Snowboarding gears - The things make you fly

These are what you need for snowboarding...
The pair of the white one (at the right) are bindings to be mounted on the snowboard (see the circular pad come with 4 nuts).
Then the boots that you are wearing are to be fastened to the bindings - that is how the board is always attached with you when surfing.
The snow goggle is important when snowboarding during a strong windy or snowing day.
My goggle comes with a built in fan, claimed to be the latest technology to make it 100% fog-free.
Jacket (the white one) and pant (red one) to keep you dry and warm.
Same as for the grove.
Beanie, the head wear, is to make it more comfortable when putting on the goggle.
Other wise the goggle strip irritates my ear.
Also, underneath the jacket is bag (black) for the snowboard.

COST:
Snowboard = 21,000 yen (847 RM)
Bindings = 23,000 yen (847 RM)
Boots = 5,000 yen (184 RM)
Goggle = 25,000 yen (920RM)
Jacket = 16,000 yen (435 RM)
Pant = 16,000 yen (435 RM)
Glove = 7,500 yen (276 RM)
Bag = 1,700 yen (63 RM)
Inner wears (not shown in the photo) = 11,000 yen (405 RM)
Beanie = ??? unknown, it is a gift from friends when I come to Japan
TOTAL = 126,200 yen (4,647 RM)
This looks a lot in RM, but when you live in Jpn, you have to think of it like spending 1,260 RM by only throwing away the two figures, don't times 3.7.

Note: One can always opt for a cheaper one such like buying used items or avoid famous brand like Burton. e.g. My friend bought a used snowboard only cost about 2,000 yen. That means you can also enjoying this spot at the investment 10 times lower then my total cost, so relax...

After put on all the pricey stuffs, feel like ready to fly...

Why do I think snowboarding cool?

In the comment of previous post about snowboarding, I've mentioned about the monkey god and his somersault cloud...
Those who don't know sure wondering what is so cool about a monkey right?
Well, let me give a little intro here, the monkey god, or called Sun Wukong, is the main character in the classical Chinese epic novel Journey to the West (published in 1590s). According to the author, Wukong is the most gorgeous monkey, and have magical power. He can ride on a special cloud, known as "somersault could" (literary translated from the Chinese term) and surf in the air (see image below).
The point is, in 1590s, people already dream of to surf freely on something, because it is COOL :)
Here is the Japanese manga adaptation of Sun Wukong, the main character in Dragon Ball.
So no doubt that Japanese too think that it's cool to be able to surf freely :)
Then, here the Disney's version, just that the cloud have changed to bee and the bar of different look.
Also, the Holywood one in the movie Funtastic 4, the very cool silver surfer...
So, finally, why do I think that snowboarding is cool?
Well, it's very difficult to specifically point out why...
but it's due to the quality that it shares with the aforementioned things.

To begin snowboarding (How)...

I have a thinking that one who come to leave in Hokkaido, a place famous for its cold weather and snow, must do something relates to snow, then only having to struggle through the long winter here isn't a waste.

In March, other regions of Japan already entering the spring season, but here we are still in winter. It should end soon though, the temperature is getting warmer, snow melts sometime, while rain starts to fall again.

All these have evoked a question in my mind: "If not now, when? or it would be too late then after returning to Malaysia"
So I decided to pick up one of the winter sports while I'm in Hokkaido.
Well, skating and skiing sounds good, but don't you agree that snowboarding looks cool?
Just as I would picked Taekwon-do over Karate-do when come to martial art, for its many fancy flying kicking techniques which look cool, I have decided on snowboarding over skiing, simply for same reason - not the kicking, but it's COOL :)

To start with, I have been through an extensive internet search in order to find out what to wear and how to play.... after all, this is not a kind of sport that you can simply go and try without proper preparation. When up there at the hill of a snow mountain, with temperature around minus 6, and the dangerous slops... anything bad can happen... especially when I am going alone, for the very 1st time...
Yes, alone...

As I have returned safely from the mountain today, from my very 1st snowboarding experience, so I guess the information that I've found works, and so I decided to write this post so that if there is someone else who think of to go and explore the mountain with snowboard, alone, for his or her very 1st time, my preparations may save his or her life too :) while enjoying this cool sport.

