Snowboarding At Night
By Jakob Jelling, Thu Dec 8th

Nighttime is another aspect of that isunlike any other that you may have tried so far. Many peoplefind at night to be very relaxing, exciting andoffer a new perspective on hills that they are constantly riding.

On of the most important aspects of nighttime isbeing very familiar with the run you are about to ride. Ideallyyou should know your path so well that you can visualize eachcorner, the time it takes to get from one turn to the next andwhat 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 toattempt, you will be in for a surprise the first time you try itat night. In the dark everything looks different and feelsdifferent. You may not have realized how much you're relied onvisual cues for when and where to turn slow down or speed up.You will not longer be able to see the stump that marks thestart of the moguls or other trail details and shadows will makethings seem to appear or disappear.

When it comes to night riding you have three options to improveyour sight. You can use your eyes and no light, ride a mildlylighted trail or use a headlamp to light your way. You will haveto try each option to determine which method is best suited foryou.

Regardless of which method you wish to use, you must work toimprove your night vision. The first step is to allow your eyesto adjust to the dark. Your eyes will under go a chemical changeto allow you to see better in the dark and this process takestime, usually about 30 minutes. During this time it is best tosit and wait for it to happen. While waiting, and afterwards, bevery careful not to look at any man made light source. Doing sowill kill your night vision and you will have to wait another 30minutes 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 nightvision ability.

Something that most people do not realize is that their

daytimeactivities also effect their nighttime vision. Studies conductedon pilots show that exposure to bright sunlight, especially for10 days or more, can reduce your nighttime vision, range andclarity by 50 percent. You may wish to wear gray full spectrumsunglasses on the day or the days leading up to the night thatyou 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 yoursurroundings, it isn't the best choice for nighttime viewing.The second option that most people think of is a red bulb. Thistoo isn't a good idea as red is the first spectrum of light tobecome invisible at night. The range of a red light at night isvery limited and thus you will not be able to see the detailsthat 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 theregular bulb on your headlamp. Yellow-green makes a very goodchoice for nighttime riding as it will illuminate yoursurroundings and allow you to see the most detail possible.

However a blue-green LED also has its advantages. While ayellow-green light helps activate the cones in your retina tosee details, a blue-green light is fairly dim and works with therods in your retina. The rods are the parts of your eyesresponsible for allowing you to see at night. If you are in afully dark area then blue-green is a better choice since it doesnot hinder your night vision ability.

Nighttime is a very fun and interesting experiencethat should not be missed. You will find that you will discoverall kinds of things about your favorite runs and yourself whiledoing so. Make a point of trying it the next time you findyourself becoming bored with your favorite hill.

About the author:Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.snowboardinghelp.com.Please visit his website to discover the world of snowboarding!