All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Snowboarding

Learned From Snowboarding
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The snowboard podcast All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Snowboarding with Chris Rogers, Brian Donovan, and Matt Larson is a podcast about life lessons, snowboarding, and the intersection of the two. Tune in each week as we discuss snowboarding, snowsports instruction, instructor certification, and how, well, basically, we learned everything we need to know from snowboarding! Brian, Matt, and Chris are snowboarders, instructors, trainers, and members of the PSIA-AASI National Team.

  1. 98. Mud Season Catch-Up

    2d ago

    98. Mud Season Catch-Up

    In episode 98 of “All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Snowboarding,” Matt Larson, Brian Donovan, and Chris Rogers reunite for an unstructured catch-up after a missed recording when Matt got called to the hospital. They share seasonal updates (river trips in Montana, Vermont black fly season, travel, volleyball, motorcycles, a Pittsburgh birthday trip and sunburn, and Rogers’ basement renovation) and note ongoing work toward national alignment and Interski. The hosts reflect on how snowboarding pushed them into jobs that built work ethic and transferable skills, swapping stories about odd and tough gigs. They discuss best off-season jobs like raft guiding and team-building facilitation and float a potential Learn From Snowboarding meetup at Big Snow in New Jersey in September, plus a brief appearance from Matt’s mom, Barb Larson. 00:00 Fan Message Shoutout 02:11 Spring Catch Up 05:25 National Alignment Update 06:51 Vermont Summer Mode 15:30 Episode Intro And Format 16:38 Snowboarding Work Ethic 21:26 Weird Jobs Stories 25:08 Alaska Gold Dredge Tour 30:53 Enterprise Insurance Honesty 33:31 Best Side Hustles 33:45 Raft Guiding Life Skills 34:52 Ropes Course Facilitation 38:18 Skill Transfer and Fire Work 48:22 Big Snow Meetup Planning 51:43 Barb Larson Drops In Help LFS Grow! Subscribe, share, and leave a review! Check out the merch on our website: http://www.learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Send your questions for future mailbag episodes to info@learnedfromsnowboarding.com Follow us on socials @LearnedFromSnowboarding Thanks for listening and being part of our community. We love your questions and feedback—keep them coming! The snowboard podcast All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Snowboarding is a weekly podcast with AASI Snowboard National Team Members Chris Rogers, Matt Larson, and Brian Donovan. Tune in each week as we discuss snowboarding, snowsports instruction, instructor certification, and how, well, basically, we learned everything we need to know from snowboarding! Hosts: Chris Rogers, Matt Larson, and Brian Donovan Website:http://www.learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Email: info@learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Learned from Snowboarding⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Brian Donovan⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Matt Larson⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Rogers⁠

    55 min

  2. May 5

    97. Seasonal Burnout, Rider Rally, and Listener Shoutouts

    Chris rejoins Brian and Matt to recap the last episode on “chatter,” Rogers shares a Europe trip with Head Snowboards for 27/28 product testing that delivered an April powder day, helped him recognize season burnout, and renewed his stoke; the group discusses motivation during poor conditions and valuing community over snow quality. Donovan describes squeezing in two quick Copper laps with the Rider Rally/National Academy crew amid travel and road challenges. They read listener emails: Miles S passing his Level 3 teach at Mammoth, Jamie W’s detailed “Dirt vs TID” note to revisit, and John James’ binding highback-rotation feedback, sparking a debate and a “cut two, keep three” snowboard tech game. Matt adds a plug for a summer Chile carving camp at carvingtheandes.com. 00:44 Last Episode Recap 03:24 Europe Powder Reset 05:44 Motivation in Bad Conditions 11:58 Copper Laps and Community 18:20 Listener Emails and Shoutouts 23:46 Hot Take Highback Rotation 35:40 Cut Two Keep Three Game 43:35 Ride For Jake Date 47:45 Wrap Up And Plugs Help LFS Grow! Subscribe, share, and leave a review! Check out the merch on our website: http://www.learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Send your questions for future mailbag episodes to info@learnedfromsnowboarding.com Follow us on socials @LearnedFromSnowboarding Thanks for listening and being part of our community. We love your questions and feedback—keep them coming! The snowboard podcast All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Snowboarding is a weekly podcast with AASI Snowboard National Team Members Chris Rogers, Matt Larson, and Brian Donovan. Tune in each week as we discuss snowboarding, snowsports instruction, instructor certification, and how, well, basically, we learned everything we need to know from snowboarding! Hosts: Chris Rogers, Matt Larson, and Brian Donovan Website:http://www.learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Email: info@learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Learned from Snowboarding⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Brian Donovan⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Matt Larson⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Rogers⁠

