Snowboarding technique tips

[InTherapy82]

I just got back from snowboarding and will be going tomorrow. Awesome to say the least. I'm a higher end beginner I'd say.

Any tips?

Any comments welcome!

 

[alasdairm]

related reading:

Snowboarding
First time on the Slopes - Ski or Snowboard?
Who fucking loves snowboarding?

alasdair

 

[georgeorge]

..

im probably only intermediate but im off to canada next jan to become an instructor.. which im stoked about..

best advice I could give you is to not push your back leg out to turn, if you understand that? When you want to turn lean your body into the turn and lead with your front foot, rather than just pushing your back foot to change direction.. that way you get into carving and having a lot more fluid ride

 

[InTherapy82]

^ Thanks, I'll try that next time.

My biggest problem is that my front thigh muscles hurt really bad when I'm not going really fast. Meaning when the board is more horizontal to the slope. Kinda like a leaf sliding down the slope. I'm still kinda scared to go really fast. It really burns almost when I bend my legs. Any tips or exercises I can do at home maybe to strengthen that part?

And thanks for the links alasdairm. I couldn't find them.

I'm looking for techniques help. And all the links u provided just include a bunch of fighting about what better boarding or skiing. We don't have a techniques thread.

The first one is about rolling while snowboarding. I'm not gonna be doing that.

 

[fatallyflawed]

Tip 1

Snowboard where there is snow.

Plus, Al's links are good.

 

[alasdairm]

My biggest problem is that my front thigh muscles hurt really bad when I'm not going really fast. Meaning when the board is more horizontal to the slope. Kinda like a leaf sliding down the slope. I'm still kinda scared to go really fast. It really burns almost when I bend my legs. Any tips or exercises I can do at home maybe to strengthen that part?

how do your boots fit? if you have a poor boot fit - especially if your heel is lifting in your boot - you'll have to exert more pressure than you need to to translate the movement of your body into performance of your board. do you feel like you're standing on your tip toes when you're on your toe edge?

do you link your turns smoothly or are you traversing between turns? spending a lot of time traversing could well lead to fatigue like you are describing. improving your technique to the point where you can link turns will help. leg-strengthening exercises will help too. in common with many sports, muscle memory is important in snowboarding. simply riding more will help.

I'm looking for techniques help. And all the links u provided just include a bunch of fighting about what better boarding or skiing. We don't have a techniques thread.

rather than looking for more generalised techniques, probably better to post issues with which you are having trouble and we can suggest some techniques to help.

alasdair

 

[InTherapy82]

Tip 1
Snowboard where there is snow.

Wow. I'm speechless by the wisdom and the wittiness. And please in those links find me any talk of technique. Alasdairm's intentions were good but I'm looking for help w/ techniques. When I have $$ I'll take some lessons.


Thanks alasdairm

My biggest problem is the unbearable pain in my front thighs. It hurts like hell to the point I need to sit there on the slope every few minutes like an idiot blocking people's path.

Then I have some trouble turning. I basically go down leaf style most of the time.

I''try going tomorrow to try out some stuff.

My boots seem ok. I have my own boots and board so I got them both fitted.

Thanks in advance

 

[alasdairm]

Then I have some trouble turning. I basically go down leaf style most of the time.

if you are having trouble even turning, you need to get back to basics. first, ensure you're on easy terrain. then, you need to work on a progression to build confidence in your turning.

first, ensure your weight is balanced and you're in an athletic stance - shoulders square with the board, quiet upper body. practice gliding in a straight line and making one toe or heel turn to come to a stop. then, get on a slightly less gentle slope and practice heelside and toeside garlands.

after that, practice, say, a short heelside traverse leading to a toe turn followed by a short toeside traverse into a heelside turn. once you can do one of those, do two. then five. then ten.

after that, reduce the length of your traverse until you are smoothly linking toe and heel turns. once you're absolutely comfortable with that, take it to more difficult terrain. practice turns with consistent, symmetrical radiuses.

you've probably heard this before but i strongly recommend taking a lesson - you'll learn more in a 3 hour lesson than you can teach yourself in 3 days.

alasdair

 

[n3ophy7e]

you've probably heard this before but i strongly recommend taking a lesson - you'll learn more in a 3 hour lesson than you can teach yourself in 3 days.

This is my number 1 piece of advice.

InTherapy, if you can afford to have a lesson(s), please do so. You will learn so much and you will progress so much faster if you invest in lessons.

That, and practice %)

 

[deaf eye]

i skate rather well

i wanna learn to surf


snowboarding almost killed me 3 times
im thru with that cold ass shit

 

[georgeorge]

i forgot to mention my biggest tip is WEAR WRIST GUARDS... no matter how good you are id always wear them. this along with a helmet will add a lot more confidence to your riding, it gives you a sense of invincibility.

the thing that took my riding up a level was getting off the piste... get into softer snow and you can throw your body around and crash without hurting yourself as much.

