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. |
