I'm trying to take up snowboarding, i have a snowboard, and all the winter gear i need, but for the life of me i cant seem to get into it. I'm an extreme sports guy so i don't see why, i think it might be beacuse i cant do it. Right foot forward feels nicer to me then left foot forward and right foot back, but apparently thats wrong . Is anyone here a snowboarding guru, what can tell me how to snowobard properly? I can stop fine, thats no problem. Turning left is a bit harder with right foot back but i can do it. And turning right is a no go, i just seem to flop over . Thanks for any help. Oh, and lessons arn't possible :E
I snowboard If right foot forward feels better, then use it. 80% ish of people are left foot forward, but plenty of people are better right foot forward ("Goofy"). A good test for this: If you are running and slide on ice, which foot would you put forward? Whichever foot you use for that, use that foot forward on your board. Now, if you decide you are more comfortable right foot forward, you will need to adjust the bindings on your board so the front of the board goes forwards. Also, the front binding should point forwards slightly (+20º or something), and the back can be anywhere between +20 and -20. Have a play, but put it at 0º to start as a guide. Where are you practising? Snowboarding on dry slopes is pretty difficult and not that realistic. Slowflex > Diamonds though. But the basics of turning involve leaning well over your front foot, almost as if you will topple forwards down the hill. And then just swing the back around, kinda pivoting about your front foot. I actually learnt a very "bad" way - by just hopping the board around. That makes it a lot easier on dry slopes, and then when you get on proper snow, you can learn to it properly. Lessons really wouldn't be a bad idea, if you can. If I can help any more, I will
Well i live in the mountains in france, so guzet (www.guzet.com) . I'm going up there soon. I'm gonna go change my snowboard binds now! As for turning, so what you mean is learn on the front foot.. and twist?
Lean forward more, you should be centered over your front foot when you're learning. The most common beginner mistake is to lean back causing you to be unable to turn.
And also makes you slow down. I learnt to Ski in the Army, so here we are all going really slow on the learner slope then I got a chance on a Snowboard and by christ did I carve it up then!! All that surfing came in handy! BUDE BEACH
On the contrary, you will go quick with all your weight over your back foot and the nose of the board in the air. and have absolutely zero control to be able to stop. And despite the fact that you stand on a board sideways, riding some form of water, surfing and snowboarding techniques couldn't be further apart. I ride goofy and there's nothing at all wrong with it. As said previously, you'll need to correct your bindings so your right foot is pointing forward (i wouldn't set as much as 20º though, 10-15 at most) and set left foot perpendicular to the board (0º). The first technique you need to learn is side slipping as this is the simplest way to navigate any slope you are unsure of. Stand on your heel edge with your body facing down the slope and slowly allow your toes to drop and feel the board slide. By increasing and decreasing the angle between your board and the slope you will be able to control how fast or slow you go. Be wary of letting your toe edge down too much or it'll stick in and you'll get a face full of snow. Now start on your toe edge and repeat the above. It is much easier, and consequently more painful, to let your heel edge stick in and fly back on your bum but all part of learning. The next thing you want to try is what's called the falling leaf. Start on your heel edge, start to side slip slowly but lean your weight over your right leg slightly and you should start to drift across in that direction. Now bring your weight back over the centre of the board and then transfer the weight bias slightly onto your left leg and you should start traversing to the left. Repeat this until you've got good control of left and right traverses. Same principles apply on your toe edge aswell. Small diagram below. Right, once you've got these two techniques down, you can start your first turns. Start again on your heel edge (the reason you learn everything on you heel is it's much easier than being on your toe edge). Now start to level the board off as if going into a side slip, and transfer 70% of your weight to your front (right) foot. This will cause the nose of the board to start to turn and point down the hill. Once the board is pointing downhill, don't panic, as you will lean onto your back foot, pick up speed, have no control, it will all go pear shaped and hurt . Instead, slowly increase the pressure to your toe edge (by pushing down with the balls of your feet), this will make the board flex and you will start to curve round in a turn. Once your shoulders are facing back up the hill, come to a stop and congratulate yourself on completing your first turn. Turning from your toe edge to your heel works in the same way. Let the board level off, shift your weight to your front foot, point down the hill and then pressure with your heels so you turn into the hill. A good technique is to raise your own out in front of your and point your hand in the direction that you want to go. MIght sound silly but keeps your balance and focused in the middle the turn and it forces your shoulders to be pointing the right way. Once you've got all this sorted then you can start linking turns together. Basically as above but your don't come to a stop in the middling. Starting on your heel again. Complete your turn on to your toe edge but don't stop, simply transfer your weight to the front point down hill and pressure your heel edge so you turn back. And repeat till your cruising down the mountains. But really, advice off a forum won't teach you to snowboard. You really need a couple of lessons to get your started. You can't expect to just be able to do it, it's unrealistic.