If you think your thigh hurts wait til you start doing steep slopes on your toes... you cant walk afterwards cos of the burn in your calves... im not going away again for another year but im already training and preparing. try putting your back against a wall and slide down it, feet flat on the floor until its like you're sitting on a box without a box being there.. hold that until you cant any longer. also put your feet on the edge of a step and lower your heels down, this stretchs and strengthens your calves

reading through your posts it sounds like you need to throw your body around a bit more... try flicking your board into the turns before you start carving, you can basically just do little 180 jumps down slopes without picking up speed

 

[alasdairm]

reading through your posts it sounds like you need to throw your body around a bit more...

i disagree completely - i think this is bad advice.

based on what the op is saying - terrain, goals, etc. - he should be able to do everything he's trying to by controlling the four performance aspects of his board: tilt; twist; pivot; pressure using primarily leg steering, flexion & extension and some (subtle) weight transfer.

throwing one's (upper) body around is generally symptomatic of poor technique. it's fine to lead to some extent with the upper body but throwing one's weight to, say, effect an edge change or counter board performance with uper body rotation will get the job done but will create problems on more challenging terrain and with more challenging technique down the line.

alasdair

 

[harley89]

Good advice alasdair, chucking your body round may help you turn that slight bit quicker, but its not a fluid motion like pivoting your body and tilting.

 

[georgeorge]

i disagree completely - i think this is bad advice.

based on what the op is saying - terrain, goals, etc. - he should be able to do everything he's trying to by controlling the four performance aspects of his board: tilt; twist; pivot; pressure using primarily leg steering, flexion & extension and some (subtle) weight transfer.

throwing one's (upper) body around is generally symptomatic of poor technique. it's fine to lead to some extent with the upper body but throwing one's weight to, say, effect an edge change or counter board performance with uper body rotation will get the job done but will create problems on more challenging terrain and with more challenging technique down the line.

alasdair

yer that didnt come out very well... i meant it along the lines of throw yourself down the mountain so you build up confidence.. ie dont be shy about falling etc

 

[Busty St Clare]

Fakie, fakey, fakie.

I agree with learning fluid smooth turns as a great first step, but don't neglect your bad side. The sooner you develop skills to ride out on your "wrong" foot, the quicker you will advance to some nice tricks. I don'y know how advanced this is, I was pushed by my mates to ride fakey from an early stage and now it's second nature.

I also wish I had got a better quality board, boots and bindings earlier. It is amazing how much easier it is to ride without "give" between your feet and your board.

 

[alasdairm]

^ i second the switch advice. i'm a reasonable switch rider but i definitely wish i had pushed myself to do it more often earlier.

alasdair

 

[harley89]

HOw many years you guys been Boarding? I been trying to get my switch right but nothing is having, i can spin 360 from reg to switch to reg but switch has got me stumped

 

[fatallyflawed]

Wow. I'm speechless by the wisdom and the wittiness. And please in those links find me any talk of technique. Alasdairm's intentions were good but I'm looking for help w/ techniques. When I have $$ I'll take some lessons.

I still like the reading in them, regardless if there is no technique talk for the most part.

But in all honesty, if you feel like you have a lot more to be taught, dont undervalue lessons from the slope instructors. You may have bad habits that need addressing and people who get paid to observe will know what to look for.

When I got into bowling I threw 180 average for games, but breaking 200 was a task and I had been bowling for a year. I then invested in lessons. Hardest part was changing EVERYTHING!! My approach,my release, my instructor pointed out that's why 180 was my average and my tops, I lacked all the basic fundamentals to make a game consistent.

Average jumped to 215.

 

[InTherapy82]

^Yeah, lessons are on my list of things I wanna do. But I'm really in a tough spot financially. Even going snowboarding w/ my own board is a pretty big spending for the two of us. It's pretty much my only entertainment spending. Next winter I'm hoping hopefully even thou I know I'll be in school for the next 3-4 years at least. So we'll have to rely on one person income for a while.

This winter is my 3rd one. I did some skiing in Colorado last winter. Skiing is so much easier than boarding. I was pretty much good after a few hours but w/ boarding it takes me days to improve anything.

My husband is much better, he's one of those people that are naturally good at everything physical and mental. We have the same amount of snow sporting hours behind us and last time he was already doing jumps and turns on the tricks slope. I was very jealous. I envy his mental capacity and he has a natural GPS in his head. It's so unfair.

 

[n3ophy7e]

i forgot to mention my biggest tip is WEAR WRIST GUARDS... no matter how good you are always wear them. this along with a helmet will add a lot more confidence to your riding

QFE!! (minus the part about feeling invincible, you're never invincible on the slopes )