Even the best of us have suffered the excruciating humiliation of the t-bar. Upon your first try you’ll no doubt find yourself in a heap on the floor as the umpteenth t-bar yet again flings its way out of your grasp, all the while being stared upon with obvious disdain by a disgruntled liftie and an impatient queue of what seems to be half the resort.

If you’ve no idea what I’m talking about, then this chap certainly does. The good news? Not every resort is home to these monstrosities.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUkTw7w5CCY [part title=”You Won’t Need That £500 Snowboard”] Although it’d be nice to have that shiny new setup, in reality if you’re a first timer you might be better off with rental equipment. Every resort will have at least one rental shop where you can rent both ski and snowboard gear.

Renting on your first trip will buy you time to discover what kind of terrain you enjoy riding, something which will ultimately affect your buying decisions. If you are dead set on buying, then don’t blow all your budget on your first board as you’ll soon outgrow it and want to progress to more intermediate equipment. If you’re still not convinced, here’s a more detailed look at the pros and cons of renting and buying.