    51 min
  3. 96. Heel Chatter: Causes, Tactics, and How to Manage It

    Apr 21

    96. Heel Chatter: Causes, Tactics, and How to Manage It

    With Chris in Austria testing boards with Head Snowboards, Matt Larson and Brian Donovan are let loose for episode 96 of “All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Snowboarding.” They describe bulletproof, icy conditions during regional trainings for National Team selections, which sets the stage for an episode all about chatter. They define heel chatter as edge skipping when forces build around the fall line and pressure management breaks down. They list contributors and fixes including turn symmetry, tilt and pressure along the board, biomechanics and absorption, forward lean, redirection of momentum versus resisting gravity, early edge engagement, twist management, and “soft and low” flexion responses, then close with a hot take choosing two forever terrain-park features. 00:00 Tryout Recap 05:58 Firm Snow East Coast Talk 07:27 Team Tryout Tactics Lessons 10:32 Episode Setup and Hosts 12:10 Heel Chatter Defined 15:48 Why Chatter Happens 18:18 Forward Lean Debate 30:33 Alpine and Eurocarve Pitfalls 34:11 Fixing Heel Chatter Checklist 41:10 Pivot Versus Skid 42:56 Top Fixes Debate 46:37 Momentum Beats Gravity 48:33 Training Heel Chatter 52:09 Soft And Low 52:41 Can You Recover 01:01 Prevent It Early 01:03 Hot Takes 01:05 Two Park Features 01:07 Jump And Rail Picks 01:16:00 Wrap Up And Plugs Help LFS Grow! Subscribe, share, and leave a review! Check out the merch on our website: http://www.learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Send your questions for future mailbag episodes to info@learnedfromsnowboarding.com Follow us on socials @LearnedFromSnowboarding Thanks for listening and being part of our community. We love your questions and feedback—keep them coming! The snowboard podcast All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Snowboarding is a weekly podcast with AASI Snowboard National Team Members Chris Rogers, Matt Larson, and Brian Donovan. Tune in each week as we discuss snowboarding, snowsports instruction, instructor certification, and how, well, basically, we learned everything we need to know from snowboarding! Hosts: Chris Rogers, Matt Larson, and Brian Donovan Website:http://www.learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Email: info@learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Learned from Snowboarding⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Brian Donovan⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Matt Larson⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Rogers⁠

