aa1037

I wasn't sure where to post this (sports, outdoors, health and fitness), so I figured it would go here.

I went snowboarding yesterday, essentially for the first time (I'm 19 and the first time I went I was maybe 12), and had an awesome time. Too bad I kinda suck.

Here's my dilemma. For all you boarders out there, I did the hardwood floor test and decided I slide better leading with my right foot. Also, when stopping in hockey, I feel more comfortable with a right foot lead stop. So, I decided to ride goofy. It felt alright except that I was very uncomfortable with heel side edging and I found myself riding switch most of the time, so I had the shop adjust my bindings to make em regular. I felt much more comfortable riding regular. Is this normal?

Also, I had this problem with turning and edging. I was able to control my speeds with heel side edging, but if I'd want to turn and go in curves down the slope, my board would just continue in the same direction, no matter which way it was turned, so I'd basically be linear all the time. I was completely uncomfortable with toe side edging.

Is there some technique to follow when turning? Like twisting torso, turning shoulders, etc? Any good guides on the net? I know, I'm going to get as many free lessons as possible.

Manic_Skafe

There is no normal - whatever stance you're comfortable in is the one you should stick with. You should also take into consideration that the more you ride the more comfortable you'll feel and the more problems like this will solve themselves.

After having been a skateboarder for years I took it to the slopes and even went to the ski school lessons. I learned that all of the leading with your toes and turning on your heels just never worked for me - I snowboard the same exact what that I skateboard and it works for me.

Stay centered over the board and make sure that when you turn you lead with your hips and not your shoulders. Other than that there isn't much I can tell you except to stick with it.

Have fun.

__________________
"Porn is a zoo of exotic animals that becomes boring upon ownership." -Nersesian

blitz.fenix

Avoid trees at all costs, no matter how inviting they look.

1010011010

Everybody seems to have their own preferred method for deciding if someone is goofy or regular. So here's mine!

Go down some stairs normally, but hitting every tread. This depends on the fact that most people don't glide down stairs. They'll take two steps with a little pause. Left-right, left-right, left-right, to the bottom (or Right-left, right-left, right-left). Doing it the other way will generally feel pretty awkward. Whichever foot you lead with going downstairs, lead with on a snowboard.

I've never really understood putting new people in stance at 15 and 5. Whenever I teach people I put them on a twin tip (or as neutral a board as I can find) and put them at zero or in a natural/comfortable duck position (5 and -5). That way it doesn't matter if they're goofy or regular, and they can figure out which one they prefer just by changing directions.

Also, by having the angle close to perpendicular across the board, it's much more obvious that you control the board with your feet and not your upper body. Stand on your toes, you turn towards your toe edge. Stand on your heels, you turn towards your heel edge. Flex your feet in different directions, and the board swings out perpendicular to the direction of travel (i.e. brakes). What you do with your upper body is all about not falling down.

From a stop, both feet flexed uphill, relax one foot and that end will start to slide around and point downhill. Have them do that for a while, alternating feet and facing towards and away from the hill. Eventually get them doing the falling leaf routine if they don't pick that up on their own.
Then move on to making single turns, both directions, toe and heel edge starting.
Then move on to linked turns. Then they're done.

Then they can go change their bindings to 15 and 5 if they want.

__________________
Simple Machines in Higher Dimensions

Tracybrian

Work on finding your center of gravity. For me it is a little lower then I thoght. Also a good theory is to always lean back into the mountion. When you center your gravity its all about leaning back.

Turning is super simple when you look at it like this: When you are turning you have to point the board where you want. You should be digging in with the back foot and aiming with your front. So which leg do you have more control with? I think strong leg in front. When you are traversing look for a point in the snow and pull your board to it fast. The thing about turning is if you dont do it all the way you will end up just falling or going strait down the hill. I love Snowboarding where did you go?



What size board are you and what is your weight?

aa1037

Thanks, everyone for the advice. I think I'm gonna next time have my bindings set to zero to really figure out if I'm goofy or regular.

Tracybrian, I went to Belleayre (sp?) in the Catskills
I think I used a 163 sized board (I'm new to this, that may be wrong), and I weight about 195 (I'm 6'2)

superiorrain

It's funny because when they done the test on me to see whether i was regular or goofy they thought i was regular and heck when i skateboard i'm regular. But after about 30 minutes on the board i got on someones elses board who was goofy and found life so much easier thereafter.

As for the turning business, you'll adopt your own style. But to start with try spreading your arms out to the side of you (like walking a tight rope). Then whenever you start to turn twist your arms and body so that you are pointing in the direction you want to go.

The lower part of the body is a difficult one to answer. Some like their legs bent, some have the front one straight and some the back. That you'll have to work out on your own.

Just don't give up.

__________________
"The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible." - Arthur C. Clarke

aa1037

Yeah the best thing to do is to keep trying until I find my own style

1010011010

If you're going to zero your bindings, tell the rental shop up front along with your shoe size. You probably have bigger feet, and you'll need a fairly wide board to not have the overhanging heels'n'toes digging in while you're making turns.

If you take up the sport and buy your own equipment you can find out about spacers and standoffs, but I doubt a rental place will have them... so wide board for you.

__________________
Simple Machines in Higher Dimensions

Tracybrian

That is a good size for you. you should be able to turn ok with it once you get the hang of it.

I use a smaller board for tricks and for jumps and going through the trees.
I use a big one when there is lots of powder and If I want pure speed going down the hill.

Slavakion

I have this problem, too! I can control myself with my heelside, but I always feel like I'm gonna fall with my toeside. And I usually do... So I usually end up switching so I can just use my heelside. I'll end up grinding down that side twice as fast, unless I can shake my noobness.

1010011010

Get on a big gentle green and practice unlinked turns. When you look back at your tracks in the snow it should look like
which is what you get with linked turns.

__________________
Simple Machines in Higher Dimensions

Pip

Here's suckage for you: I tried snowboarding once. In a green slope. I broke three ribs after only twenty minutes. It didn't hurt much at first though, so I managed to get up and learn to do the turns before the pain got too bad. But it'll be a long time before I try snowboarding again, if ever.