Snowboarding at Night
Nighttime snowboarding is another aspect of
snowboarding that is unlike any other that you may have
tried so far. Many people find snowboarding at night to
be very relaxing, exciting and offer a new perspective on
hills that they are constantly riding.
On of the most important aspects of nighttime snowboarding
is being very familiar with the run you are about to ride.
Ideally you should know your path so well that you can
visualize each corner, the time it takes to get from one turn
to the next and what obstacles are where on the trail when you
close your eyes. This familiarity will help to offset your lack
of vision.
Regardless of how well you know the run you are about to
attempt, you will be in for a surprise the first time you try
it at night. In the dark everything looks different and feels
different. You may not have realized how much you're relied on
visual cues for when and where to turn slow down or speed up.
You will not longer be able to see the stump that marks the
start of the moguls or other trail details and shadows will
make things seem to appear or disappear.
When it comes to night riding you have three options to
improve your sight. You can use your eyes and no light, ride a
mildly lighted trail or use a headlamp to light your way. You
will have to try each option to determine which method is best
suited for you.
Regardless of which method you wish to use, you must work to
improve your night vision. The first step is to allow your eyes
to adjust to the dark. Your eyes will under go a chemical
change to allow you to see better in the dark and this process
takes time, usually about 30 minutes.
During this time it is best to sit and wait for it to
happen. While waiting, and afterwards, be very careful not to
look at any man made light source. Doing so will kill your
night vision and you will have to wait another 30 minutes to
get it back. If you find you must look at a light, close and
cover one eye so that it doesn't loose its night vision
ability.
Something that most people do not realize is that their
daytime activities also effect their nighttime vision. Studies
conducted on pilots show that exposure to bright sunlight,
especially for 10 days or more, can reduce your nighttime
vision, range and clarity by 50 percent. You may wish to wear
gray full spectrum sunglasses on the day or the days leading up
to the night that you wish to snowboard in order to maximize
your night vision.
The other option available is to use a headlamp of some
kind. The first choice most people think of is a bright white
light. While this does allow you to see the colors of your
surroundings, it isn't the best choice for nighttime viewing.
The second option that most people think of is a red bulb. This
too isn't a good idea as red is the first spectrum of light to
become invisible at night. The range of a red light at night is
very limited and thus you will not be able to see the details
that you need to see.
Perhaps the best choice for a light is a yellow-green LED
light. Often you can insert a suitable LED into the socket of
the regular bulb on your headlamp. Yellow-green makes a very
good choice for nighttime riding as it will illuminate your
surroundings and allow you to see the most detail possible.
However a blue-green LED also has its advantages. While a
yellow-green light helps activate the cones in your retina to
see details, a blue-green light is fairly dim and works with
the rods in your retina. The rods are the parts of your eyes
responsible for allowing you to see at night. If you are in a
fully dark area then blue-green is a better choice since it
does not hinder your night vision ability.
Nighttime snowboarding is a very fun and interesting
experience that should not be missed. You will find that you
will discover all kinds of things about your favorite runs and
yourself while doing so. Make a point of trying it the next
time you find yourself becoming bored with your favorite
hill.
About The Author : Jakob Jelling is the founder of
www.snowboardinghelp.com. Please visit his
website to discover the world of snowboarding.
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