8 Tips for Intermediate Snowboarders

In this guide, the experts at Burton's have compiled 8 tips for intermediate snowboarders, which offers a thoughtful selection of skills to help you progress and improve your riding. These tips are based on decades of experience understanding what makes snowboarding fun and accessible for riders of all ages and abilities.

1. Snowboard Regularly
2. Refine Your Turns
3. Take a Lesson
4. Explore Different Terrain
5. Level-up Your Gear
6. Ride with Better Snowboarders
7. Pay Attention to Your Surroundings
8. Maintain a Snowboarding Journal

Intermediate Snowboarding Tip #1: Snowboard Regularly

One of the best intermediate snowboard tips we can offer is to simply go snowboarding as much as you can. We know this might be a challenge if you live far from chairlift access, but the more you can get out there, the better you will become at snowboarding. Here are some tips to help you snowboard more and improve your skills.

• Purchase a Season Pass: Purchasing a season pass is one of the most cost-effective ways to maximize slope time during the snowboard season. Also, heading to the same resort will allow you to learn the trails and find areas where you are comfortable enough to progress.
• Purchase a Multi-resort Pass: If you live close enough to multiple resorts or are able and willing to travel, a multi-resort pass (such as the Epic Pass, Ikon Pass, or Mountain Collective Pass) provides access to several different resorts across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia.
• Avoid Peak Times: Skip the long lift lines and get in maximum runs by visiting resorts during off-peak hours.
• Ride for Cheap: Ski resorts occasionally partner with radio stations, ski and snowboard companies, and even car manufacturers to offer discounted lift tickets periodically throughout the season. Visit resort webpages and do some detective work to find these deals so you can ride more frequently.
• Carpool: Regardless of how close your home mountain is, find a crew you can consistently snowboard with and take turns driving. Some resorts reward full cars with priority front-row parking.
• Work at the Resort: If you are really ready to commit to the lifestyle, consider joining the team at your home mountain. Many resorts provide season passes as well as housing for employees and you can usually get some laps in between shifts. All resorts are different so make sure to connect with people who've worked at the mountain you're considering, to get a feel for the culture and general work vibes.

Intermediate Snowboarding Tip #2: Refine Your Turns

Another intermediate snowboard tip to focus on while you are cruising around the mountain is to work on refining your snowboard turns. Focusing on edge control and balance will improve your ability to charge through variable conditions and different terrain.

Drill 1: Low-speed Carving

Practice linking carved turns at half speed on low-angle terrain. You’ll be surprised to find that slow-speed turns may initially feel more challenging, but this is the point: you’ll be forced to focus on your technique, making seamless edge-to-edge transitions, and find that perfect angle where you can maintain your balance.

Drill 2: Steep Carving

Carve your snowboard at a faster speed on steeper terrain. Turning may feel more comfortable at higher speeds, but the steeper incline will make it more challenging. Choose a slope that looks intimidating but is mellow enough for you to maintain control. Focus on maintaining speed as you transition from edge-to-edge and try to keep your movements smooth and fluid. Stay low and in control, taking breaks as needed to rest and build your confidence.

Improved turns result in more control and stability while riding, boosting your ability to avoid other riders and obstacles while also reducing your chances of catching an edge.

Intermediate Snowboarding Tip #3: Take a Lesson

You will also find this recommendation in our list of Beginner Snowboarding Tips, but no matter your skill level, taking a lesson with a certified instructor is always a good investment. A professional instructor will teach you specific progressions, with each new skill building on the last, ensuring that you learn proper technique and avoid developing bad habits.

Once you’ve found an instructor you like, take multiple lessons with them so they can tailor future lessons to your specific riding and learning style.

Pro tip: If available, consider a private lesson to get some intensive one-on-one feedback and guidance.

Intermediate Snowboarding Tip #4: Explore Different Terrain

An intermediate snowboard tip that is guaranteed to improve your riding is to explore unfamiliar terrain. Step outside your comfort zone and try some ungroomed trails, gladed tree runs, black diamonds, and powdery back bowls. Testing out different parts of the mountain will require you to apply your abilities in new ways, like weaving through trees or shifting your weight to keep your nose floating in deeper snow.

Remember, slowly increase the challenge level and don't throw yourself into terrain that you are truly are not ready for, which could be dangerous.

Pro tip: When venturing into new terrain, ride with a partner. This is especially true when riding in the trees. Make sure to maintain visual contact and high-five at the bottom.

Intermediate Snowboarding Tip #5: Level-up Your Gear

Becoming a great snowboarder is about commitment, not having the fanciest gear. However, if you learned to ride on a soft beginner snowboard, it might be time to step up to a stiffer all mountain snowboard and pair it with more supportive snowboard boots and bindings. You’ll be amazed at how much additional stability and control you’ll experience at faster speeds. And the more comfortable you are with speed, the more you can shift your focus towards the subtle technical elements of executing perfect carves and other more advanced maneuvers.

Besides leveling up the stiffness of your hardgoods, there are other pieces of gear that can improve your riding. For example, a fresh pair of Anon goggles will let you see subtle changes in terrain and won’t fog up during high exertion runs.

Intermediate Snowboarding Tip #6: Ride with Better Snowboarders

Simply riding with other snowboarders who are more advanced than you is a great way to improve your own skills. More advanced riders likely have their own tips to offer, can take you to parts of the mountain you might not be familiar with, and can show you how they ride. You can learn both by watching and doing, and although you may be out of your comfort zone, it will test your limits and push you to become a better rider.

Not sure how to get connected to some more advanced riders outside your crew? Say hey to the person in front of you in the lift line and offer to purchase them a hot chocolate in exchange for a few laps together.

Pro tip: Get inspired by watching the latest footage from the Burton Team.

Intermediate Snowboarding Tip #7: Pay Attention to Your Surroundings

An important safety tip for snowboarders of all abilities is to pay attention to your surroundings. It’s easy, even as an intermediate rider, to get hyper-focused on learning and ignore everything else going on around you.

Always pay attention to your surroundings when exploring new trails or terrain. Be aware of trail junctions, how traffic is flowing, and who has the right-of-way. Always be on the lookout for out-of-control riders/skiers and marked/unmarked hazards, and make sure you always yield to downhill riders (the downhill rider always has the right-of-way).

Intermediate Snowboarding Tip #8: Maintain a Snowboarding Journal

This intermediate snowboard tip is a little bit out of the box, but for the rider who is really looking to progress, maintaining a snowboarding journal can be very helpful. Create entries for each riding day, using your journal to reflect on what you did, learned, or experienced. Describe the snow and weather conditions, note what snowboard, boots, and bindings you were riding, and who you were riding with. You can even turn it into a bit of a scrap book by printing out photos to add.

While this is not an exercise in technical skills, taking time to reflect on your experiences is still a valuable practice that can help you be more present through your journey of standing sideways. It’s also an awesome way to identify and make note of major milestones in your learning, solidifying those hard-won lessons. Also, having a riding journal to read through during the off-season is a great motivator for maintaining a dryland training routine so you are ready when the snow starts falling again.