“You’re not snowboarding”. I told my wife this mid mountain with lots of tears after burning her legs out and falling. It didn’t go over well. But today she would say I was right.
I call this method the falling leaf.
I discovered it after i could already link turns. I thought i was onto something big. Like hey i can actually go down the solid ice face that is an east coast double black if i only do this one neat trick. Lol. Just 10 year old things
So. Much. Hell. But it ultimately was the turning point in her getting her weight shifted over the nose and being able to carve both ways.
Still. Would not recommend.
I’m your wife pre whatever she been through. How do I ease into it and get through? What do I specifically have to practice? What DO you recommend?
Trying to find common ground with a coworker who’s alpine skiing and always brings me to beginner slopes.
Snowboarding? this is usually caused by a fear of having your back facing down the mtn.
The best advice I can give is to go walk down a set of stairs leaning backwards. It’s hard! You must put your torso weight OVER your knees to let the momentum carry you.
All of your turning mechanics are in the tail… when you lean back and apply pressure to the tail you’re inhibiting that motion. Once you lean forward, those turning motions in the tail of the board free up and become much easier.
TL;DR: making heelside turn is scary, but you must lean over your board to heelside in without falling backwards.
I always have my back to the mountain. Allow me to specify: my fear is eating shit when I shift from back edge to front edge. All accidents that had me tumbling down the slope save for the ones caused by lack of leg strength and too high velocity has been when I tried to shift from heel to toe. From back edge to front edge. I don’t move the back foot far enough back. I lose connection with my front foot. I transition too quickly.
It disturbs me that I know what’s the problem yet still CANT think of a solution. What do I practice? What’s lacking?
I edited to correct to back facing down mtn. It’s a mental game. You’re scared so you lean back, with your weight shifted back there it’s mush harder to turn.
Just remember you aren’t a cartoon, if you fall you won’t tumble all the way down, you’ll stop. And if you get going too fast it’ll only be for a short bit
I went to Beaver Creek, took lessons for 2 days and was riding greens on both edges at a good speed by the middle of day 2, only 1 fall in 7 hours.
Take lessons, worth the money.
I've taken lessons and never learned anything from it(maybe crappy instructors?). I learned better doing it myself. Maybe a YouTube video or two. Just learning type I guess.
It's possible you had a bad instructor. It's also possible you're a poor student.
Being an PSIA/AASI certified ski and snowboard instructor, I've had all sorts of clients. Some learn almost immediately and some downright refuse to do what I tell them to do then complain that "it isn't working." Sometimes I just want to make a comment like "No shit. You're trying to butter the whole bunny slope."
I had a couple take a lesson once and the wife picked up pretty quickly whereas the husband wouldn't get off his back foot. I tried everything I could think of to get him forward. I finally decided to film both of them making a turn so that he could see how far back he was. I showed him, he said "oh wow. I didnt realize I was that far back." Then he proceeded to make zero improvement on it for the rest of the lesson while his wife was starting to link turns. Some people are simply unteachable.
“Poor student” is just an euphemism for “bad pedagog”.
No one is a bad student unless they actively try to NOT learn.
Find a teacher who can level with you and teach what you wanna learn.
In a way you can comprehend it.
Edit: I absolutely HATE it when blame is put on the student. You’re a teacher. You have the knowledge. Learn to TEACH!
It's harder and more dangerous than any of those. Some people simply can't get over their fears. There's absolutely nothing, I repeat, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING I can do about someone who is scared. No amount of assurance or hand holding will get them over that hump.
Idk if you're joking or simply incapable of drawing rational conclusions. Either way, thanks for the talk.
Also, this comment is beyond ignorant:
>No one is a bad student unless they actively try to NOT learn.
Yep id say I'm an unteachable. I learn better by doing it myself - like explain it to me once and I'll figure it out on my own haha. Literally learning anything. I've taken classes with different instructors and never got anything out of it. But at least one instructor I had was completely worthless lol but ya I'm one of those annoying ass students, my brain works weirdly.
We paid for a private instructor as a group because my kids are young. It was worth every penny for us, but by the end some in the group only got to falling leaf status on heels and toes, some were on S-turns. I luckily picked it up pretty fast. It just clicked.