Well i've just got back from guzet, after falling off on some turns trying to turn left, i realised it hurts-And now i can't put much pressure on my wrist . So ive gone back to my "bad" style of snowboarding, which involves stopping, rolling off fakie, then stopping, and going to the rihgt way, etc.. I'm going to a flat/slow slope tomorrow to see if i can master the art of turning! Thanks for the big artical olv, i'll read over that tonight and see if i can remmeber some. Any more help is appreciated ;o
im also 'Goofy' footed, so your not alone, i dont snowboard, but i skateboard abit, and id like to try snowboarding. but living on the south coast of England dosent help, the only dry slope we have it diamond matting
Well I worked at a dryslope for 5 years, both teaching and setting up/selling snowboards. If you are not going to countenance getting lessons, which is what I would highly recommend, then take the following steps, not moving onto the next until you've mastered the first. I'm not gonna assume any prior knowledge, so if you can already do the first few don't feel patronised! 1) Sideslipping: Standing facing down the slope, and shuffle forwards to begin sliding down the slope, lifting your toes to slow down, and pushing them down to speed up (though not all the way to the snow!). You should be able to stop by lifting your toes. Move on when you can do this and also do it the other way (i.e. slipping on your toe edge, controlling speed with your heels). Your weight should be centred over the middle of the board, with your knees bent. 2) Traversing / Falling Leaf: Start in a heel edge sideslip, and then, by leaning to one end of the board or the other and using the torsional flex of the board, begin travelling diagonally across the slope. What you are looking to achieve to begin traversing is for your weight to be more over your front foot, and the board to be twisted so that your front toes are closer to the snow than your back toes. This is the foundation of a technique called paddling, which is infinitely more effective than simple weight shifting, and much more difficult to do wrong, provided you don't kick the turn. Once you have traversed a short distance, level off by moving your weight back to the centre and torsionally twisting the board the opposite way (lower your back toes and lift your front toes to allow the tail of the board to 'catch up' with the nose). When you're levelled off, go back the other way, and continue this all the way down the slope! Now try it toe edge. When you've mastered this, move on. 3) Garland Turns: Garland Turns are the foundation of a linkable turn. Essentially the point is to start in a sideslip, drop into the fall line (straight down the slope) and then go back into a sideslip on the same edge. So: start in a side slip, on your toe edge as usual. When you're comfortable shift your weight towards your front foot and pressure your front heel towards the snow. You should begin to move around into the fall line. Once you're there, keep your weight forward but relax the twist on the board. This is the dangerous bit so be careful - the first time in the fall line can be a bit of a strange one - with this in mind I would start trying this manouver near the bottom of a slope until you're comfortable stopping from the fall line. Anyway - when you're in the fall line, begin shifting your weight slightly towards the centre and slightly out forwards, to bring your board back round into a sideslip. You should still be using the torsional flex of the board to control it, in this case by lifting your front heel - this should hopefully be coming more naturally to you by now. Once you're safely back into a sideslip, come to a stop. When you can do these perfectly heel and toe edge, move on (you don't need to do them switch like the falling leaf). 4) Single Turns: When you are really comfortable with Garlands, single turns are easy. Once you're in the fall line, simply go into a sideslip on the opposite edge! Move on when you can do heel to toe and toe to heel comfortably. 5) Linked Turns: Start by just initiating your next single turn as soon as you've finished the previous one, but still going into a full sideslip each time. When you've got this down, try single turns from a traverse rather than a full sideslip, and then you can link 'em together to be fully linking your turns down the mountain!! Done. Next Month: Jumps. AH
I do sidesleeping most of the way down the mountain . It's just the turns were i have to face the snow,(right if your goofy..i think). Whenever i do one i just seem to spin out..and hurt myself, which isent fun with, and keeping the right way, it seems the board always wants to go the other way ><.
Listen to artificialhero, sound advice there. but seriously. save yourself a lot of effort and get proffessional to teach you. it's what they are trained to do and you will progress so much faster and get so much more enjoyment out of it.
I dont mind effort, ive never been good with lessons, and there useally in groups the lessons around here, and im really bad in groups too T_T. i think ill just practise alot and try and learn myself.
if you're sure but an instructor will be able to pick up instantly where you are going wrong and be able to help. Whilst you will be able to gradually pick it up yourself it is likely that your technique won't be so hot. but see how you go, just don't rule out lessons
im not ruling out lessons. I'm not planning to become some uber jumper/railer, i just wanna get down the mountain nicely , well ok, maybe a bit of jumping
I'd say it's near impossible to get the technique down properly without having lessons from an instructor. Few tips though: Start with your board across the slope (you'd be facing down the mountain), then gradually put more weight on your front foot (right in your case). You should start to turn down the slope and speed up, until your board is facing straight down the slope. The key thing is to keep your weight on your front foot and don't wave your arms about madly to try to stay upright! To turn just turn your shoulders slightly and look in the direction you want to be turning in. The board should start to slip out at the back and you'll begin to turn. If you practice this with wide, slow turns you should get it eventually, but I'd still greatly recommend getting some lessons.