    1h 17m
  4. 95. Spring Assessments and Gear Talk

    Apr 1

    95. Spring Assessments and Gear Talk

    In Episode 95 Brian Donovan, Matt Larson, and Chris Rogers compare late-season conditions across Big Sky, Colorado, and the Northeast, then offer practical advice for spring exams and assessments, including terrain planning, adapting movement intensity to speed and snow, and tuning and waxing strategies (structure, sharp edges, not tuning the day before, and watching for box/rail unpredictability). They reflect on tracking seasonal “nuggets,” discuss stance experimentation and emerging tools like the Stance Pro app, and close with “daily driver” gear picks and a playful poll challenge tied to Rider Rally. 02:41 Podcast Growth Reflections 03:34 Episode 95 Kickoff 04:04 Wild Spring Conditions 08:24 Exams Amid Terrain Changes 10:38 Spring Exam Mindset 13:11 Waxing and Edge Prep 17:02 Park Hazards in Spring 18:43 Tune Timing for Exams 26:23 Adjusting Intensity When Slow 31:02 How Conditions Change Assessments 37:14 Calibrating Speed and Turn Shape 41:22 Spring Slush Speed Hacks 41:59 Shadows as Speed Zones 43:20 Season Nuggets and Journaling 44:22 Logging Clients and Clinics 48:46 Writing to Anchor Learning 54:17 Stance Experiments and Tools 58:40 Hot Takes Daily Driver Gear 01:11:00 Rider Rally Poll Challenge 01:13:58 Wrap Up and Community Shoutouts 01:14:45 Merch Stories and Ski Lesson Help LFS Grow! Subscribe, share, and leave a review! Check out the merch on our website: http://www.learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Send your questions for future mailbag episodes to info@learnedfromsnowboarding.com Follow us on socials @LearnedFromSnowboarding Thanks for listening and being part of our community. We love your questions and feedback—keep them coming! The snowboard podcast All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Snowboarding is a weekly podcast with AASI Snowboard National Team Members Chris Rogers, Matt Larson, and Brian Donovan. Tune in each week as we discuss snowboarding, snowsports instruction, instructor certification, and how, well, basically, we learned everything we need to know from snowboarding! Hosts: Chris Rogers, Matt Larson, and Brian Donovan Website:http://www.learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Email: info@learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Learned from Snowboarding⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Brian Donovan⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Matt Larson⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Rogers⁠

    1h 19m
  5. 94. Natural Selection Finals Watch-Along

    Mar 26

    94. Natural Selection Finals Watch-Along

    Chris Rogers, Brian Donovan, and Matt Larson return to recording in the garage after a difficult Hawaii remote episode, sharing stories of extreme island weather, a missed volcanic eruption, and Matt surfing alone on a standup paddleboard in a big swell. They then do a first-time watch-along of the Red Bull Yeti Natural Selection Snowboard Finals Day at Revelstoke, providing timestamps, reactions, and commentary on logistics, terrain, snow conditions, tricks, and scoring as Zoe and Sarka battle in the women’s finals and Nils Mindich and Brin Alexander compete in the men’s finals, with Zoe and Nils winning. They discuss how Natural Selection allows imperfections like butt checks compared to other contests, touch on melting conditions in Montana canceling plans, and end with a listener question debating whether frontside or backside boardslides are harder. Use this link to queue up the video they’re watching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePt3-udc8Tc 02:13 Big Swell Surf Story 04:01 Natural Selection Watchalong Setup 06:22 Womens Finals Run One 07:25 Run One Reactions And Scores 12:32 Mens Finals Nils Vs Brin 17:24 Replay And Method Debate 19:37 Muted Mic And Scoring Talk 24:11 Gear Nostalgia And Winter Roots 25:37 Women’s Finals Lap Two 26:42 Run One Reactions 27:30 Why Vests Unzipped 28:17 Switch Five And Recovery 29:44 Run One Scores And Revelstoke Hype 31:54 Community And Access Talk 32:18 Mens Finals Run Two Setup 34:11 Brin Bold New Line 35:56 Nils Ninja Run 37:53 Judges Recap And Winner 39:37 Why Natural Selection Rules 45:00 Hot Take Board Slides 57:38 Wrap And Next Episodes 59:36 Post Show Email Tease Help LFS Grow! Subscribe, share, and leave a review! Check out the merch on our website: http://www.learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Send your questions for future mailbag episodes to info@learnedfromsnowboarding.com Follow us on socials @LearnedFromSnowboarding Thanks for listening and being part of our community. We love your questions and feedback—keep them coming! The snowboard podcast All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Snowboarding is a weekly podcast with AASI Snowboard National Team Members Chris Rogers, Matt Larson, and Brian Donovan. Tune in each week as we discuss snowboarding, snowsports instruction, instructor certification, and how, well, basically, we learned everything we need to know from snowboarding! Hosts: Chris Rogers, Matt Larson, and Brian Donovan Website:http://www.learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Email: info@learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Learned from Snowboarding⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Brian Donovan⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Matt Larson⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Rogers⁠