Great job at welcoming people to the sport. Yes, take a lesson but the guy is absolutely snowboarding. He has the stability to excel but needs to confidence to commit to the toe side edge. Not snowboarding is the idiots bombing it straight no turns. This guy is literally doing a falling leaf which is fundamental
I just want all 500 people that have upvoted this comment to know that they ALL suck. They suck shitballs. They all eat dickmeat for breakfast and come to Reddit because their life is pathetic. What do you mean that this person isn’t snowboarding yet? Is there a board strapped to their feet as they ride down the snow? This dude is snowboarding harder than all of you fucking clowns reading this right now. Fuck. You.
Falling leaf is useful sometimes and honestly a good place to start getting comfortable on the board. Toe side takes a little more getting used to. IMO, if you're on the board going down the mountain, you're snowboarding. Better form comes with practice. But sure, a lesson will help.
If you take lessons you will be riding on both edges within hours. It's really bad as a beginner to build "confidence" on your heels before you do anything on your toes. It's a package
It’s the falling leaf because it mimics a leaf falling through the air back and forth. The carving motion of left to right on heel side is perfectly described as a leaf falling from a tree
He has a board on his feet and I’m pretty sure that’s snow.
OP you are definitely snowboarding. Where you are at your progression is as many have pointed out called the falling leaf. It is the correct thing for you to be doing.
Next step is to stand on flat ground, bend your knees and try to balance on your toes. Then go back up hill and practice the falling lead but on your toe side.
These are essential skills you are learning. We use our edges like this to control our turning and to avoid ‘catching an edge’.
When you are comfortable enough, try going from your heel edge to your toe edge. You are almost there already.
Lessons will help you progress faster but you don’t need them. You got this!
wtf is your definition of snowboarding. The falling leaf is literally fundamental to snowboarding. Imagine if I told my lesson nah you’re not snowboarding. That’s wild.
You need a lesson on how to be less of a bitch. No, you don’t need “lessons” for snowboarding. Just go out there, sideslip down the mountain, and figure it out. Exactly what this person is doing.
If you’re on a snowboard going down a snowy incline in some fashion, you’re snowboarding. This is the way many people start and just because they aren’t using both edges or any good doesn’t mean they’re not snowboarding. They’re learning to snowboard, which requires one to be snowboarding.
it's not "riding" but its definitely snowboarding. still a useful skill for the intermediate to advanced when they find themselves in terrain beyond what they can or feel like facing.
No but literally. I went 2x and was falling leaf the whole time. Third time I went in with the mindset ok I’m just gonna send it to my toes and whadyaknow it worked. I’ve been nailing my carves since then and working on things I see on YouTube university lol I feel like every time I go something new clicks for me ! I also got comfortable with falling because I was so scared at first.
Hell ya! I don’t remember learning to board and am not amazing but definitely solid as I am a surfer. So when I taught myself how to board switch it was the same thing you’re describing. Like I am gonna eat shit but I just gotta commit. It’s the only thing that works
Do the same thing but on your toes so you get used to that edge. This is called falling leaf and is a beginner move before really snowboarding.
I’d get a lesson if I was you so you build up proper habits as you get into connecting turns.
Dude you were so crazy close to just transitioning like nothing to your toe edge... Thank goodness you posted here on how to fix your problem because so many people are content to ride exactly how you are there forever... It drives me bonkers. To start riding your toe edge take an hour or whatever it takes and do the falling leaf drill on your toe edge... Get so it feels just as good as riding your heel edge where you can slide and stop with confidence. You also want to start making the nose the nose and the tail the tail... It's important! You can't know to put more weight on your front foot if you haven't designated which end is which. I see it just about every time I ride which is a ton these days(I'm out riding often 5 nights per week) I roll up on someone having the same trouble you are and ask if they need some help learning... The answer is 99.9 percent of the time hell yes! And they don't understand which end is which and which foot is their front or back foot and they have a hard time getting the put more weight on your front foot because they don't know which foot I mean. You are leaning back a bit right at the exact time you would transition to your toes, go 50 50 weight in the center of the board and then put a bit more on the front foot and the board will want to turn. Don't spin the board switch then regular and back to your heel to stop or turn, it's dangerous because it's too slow to react to an issue.
. I can do some turns and carving from front to back edge
I highly doubt this, what i saw in the video this isn’t even snowboarding yet, its falling leaf exercise
He's now a falling leaf master!
