Learning to Snowboard in your 50's........

I tried snowboarding a couple of times in my mid/late forties.

I was somewhat more robust than I am now (age 62 😕) and didn't break anything but I guess it partly depends on how fit/robust/muscular/risk-averse you are.

Picking yourself up was bloody tiring but the basic technique was pretty easy to pick up and I was linking turns in a couple of hours and could sort of navigate myself to where I wanted to go, and get on/off lifts ok.

Id be very careful picking where you did it, in terms of snow coverage (would hate to start off on icy or hard packed snow), slope steepness, width, obstacles, other hazards etc etc and would depend on how competent a skier you are (eg how to use different lift types!)

Make sure you get the best insurance you can 😉

I'm not gonna say "got for it" as I don't want the responsibility for breaking you. Haha

I learned in my mid 50-ies, spent a lot of time in the local snow dome, fully padded up - wrist guards, bum pad, knee and elbow pads, helmet. 

If you use your local snow dome once you got the hang of things go both first thing in the morning when all is freshly groomed and frozen hard and late in the day when the snow is all churned up and bumpy.

You will fall a lot, good protection makes that a lot less onerous. Have fun!

I’d be up for snowboarding, but the bindings don’t appear to have much ‘give’. I guess they’re for the pro’s.

As a beginner id feel more comfortable using something like Times cleats, so that I don’t wrench my knees apart if I fell.

I agree with those above about the padding, no sense in bruising yourself more than you need to, we learnt before helmets but bought wrist gaurds after our first trip and I wouldn't ride without either. Some slim knee pads would make sense and if its icy your arse will take a beating.

Check out Malcolm Moore on YouTube, I wish this stuff had been around 25 years ago...

And a bit left field but Levi in Finland isn't too steep on the sunny side and the snow is more likely to be powdery due it staying proper cold. Plus lots of other interesting things to do and its only 15 minutes from the airport. There's no point going to a mega resort for your first trip if you don't have the skill to explore.

As a beginner id feel more comfortable using something like Times cleats, so that I don’t wrench my knees apart if I fell.

 Having your knees fixed in position is one of the safest things about snowboarding. It’s almost impossible to awkwardly twist them. Unlike skiing where you have massive leverage on your knees and cruciate ligaments are commonly injured. 

I pity your 50 yo beginner snowboarder ass. Good luck, skiing/ snowboarding is the best thing I’ve found in this life. 

I sold all my snowboard kit and gave it up at 50 after 20 years of using a board when the conditions made it better than skis. Then ski's evolved and became as much fun in powder as a board.  Let's face it that in many conditions two edges are better than one. The padded everything advice is good. Skiers injure legs, boarders get upper body and spinal injuries. I could get through a ski season without a fall, I rarely got through a day on the board without being on my arse at some point.

I learned a few years ago, at 53, wasn't that difficult really, obviously you do spend a lot of time falling down at first, but that is mainly done at low speed in a safe environment. I think that if you are ok with a bit of rough and tumble and happy to get up and brush yourself up after a fall then go for it.

Mind you after leaning I haven't gone back as the osteoarthritis has gone quite bad on my left knee, but I did enjoy the week learning a new skill even if the chance to keep practising it is now gone.

Knee pads and padded shorts are essential.  As is a helmet (but I assumed that was a given - current running total in our house is 1 concussion for me,  and a destroyed helmet for the boy).

You will feel beaten up while learning but once you are going it is so easy to cruise, it can be hard work when you start playing around though, but spins,  presses and stuff are great fun.  A good carve feels amazing and deep pow on a board feels like nothing on earth (don't care what skiers say,  pow on a board wins)

Definitely get the basics at a Snow Dome before you go. 

If you don't already, exercise. You'll be constantly pushing up your bodyweight and using muscles you usually don't. Core, upper body, squatting and using your calves. As daft as it might sound, spending time lying flat on the floor and standing up (Turkish get-ups) will be a huge benefit.

I was approaching 40 when I switched from skiing.as I fancied learning something new. As a competent skier I spent the first 3-days wondering why I was trying, then it clicked.  Stuck at it. Approaching mid-50's now. 

