Ok so I'm a little bored and getting snowboard cravings again. Last time boarding we went to an area that had a halfpipe. I'd never ridden a pipe before but I gave it my best shot. I didn't do too well...although I blame part of that on the absolutely knackering experience of it.

Anyway, what does everyone have for tips on riding halfpipes? How should you get the best air, where should your edges be, etc?
I only got a couple of runs on it, and I didn't manage to get any air above what I got on some 180s to keep me facing the right way...

aha have some massive balls. lol i'm terrified of half pipe. iono what to say sorry haha. umm.. mm iono u need madd speed tho i know that. u just really have to drop in and then drive up and once you hit the lip u wanna jump?
mm it's brutal tho. if u hit the deck it hurts like hell and if u dont land and jsut crash it hurts like hell caz it's all bloody ice...

mm if yoru looking for thrills i mean. you can do back country thats FUNN.... umm you could find a nice cliff and drop that mm... i guess my personal riding style is back country with a nice mix of tricks off natural terrian usually ends witha softer landing

All the pipe involves is an understand of edgework... to get super comfy with when which edges go where just spend some time pivoting the board into 360s on flatground. 

As for getting the best air the key is... DON'T POP.  Let your speed and momentum carry you into the air, hard to explain but if you practice a few times you will probably do it on accident and know immediately, it's a pretty cool feeling.

Once you have that it's just a matter of working your way close to the lip and finally out of it.  It's not hard, or dangerous, at all really.  Like everything in snowboarding you just have to progress your way through it, nothing just happens.

mm do you know why you would land on the deck? i've seen it enough and when i tried i fail and slammed into the deck or i just didnt get up high enough

well in maths terms i think it goes like this

speed + edges x balls = sick air

As with alot of things in snowboarding its all about balls. I would say to train up on kickers first, get used to getting air and using your edges to land on snow. then practice! its quite hard getting used to going vertically out of the pipe. If you don't bail and not getting results get out of your comfort zone and really push yourself, you only learn by falling and getting back up again

This, times a million.