    1h 1m
  6. Bonus. The One Where Matt Tries to Call in from Hawaii

    Mar 18 ·  Bonus

    Bonus. The One Where Matt Tries to Call in from Hawaii

    Matt is on vacation in Hawaii but called in to join Chris and Brian in this bonus episode. Discussions include Ride for Jake events at Mount Snow and elsewhere, and rewatching “Dear Rider.” Brian recommends the Red Bull x Burton video “Bloom” for its heavy street riding. They read listener emails, including tips for a 12-year-old worried about park progression: build comfort through mileage, off-snow practice with trainer boards or DIY setups, use low-profile pads, and get comfortable with speed before features. They also highlight an email celebrating passing an alpine Level 3 tech and MA assessment and another with an episode idea about teaching “DIRT” (duration, intensity, rate, timing). The episode ends with a hot take on old-school snowboard brands they want back, including Sessions, Special Blend, Forum, Celtek, Grenade, and Option. 00:00 Ride for Jake Memories 01:47 Bloom Video Rec 03:11 Connection Chaos Setup 04:55 Email Park Progression 06:03 Off Snow Training Tips 10:42 Speed Confidence Hack 12:27 Nose Pick Ritual Callback 14:24 Dirt Teaching Acronym 15:59 Exam Win Shoutout 17:37 Old Brands Comeback 18:36 Sessions and Special Blend 21:14 Forum Celltech Grenade 25:01 Option Boards Nostalgia 27:25 Wrap Up and Support Help LFS Grow! Subscribe, share, and leave a review! Check out the merch on our website: http://www.learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Send your questions for future mailbag episodes to info@learnedfromsnowboarding.com Follow us on socials @LearnedFromSnowboarding Thanks for listening and being part of our community. We love your questions and feedback—keep them coming! The snowboard podcast All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Snowboarding is a weekly podcast with AASI Snowboard National Team Members Chris Rogers, Matt Larson, and Brian Donovan. Tune in each week as we discuss snowboarding, snowsports instruction, instructor certification, and how, well, basically, we learned everything we need to know from snowboarding! Hosts: Chris Rogers, Matt Larson, and Brian Donovan Website:http://www.learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Email: info@learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Learned from Snowboarding⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Brian Donovan⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Matt Larson⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Rogers⁠