How to wear: Go for layers...
1. Inner layer (the one beside your skin): No cotton made products! I go for a pair of long pants and long sleeved shirt made of polyester. Beside polyester, you may go for other materials for as long as it has sweat-wicking ability (it absorbs your sweat and evaporates it to the air, so that your body is keep dry, or other wise you will be trembling when your sweat gets icy - that's why you can't go for cotton because it keeps your sweat and once it's freeze you're like cover with ice).
*I hope this wouldn't make you think that I am one who didn't practice what I preach, but my underwear does made of 100% cotton :)
However, it's only the underwear... as my soaks too are made of sweat-wicking material!
I think exception for the underwear is reasonable considering that the 'thing' is made hanging outside but not inside; This means it's in our nature that we preferred having eggs-in-refrigerator than boiling-eggs kind of feeling :) Agree?
2. Outer layer: Snowboarding jacket and pant which must be waterproof!
3. Hand glove: Also must be waterproof!
4 Boot: Got to fit perfectly for your size if you think of to enjoy this sport, because it is through the boot that your feet control the snowboard.
* For items 2, 3 and 4 you should consider buying at the shop selling snowboarding products. I got mine there. While for item 1, I bought it at a shop selling outdoor activity (camping, climbing, etc.) products.

Some says goggles or sunglasses are a must, but I didn't wear them and I am fine (I do actually bring my sunglasses but didn't think of to put it on).
Personally, beside the snowboard, it is the goggles that makes me think that snowboarding looks cool :) Guess I'll get one too soon.

Other then the above lists, I did wear a neckline to block the cold wind, and a beanie because my hair seems blocking my view other wise.

This utube link provide you some information on how to wear (begin from the middle of the video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtdT3zgBPXI&NR=1

When to dress up:
I put on all that I wear for snowboarding except the boot, while traveling to the ski area. Because the boot makes walking and standing difficult. This minimized the items I have to bring and save my changing times. However, I saw many Japanese dress up completely- including the boot! So they can straight away heads to the mountain once get off the bus... These people really can't wait snowboarding!!

How to begin snowboarding:
I always believe in the important of fundamentals (for no matter what we do)...
I have been trying to find out what is the fundamental movements for a beginner in snowboarding, and my search leads to these few lessons in YouTube:
1. Beginner Snowboarding Lesson Part One
2. Beginner Snowboarding Lesson Part Two
3. Beginner Snowboarding Lesson Part Three
4. Beginner Snowboarding Lesson Part Four

These four lessons cover:
1. How to walk around with the snowboard (not about snowboarding yet, but how to move around when your foot or feet are attach to the snowboard)
2. Heal-Side Slip
3. Toe-Side Slip
4. Heal-edge Falling Leave
5. Toe-edge falling Leave
6. Heal-side-J turn
7. Toe-side-J turn
8. Linking heal and toe sides turns
(See also here)
Items 2 to 6 are names of basic snowboarding techniques for beginner (according to what I found in YouTube). So I am going to cover all these movements before considering other techniques. As for today, I have tried up to item 5, so the next should be J-turn... good progress I suppose :)

Safety:
1. Don't risk trying anything stupid!!! such like jumping down the slop which is not mean for beginner just because of you see some expert doing so.
2. Avoid supporting your fall with hand, this may break your wrest. See how to fall here and here.
*During one of the fall, it happened too fast that I don't have time to think, and my natural reaction is to support my fall with my hand... my left wrest gets really painful from that.... luckily it didn't break :) and after a while of rest, the pain gone and I continued with the rest of the slops...

Fast Fourier Transform (FFT)

Suppose you have a time series data of something (some quantities given as a function of time), and would like to know the frequency of your data, you may use Fast Fourier Transform (FFT).

Figure below shows a time series of something:
As illustrated, the values repeat itself at a constant rate (it follows a cyclic pattern), and along each larger cycle, there are fluctuations that repeat itself at a shorter interval and of lower amplitude.
So you may expect two dominant frequencies to be obtained out of FFT.

You may perform the FFT by using Excel, however, problem with excel is you are subjected to the limit of maximum 4,096 data points.

Luckily there are always good-hearted people out there trying to help.
Here I found one freeware by Paul, which allowed me to process more points.

Via his software, here is the result of the FFT:
Two dominant frequencies are found just as expected : )
Thanks Paul!