I've been a skier my entire life. Year after year, I get to see some idiot, who's clearly never snowboarded in his life, hit the half-pipe at full speed and wipe out so hard that Ski Patrol has to carry what's left of him off the mountain. Many of these people sincerely believe that if they can beat their favorite SSX game, they can snowboard just as well on a real slope. Before anyone else decides that they can become a pro snowboarder by playing a few hours of SSX, let's take a look at a few lessons not to take from those games in SSX: How Not To Snowboard.
SSX: How Not To Snowboard
Snowboarding lessons are expensive. Why bother when you could just play some SSX and learn from that? Well, as awesome and fun as the SSX games are, they are far from realistic. Let's take a look at a few lessons in SSX: How Not To Snowboard.
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By Eugene Fomin January 24, 2012 |
Credit: EA Sports BIG
Handstands Are Not Easy |
Another favorite trick of mine is being able to do a handstand on my skis while grinding a rail. Stop what you're doing right now and do a handstand. Chances are, you can't. If you can, congrats. Now, try to do the same thing while holding on to a small plank and balancing it on a... no, wait, don't. Seriously. Don't try this at home. Don't try any of these at home.
Credit: EA Sports BIG
Turning on Ice Sucks |
If you've ever skied or snowboarded, you already know all about how ice works. You've definitely encountered a patch of ice on your journeys, and as a noob, have definitely tried to turn on it. Well, you aren't on ice skates. Unless your skis are tuned to a racing angle, good luck even getting so much as a bit of grip on that nasty, slick frozen evil.
Credit: EA Sports BIG
Barreling Down a Hill Doesn't Work |
Yet another stupid, stupid mistake I see beginners make. Just because you can go straight down a hill in your favorite video game does not mean you can do the same thing in real life. Control is important when snowboarding. If you get too much speed, you lose control. Even pro snowboarders carve once in a while to check their speed. Instead of pointing your board down the hill and hoping for the best, learn to carve.
Credit: EA Sports BIG
Being a D-bag Is Not Cool |
Yeah, attacking other guys on the hill in Tricky might get you points and adrenaline. It's encouraged and makes the game more fun. If you pull some of that crap in real life, don't be offended if you come out of the lodge to find your board snapped in half with some three or four-letter word written on it in sharpie. A little respect goes a long way. You do not want to be labeled as a d-bag. That label stays with you all season long.
Credit: EA Sports BIG
Spinning in the Air Is Not Easy |
OK, this is one that people tend to miss. You know how in SSX, and other snowboarding games, you can do a back-flip halfway and then immediately do a front flip? Or how about doing a 180 clockwise and then counterclockwise on the same jump? Guess what. Doesn't work like that. When you're in the air, you can't control your spin much at all. Sure, little hand motions and stuff can be used to correct yourself, but not nearly as much as the people in video games seem to do. Which is why winding up is a huge part of doing a jump. You have to know exactly what trick you're going to throw, so that you are prepared in advance. I say this because I've seen tons of people fling themselves off a jump and then try to awkwardly maneuver in the air. In this case, watching them land is the best.
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