Snowboarding: A Womans Guide
(Ragged Mountain Press Womans
Guide) by Julia Carlson
Not Only For Women
Over 1.28 million women are now carving the slopes on snowboards.
Author Julia Carlson, an expert snowboarder, has written this unique guide
to encourage women of all ages to enjoy the thrill and freedom of this
popular winter sport. The book is packed with practical advice: how to get
started...step-by-step instructions and drills...equipment for women...facts
and misperceptions...choosing your own style...and much more.
Personal Review: Snowboarding: A Womans Guide (Ragged
Mountain Press Womans Guide) by Julia Carlson
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.
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