    30 min
  7. 93. Fore-Aft Movement From Beginner to Advanced Snowboarding

    Mar 12

    93. Fore-Aft Movement From Beginner to Advanced Snowboarding

    In episode 93, Chris Rogers, Matt Larson, and Brian Donovan revisit fore-aft movement after a prior episode was cut short when Matt got called into the hospital. They compare weather and riding conditions, then define fore-aft as pressure and center-of-mass management along the snowboard’s length (tip to tail). They explain why beginners are taught to pressure the front foot to engage sidecut and create grip, then explore how advanced riding prioritizes performance, timing, speed, and momentum, making large fore-aft shifts less practical. The group discusses pressure vs body position, moving the body over the board versus moving the board under the body, how edge-change patterns (extending, flexing, retraction) affect fore-aft, and how equipment flex profiles and speed influence decambering. They close with a hot take on coaching the approach and “catch” onto urban rails, plus updates on merch, the website, and exam-related episodes. 00:00 Intro and Crew Check In 00:57 Beeper Story and On Call Life 02:12 Powder Days and Burnout 05:05 Why Four Aft Matters 06:35 Beginner Progression and Sidecut 09:06 Grip and Contact Points 13:42 From Efficiency to Performance 16:10 Defining Four Aft Clearly 23:28 Pressure vs Position Mechanics 28:21 Center of Mass Misconceptions 33:13 Foot Feel and Rolling Cues 34:46 When Forward Hurts Performance 37:33 Slip Versus Grip 38:43 Heel Chatter Nuances 41:46 Reference Alignments Steeps 42:30 Instructor Clinic Story 46:01 Edge Change Patterns 48:05 Tail Sting Steeps 51:57 Board Under Body 56:05 Reset Back To Center 57:08 Speed And Decamber 01:00:22 Multicam Board Tangent 01:04:52 Boot Looseness Debate 01:08:31 Leg Triangle Analysis 01:10:58 Hot Take Urban Rails Help LFS Grow! Subscribe, share, and leave a review! Check out the merch on our website: http://www.learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Send your questions for future mailbag episodes to info@learnedfromsnowboarding.com Follow us on socials @LearnedFromSnowboarding Thanks for listening and being part of our community. We love your questions and feedback—keep them coming! The snowboard podcast All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Snowboarding is a weekly podcast with AASI Snowboard National Team Members Chris Rogers, Matt Larson, and Brian Donovan. Tune in each week as we discuss snowboarding, snowsports instruction, instructor certification, and how, well, basically, we learned everything we need to know from snowboarding! Hosts: Chris Rogers, Matt Larson, and Brian Donovan Website:http://www.learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Email: info@learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Learned from Snowboarding⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Brian Donovan⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Matt Larson⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Rogers⁠

    1h 23m

  8. Mar 6 ·  Bonus

    Bonus. Vert Derby Recap & Four-and-Aft Pressure

    In this mini-episode of “All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Snowboarding,” Brian Donovan, Chris Rogers, and Matt Larson recap the Vert Derby, which didn’t come together as planned but still happened independently across the country. They share storm-related travel cancellations, solo ride days, and wildly different winter conditions, along with ride stats, splitboarding laps, and speed/vert goals, and they total 124,490 feet of vert submitted by participants with clips on @learnedfromsnowboarding. The crew tees up a deeper discussion on four-and-aft pressure through the progression of certifications and edge-change movement patterns, with Matt noting that moving too far toward the nose can create problems and make retraction look lengthwise instead of moving the center of mass across the board. The episode ends early when Matt gets paged to the hospital, with a promise to continue, plus calls for listener questions, hot takes, and upcoming merch updates. 00:00 Cold Open Banter 00:23 Episode 93 Setup 01:06 Vert Derby Plans Change 02:42 Storm Cancellations Recap 04:33 Splitboard And Vert Stats 07:30 Spring Conditions Talk 09:37 Layering And Winter Gear 12:23 Vert Derby Totals 13:06 Four And Aft Teaser 14:31 Matt Gets Paged 15:24 Wrap Up And Next Steps Help LFS Grow! Subscribe, share, and leave a review! Check out the merch on our website: http://www.learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Send your questions for future mailbag episodes to info@learnedfromsnowboarding.com Follow us on socials @LearnedFromSnowboarding Thanks for listening and being part of our community. We love your questions and feedback—keep them coming! The snowboard podcast All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Snowboarding is a weekly podcast with AASI Snowboard National Team Members Chris Rogers, Matt Larson, and Brian Donovan. Tune in each week as we discuss snowboarding, snowsports instruction, instructor certification, and how, well, basically, we learned everything we need to know from snowboarding! Hosts: Chris Rogers, Matt Larson, and Brian Donovan Website:http://www.learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Email: info@learnedfromsnowboarding.com  Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Learned from Snowboarding⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Brian Donovan⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Matt Larson⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Rogers⁠

    18 min
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The snowboard podcast All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Snowboarding with Chris Rogers, Brian Donovan, and Matt Larson is a podcast about life lessons, snowboarding, and the intersection of the two. Tune in each week as we discuss snowboarding, snowsports instruction, instructor certification, and how, well, basically, we learned everything we need to know from snowboarding! Brian, Matt, and Chris are snowboarders, instructors, trainers, and members of the PSIA-AASI National Team.

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