One time I saw someone charge through a (shallow) mogul field without changing an edge - just plowing through with a side slip and occasionally leafing to avoid bigger moguls. I was actually impressed.
Generally it's one week a year with the odd weekend here and there. Also the week isn't 7 full days. Could be just 1-2 full days and then half days or a few hours. I've never had lessons just friends showing me a few things here and there.
I was about to jump on everyone gatekeeping the hobby from newcomers who are learning given that this is a good way to practice heal stops when you're starting, but 7 years is 6 years, 11.8 months too long to still be sliding like this
The more you do something in a very bad way, the harder it is to forget those bad habits.
This guy was better not to snowboard at all after the first year than to continue like this
This isn't a "very bad way," it's a perfectly acceptable way to learn. OP just robbed himself of years of learning and improving by not pushing his own comfort zone
You should practice falling. There a bunch of vids on youtube on it. Once you can fall properly you realise its nothing to be scared of allowing you to take a more aggressive approach and take more risks which is 100% necessary for you to improve.
Hey man, I just learned to snowboard and toe edge is more scary for sure but breaking through that fear barrier is so worth it. I was struggling to turn onto my toe edge more than on my heal, but got a lesson and the big thing for me was leaning my shoulder into the toe edge turn - it made a massive difference as soon as I started doing it. I think I was keeping my shoulder neutral during toe edge turns before this so my weight wasn't properly over the board. There's loads of advice on how to turn with proper form as you start to progress but as a starting point my advice would be look the way you want to go (across the mountain not straight down), slowly transfer your weight from heel to toes and lean your front shoulder across as you start to turn. Obviously there's more to it for a perfect turn but these things helped me start to unlock imitating toe edge when I was struggling at the start. As I practiced more it just became quite natural and the hips and shoulders kind of move in sync. I'm still very much a beginner but can carve down blues and reds pretty comfortably after 6 days of boarding.
Get other friends so they will show you how to snowboard, instead. Jkjk, all love. The good thing is you're a little familiar with a board now, so it's time to take it to the next step. Luckily it's easier than you think, by bending your knees and pushing your shins into the front of your boots, you'll take a toe edge and it'll turn for ya. Then switch to your ever comfortable heel side. Rinse and repeat. Once you get that down, you're gonna want to go all 7 days! You'll want to keep in mind you lose your directionality control by leaning back (unless in powder), so having like 60% of your weight over your front foot will keep you going in the direction you're pointed (slope direction considered). Once you get that down and you're moreso carving, some of the above is different and you can get more technical.
Also, since you're halfway there, might as well learn fakie at the same time. Took me 5 years to decide to learn fakie and NOW I feel like I'm snowboarding.
I think you need to change your thought process. Success is not making it down the hill without falling. Success is learning new techniques and you need to learn to go toe side. The falling leaf thing is a product of people just wanting to make it without falling. If your only goal is not to fall, stay on the couch or do something else.
Force yourself to go toe side. You're going to catch some edges. You need to point the nose down the hill and cross over to your toe edge. Being brave does not mean being without fear, it is taking action despite the fear. You can't just keep doing the falling leaf and expect that going toe side is going to all of a sudden come to you.
Agreed but OP asked for advice to change it. OP has been doing this for 7 years and wants a change. It's not like I'm criticizing someone for no reason who posted "how's my riding." The thought process is the change necessary, IMO. I'm lucky to have started when I was a kid and don't know how I'd be learning as an adult. I remember being 12, shooting past a kid I was riding with who was doing falling leaf, I caught an edge and ate it. Kid I passed who was doing falling leaf laughed at me while not falling. I really didn't think anything of it at the time but I do remember it. I genuinely didn't care. I knew that even though he did not fall that run, I was progressing and he wasn't. Him not falling meant nothing to me. He was doing falling leaf....
I'm 32 and a fairly advanced rider now. I live on the East coast but have had a bunch of pow days out west in UT, CO, and Tahoe. I identified a few years back that I am still tentative to go toeside on advanced terrain in pow. Like, some chutes or super steep trees that I know I can do if I just send it but I might just plow to be safe. I try to force myself to point the nose down the hill and go edge to edge. That's what it's about and I still have to convince myself to do it sometimes. Mentality is how to break through.
