Ripstick for beginner riders

Just thought I’d throw this out there from my experience as limited as it is….

Before I learned to snowboard I happened to have just learned to ride a ripstick (which is admittedly kind of a goofy looking thing to do) but I reckon it was instrumental in my being able to pickup the snowboarding skills enough to leave the beginner slope after one hour.

It seemed to me that there were similarities between the two in respect to turn initiation, independant foot movement/pressure and just general balance similarites.

I tell everyone who is thinking of taking up snowboarding now to learn to ride a ripstick first to help them speed up the initial progression stage.

Anyone else had experience like this or was it just me?

You know what? I get where your coming from with that.

I only rode one of those things once, NYE a few years back, my cousins young bloke had one, a few drinks under the belt.

Was wicked fun, big carves at the bottom of his drive way…............ then I ate shit and started to bleed

Oh, rip sticks weren’t invented when I started to snowboard

yeah, they’re super fun to ride ... real floaty and smooth.

I’m getting my 7yr old to get good on it before hitting the slopes this year cause it also really helped my older boy who was nine and he picked up snowboarding as quick as I did too.

I often refer to using a ripstick when teaching kids as they already understand the concept of moving their feet individually from that experience. I’ve never really tried one myself, but also imagine it helps them a lot with balance and a centered stance.

Yep, thats exactly what I’ve found with my kids.

I know I should be open to new ideas, but never will jump on one, unless drunk for a bet I’m a skateboarder, and see any other mock ups as a joke But I can see where your coming from too with the movements being similar

Yeah totally K2! thats the same as one of my snowboarder mates ... he’s a skater and he won’t get on one either ... but I’ll be encouraging him to get one for his young boy down the track who’s only 18mths old now

I offered to teach beesekay to ride a ripstick, but he assured me he wasn’t gay, so I taught him to ride a skateboard instead.

bahahaha

I muck around on my sister ripstick sometimes, it’s not too bad. I reckon an ollie/kickflip on a ripstick looks cool though.

I have an old Snakeboard I got probably 15 years ago that is pretty fun to play around on every now and then. I think it’d probably be a little more similar to snowboarding than a rip stick. Still pretty ghey compared to a skatey though.

I really wouldn’t mind getting a Freebord though. I have some pretty mad hills to bomb around my place. Would love to give one a go.

I’ve never tried riding a ripstick - I know they are a bit ho-hum but I’d like to give it a try sometime. I see them above scooters in my own imaginary pecking order of what is cool and what isn’t. hahaha

Hahaha ... where do roller blades fit into the order??? 

haha no idea. I haven’t even thought about rollerblades for years. I remember wanting some Roces ones pretty badly when I was in year 9 and 10 though (‘96 & ‘97). Never got them though - just rode my skateboard instead