Customer Reviews

Snowboarding: A Woman's Guide (Ragged Mountain Press Woman's Guides)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book really helped me prepare for my first day snowboarding. I used a lot of the techniques presented on my first day. The authors gives great tips and there are tons of photos. She explains everything really well. There is also a section on what to look for when buying equipment which will come in handy once you get better at snowboarding. It is a great book for women because it is written for women from a woman's point of view. Extremely helpfull!

When I went searching for a book on snowboarding, I didn't want just any book, written by any person. I went in search of a guide written by women for women. This has to be the best guide for not only beginning women boarders, but also for experienced boarders looking to refine their skills. The book takes a very basic approach to boarding, then gradually challenges you to get you just that one step closer to being better. Some of the topics include: Information about all Women camps, what you need to prepare yourself - clothing, equipment, etc., what to expect on the slopes, explains the different style of boarding and what might work best for you, how to take care and store your boots, boards and clothes...endless tips for just aout everything you can think of. I would definitely recommend this book to any and every woman boarder I meet. Ride like a girl.

This book has help me a lot, and kept me from giving up! The photos in the book is very helpful for me to visualize the body position. The text is simple and clear, without extra useless words. The book made snowboarding sound really fun and interesting, which encouraged me a lot when I went through hard time learning the sport. I really like the fact that this book was written for women by a woman. Afterall, women do snowboard differently than men!

As a snowboard instructor, I opened this book with hesitation - I have found most snowboard 'guides' or 'instruction manuals' to offer tips and technique that differ greatly from the proper technique I have been trained to teach and have very successfully used for the last 6 years. However, I found this text to offer good general tips, especially when it comes to getting yourself well-equipped with the proper sized equipment. The pictures are very clear and, considering that the designer/writer/person who took the photos did not have the rider dress in the most extreme of 90's board fashion, they still look stylish today.

In all, a useful book for someone who is a text-based learner. A word of caution to those venturing out for their first time: a lesson from a certified instructor will get you started much better than any book or 'friend who knows what he/she is doing' ever will.

As the author of a site dedicated to "grays on trays" (older folks learning how to ride), I was eager to read some books on snowboarding. Most books on the subject (like most magazines and web sites) are written with the juvenile reader in mind. This book is not one of them, and the "gray" reader can be grateful for that.

The brief testimonials or stories of women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s helps point out that the sport is not limited to teens and pre-teens.

Sure, there are some "girl power" throwaway lines along the way ("With a file guide, sharpening your edges is about as difficult as shaving your legs"). For the most part, however, the women-specific information is useful for men as well, if only for providing a contrast. For example, Carlson explains how women's feet differ from men, and how that effects the choice of boots. (Not only do women tend to have smaller feet, but the proportions of different parts of the feet differ.)

The book offers plenty of reasons why learning how to ride is worth the effort. It does a good job of explaining the different types of riding (freestyle, freeriding, alpine) and how that should influence the kind of equipment you buy. The index is useful, but there should have been a glossary as well.

I have read this book twice, and Kevin Ryan's "The Illustrated Guide to Snowboarding" only once, but here's my take on comparing the two. Carlson is self-consciously appealing to women, and in general, to adults. Ryan does not, but then, it's not exactly a juvenile book, either. Carlson's book is more about freeriding, carving, and cruising; Ryan spends a fair amount of time talking about freestyle. Ryan also takes much more time with preliminaries, too. If you have a thing for zen, he's your man.

If you're starting out, read Carlson first. Then you may want to read Ryan, but you may not need to.

I am a 24 year old female who has been secretly yearning to try snowboarding. I haven't because I didn't know what stuff to rent or buy, or how not to look stupid. After reading this book, I can't wait to try it. Great explanations of what gear is best for women and why, and detailed explanations of what to do once you are on the snow. Very lighthearted and encouraging tone.

This book is easy to read and chock-full of information. The pictures are strategically placed so that the reader is able to visulaize everything from how a drill works to what type of equipment is out there for women.

Refreshingly inspirational, fun guide. Also fear not the publishing date. This information is hardly dated despite the Five Minutes of Fashion era some would have us believe we're caught up in.

I have spread my lifetime over a fairly broad range of sport participation and interest. I've always been willing to pick up a guide book to whatever sport I was currently in the throes of. In my humble opinion ,many of these guides are just taking up shelf space in libraries and book stores. They are either boring, run-of-the-mill, too technical, or a nasty combination of all three.
I started snowboarding four years ago and I have been instructing beginners at a small ski center for the last two. I enjoy the sport and instructing but,I'm afraid my snowboarding resume has been has been accomplished largely by the seat of my pants. It was nice to find many of the techniques and encouraging words I use in my instruction reinforced in the text. This book confirmed also that I have a lot left to learn(Yippee!) and to offer in my role as instructor.

The author's approach is logical,informative, and constantly leaning toward the positive. She backs this "go ahead and try this at home" spirit with solid skill-building advice.

On the fence about snowboarding? This book should knock you off and get you sliding.

P.S. This is a "WOMAN'S" GUIDE. I am 100% certified and confirmed GUY .

Hi, I'm the author. This book just came out two weeks ago, but I am dying to know what people think! RSVP, --Julia C.

This book helped me get over my anxiety and fear of learning how to snowboard for the first time. I'm cured! Not to mention it's female perspective on the sport is refreshing and enjoyable to read.