rylie Morgan

Blogger

Rylie is freelance writer, fitness blogger, and travel junkie. Originally from Toronto, she currently resides in Lima, Peru but is always on the move to discover new adventures.