Snowboarding tips for a beginner?

WEAR A HELMET! that is rule #1. i have a good friend that is a ski-patroler on a mountain near here. he says the most common snowboarding injury is to the wrist. you can purchase wrist supports or rent them from the rental shop at the resort. most have them. don't try to keep up to your friends that have experience it will just cause you grief and frustrate you and don't let them talk you into trying things you are not comfortable doing. most mountains have a beginner slope that is groomed and has a gentle slope. i would recommend spending a few hours on that so you can get the feeling of the edges and how to manage a turn and most importantly how to stop. stopping is a really good thing to know. you also have to know how to control your speed and how to shed speed. make sure you stretch out before and after because you are going to find muscles you did not know you had. you are going to crash but that is all part of the fun. just don't push yourself too hard and do not worry about looking like an idiot. everyone was a beginner at one time and even if they laugh they know exactly what you are going through. rule #2. have fun. enjoy it and remember to keep smiling

Yes, you will fall. ALOT! Haha... but its all part of the fun. You need to start off small, on the really basic hills. The first thing you need to learn is how to stop. You have to turn your body and lean back on your heels to do a heelside stop. As your riding, just turn your body like you are going to sit down facing downhill. At the start, you will probably fall on your butt a lot this way. But its better than learning the other way first and falling on your face!. Please remember to try and fall correctly. You will hurt yourself if you don't and ruin your day. If you are falling backwards, don't put down your hands. You're gonna fall, just let it happen and fall to a sitting position. If you are falling frontwards, cross your arms across your chest before you hit the ground. You can break your wrist or arm VERY easily if you put out your hands to catch yourself. Oh, and wear a helmet. I can gurantee you that you will smack your head very hard at least once as you fall on your butt. It happens, just be careful.