Burton Dominant Snowboard

How to Make a Kick-Ass Snowboard Video

Making a decent video is not that hard. You will need a few things: a camera with a video feature, a computer with a free video editing program (they come with Windows and Mac), and some friends that are willing to crack sculls for a little YouTube recognition.

First, hit the slopes and make as much footage as possible. Record everything not just the cool shit. I mean everything, the bites, the conversations up the lift, the beer session afterward…everything! Don’t erase anything! It’s better to have hours and hours of useless footage than have to scrape or postpone until the next trip.

Ok, upload it to the computer! Now, find 20 songs that get you stoked for boarding and narrow them down to about 5 or 6 favorites. Obviously high energy tunes with splashy beats and peaks work the best.

Now you are ready to edit. Open up Windows Movie Maker or iMovie on the Mac. Both of these programs are capable of making some truly professional looking vids. I will not get into the technical aspects of how to use each program. Just play with them, it’s really not that difficult.

Your first scene will begin with music and show the car ride up, strapping on the boards, riding the first lift, etc. Also, use this part to introduce the characters in the video. The first riding shot will then start when the first song peaks. A song that starts out slow and then picks up quickly will work best. Follow this up with some sick moves, but not the best ones.

The next scene will be a compilation of tricks interspersed with high fives, hugs, chest bumps (for the dudes). This is where you want to start playing with all the cool features that are included with the video editing program. Play with fades, color shots and include some text.

Now, cut into some commentary. You can use a little music, but fade it in and out or keep it quiet in the background. Talk about the tricks, the cold or joke around. Just make it interesting or comical.

Next, get back to the tricks with fast music. Half way through this song start showing the wipe outs and the bone breakers. Screams and whining are always a good touch. End this section with the best tricks that you recorded, a big air, box slide or whatever.