Oh and if you are going to a snow dome, do not start with full day lessons.  Do 90 minutes or 2 hour max.  You will be wrecked

Thanks all - based on the above I'll stick my knee pads and armoured shorts on when I go lol

Won't likely venture outside of the snowdome once I've learnt, no grand ideas of visiting far flung places and carving the pistes.....

It is a great challenge to have a go at.  But seriously if you get a chance riding a board in pow is the closest thing I can describe to flying

Yeah go for it but as someone has already said, modern skis are incredible. If you can already ski you will absolutely love them and be able to get well into it straight away rather than starting from scratch.

I have some elan Ripsticks, they are insane. On piste they rail like crazy then in powder they just float and slide like a dream. Absolutely joy to be on, it feels like you can control them by esp. 

At 51 I would be playing to my strengths! (I'm well into my 50s)

I learnt in my late forties.

i had sore wrists and shoulders most days but did get there and can now safely snowboard. I’m still a beginner but it is great fun and good exercise 👍🏻

Won't likely venture outside of the snowdome once I've learnt

Honestly, THE best thing about snow sports are the sights and sounds of being out in and on the mountains. I learned to ski late (mid-30's) and honestly it's amazing. Being in a cold warehouse with pictures of the mountains is just not the same. Even thinking about my trip next year makes me happy and everyone who knows me knows happy is not my default state. 

Although I'm remembering you said earlier that you have skied, so you probably don't need to be told this. 

As for learning at an older age, age is relative, I'm approaching 50 and still learning to boulder with far younger people at the climbing wall. It's never too late to learn and go out and enjoy yourself, we are a long time dead. 

I used to be big into snowboarding and Mrs OD into skiing.  .

Learning in a show dome is fine but once you get to a fairly basic level you are just doing a handful of turns each run as they aren't long or steep.  They often have fun little jumps though.

Helmet is a total must have.  Padded shorts not a bad idea although I never had any.  When learning it's pretty physical so expect to feel beat up - especially hard on the core muscles I seem to remember.  

One important tip is make sure your arms are bent and land on your forearms when you fall forwards (and you will) - straight arms means all the force of slamming on your front is transmitted to your shoulders.  I badly dislocated a shoulder and did loads of tendon damage early on this way.  Didn't put me off though! I'm guessing lessons on falling will be part of the snowboard lessons - they really should be!

Massively more fun when you go to the mountains. As mentioned above boarding in powder is insanely fun If you do progress onto the mountain come back and I'll happily bang on about our experiences

My mum came out to visit me when I was in BC for a winter, she was 53.  She had a few lessons with my friend, who was an instructor.  She was scared to begin with and even more when they got up the first non-baby lift.  she'd never been that far up a snowy mountain, thought she might have to stay up there for ever!  She got to linking turns confidently on the second day on mellow slopes.  Props to her, got herself well outside her comfort zone.  Do it!

Wrist supports/braces or gloves with supports built into them are worth thinking about as a total beginner. I believe broken wrists are the most common injury to snowboarders, I've done it myself and most of the injuries I  picked up were when I was moving slowly (same as on the mtb when I think about it). I also used to wear impact shorts with coccyx and femur padding when I started riding faster on more advanced/steeper stuff but helmets were a rare sight back when I was snowboarding and I never used one personally. You will feel well and truly beaten up after the 1st day trying but its worth it when you get the hang of things. I would love to give it another go but knee troubles make it not worth the risk these days while I can still ride an mtb

I believe broken wrists are the most common injury to snowboarders

Correct and as a % more frequent than pretty much any other snowsport injury, something my wife wish she knew before learning to snowboard and breaking hers - her wrists are now part titanium.

If I can paraphrase the little Californian dude working in the surf shop in point break... "Snowboarding is the source man, it'll change your life."

I rode from my twenties until forties, plenty of accidents, none serious. I've broken far more bones riding bikes / doing martial arts.  

Learning at a snow dome will be great, it'll get the really boring bit (learning to link turns) out of the way. I wish they had been around when I started. The first 5 days of riding was hard.  

Padded pants are great, you will hit your coccyx.

Wrist guards, will protect your wrists, but pass the energy further up your arm... Better to learn how to fall without putting your arms out to stop the fall. Easier said than done however. 

Helmets. Don't ride without one.