(NAPS)—Snowboardingis the fastest-growing sport of the twen- tieth century, according to the National Sporting Goods Associa- tion. With more men, women and children hopping on board (both figuratively and literally) each season there’s a need for an evolution of the sport—especially when it comesto learning how toride. One companyhaspractically revolutionized the experience with a combination of teaching and equipment. Burton Snowboards has joined with the American Association of Snowboard Instructors (AASI) and major resorts around the country to create Learn to Ride (LTR), an innova- tive learning program designed to minimize falls and accelerate the learning curve so students can @ Lookfor this sign at participating mountains. venience, comfort and perfor- mance. In other words, LTR aims to streamline the learning process to get the rider to feel the exhilaration of snowboarding not long after first “stepping in.” A two-snowboard program, LTR features two innovative boards designed to let riders carve as soon as possible. They start link turnsin theveryfirst lesson. with the LTR, an ultra-soft, twin tip board with advanced sidecut introduced to the equipment and three degree base bevel edge minimizes edge catch, allowing the One new snowboarderrecently said: “From the get-go we were warmly greeted and staff were on hand to answer any preliminary questions the group had. We were the experience by a great pro who drove usto a part of the hill that had been sculptured specifically for beginners. Of the five of us in the group, four were complete snowboard novices and at the end of the two hours, we wereall con- necting our turns!” Thecore of the program is a lot more than just a really good snowboard instructor and small and extra long transition zones. This can help riders get used to the feel of linking turns. Thesoft flex is easy to manipulate and the novice rider to shift smoothly from toe edge to heel edge along the wayto linking thosefirst turns. Oncea rideris linking turns, he or she can move up to the Cruzer, offering directional flex and shape. Deeperside cuts pull riders into natural carve and moretorsional stiffness allows the rider to explore more of the mountain. Shorter classes. Technology plays a huge transition zones mean turns are set up and executed faster. Appro- products specifically designed to and beyond, Cruzer is available in shops and through rental shops. part. Working with AASI instructors, Burton has developed LTR teach students how to ride and achieve the goals of the program. At LTR’s foundation are two learner specific snowboards, with integrated, co-developed Step-In bindings and Step-In boots, all designed to work together for con- priate for the first year of riding Nowin its third year, LTR has been a rousing success for both the rider and the mountain. For more information anda list of participating mountains and resorts call: (800) 881-3138 or visit www.methodcenter.com.