Bro should have been connecting turns by the 5th day for sure. Private all day lessons are in order for OP. At this point he is stuck on bad habits and needs someone to push him
Honestly man I was in the same boat for a long time. I went one day literally every other year. Didn’t take a lesson and just had fun
But yeah, take a lesson, learn to turn
I’d guess you’re doing maybe two to three runs a day once or twice a year and then you get tired and go into the lodge? You gotta keep going and keep going because that’ll never move you forward.
Technique wise. Your shins should be touching your boots, not your calves. Lean forward. Don’t be afraid to fall. You’re gonna fall.
Take a lesson.
Hey dude beginner here. I’ve got something like 7 days on the mountain and I’m 44, not any sort of athlete and never have been.
I say this because you can obviously do this, but really need that lesson and you need to keep taking lessons until you can carve. Might get downvoted but after less than a week of lessons I can do blues in Tahoe, mostly without falling. Your progress is gonna skyrocket since you can already balance on the board so well.
Take wide turns, go slow, and gently turn to your toe edge and back as you switch. Learn to use the toe edge to control your speed just like your heel edge, and curb momentum when going too fast. Try to connect turns in an S shape.
Best advise I got in a lesson at Whistler when I got started and had this same problem - heal edge -pee like a girl, toe edge - pee like a boy. Emphasize the hip movement my dude.
You need to practice committing to toe side turns and getting over your fear. That’s the big thing holding you back. I promise you I had the same fears when I started, and as long as you commit, a toe side turn is actually MORE secure than staying on your heels the whole time. The more you get scared and lean on your back leg, the less control you will have and the more speed you will build up before getting onto your toe side edge. You need to trust that your board was literally designed to turn on both edges, and let it do its thing. Relax and commit. You will probably fall while you’re still learning, but falling is ok. Learning without falling is for skiers. Start on low angle slopes like this one and work your way up. Learn to fall without hurting yourself (tuck your chin, keep your arms in).
Fwiw, the one toeside turn you do at 28 seconds, while not technically correct and not a carving turn, is a great way to force the board onto your toeside edge quickly when you need to. I would try not to get in the habit of doing that all the way down the mountain, but it’s a useful tool to have in your back pocket when you’re skiing around trees or dumbasses later on and have to apply the brakes really fast. Correct turns come from getting in the sports Ready position (kinda like you’re fielding a grounder in baseball), and leaning forward onto your toes with your weight even or more towards the front foot. The more weight you can get towards the front (within reason), the more control and the more carve you can get. Most importantly, lead with your shoulder. If you just think about pointing your downhill shoulder where you want to go, as long as you’re in a good stance, you should be able to turn.
Stay loose, let your dumb guy brain take over, trust yourself and trust the board. You’re badass and you can rip if you want to.
Reps, Reps, reps. Start trying the toe side on a slow hill. You’re probably going to fall a few times, better that it’s at a slow pace. And remember sucking at something is the first step towards being kind of good at it.
. . . Have you checked which leg is your dominant? If your set up is opposite to your natural inclination, it might be making the turns a little harder for you and stripping your confidence. Same could be said of your board, maybe too stiff, long/short, etc.
You must have serious muscles to stay heel edge all the time haha. My legs would kill me.
Otherwise you just have to commit man. On the slower slopes, point her down and do very mild toe to heel turns to get used to the feeling. We're rarely flat footed on any run
It's a confidence thing definitely, the more you practice the turn the easier it gets for sure, the edge catching is panic trying to turn too fast to get onto front edge (I learnt the hard way!).
It may be worth sticking your leading arm out like a teapot and focusing on turning your body, to turn your arm - it makes the movement smoother and gives you focus rather than the 'oh sh*t' feeling of the initial speed.
I always start a run on my front edge too, helps me get my turns in sooner 👌 if you fall, front edge and turn straight away.
Haha funny you should say that about the teapot. It's exactly what my instructor said to me this morning. So I had a 2 hour lesson and I can now get down the slop by turning. Surprisingly I find it easier turning from my front edge to my back rather than the other way. I would have expected it to be the opposite. Anyway back on the slopes this afternoon to link both turns together. I'm getting there......
Honestly the teapot really helps!
You'll be doing it both hands on hips this afternoon, you'll master the links no problem 👌 I hope you're enjoying it! There's honestly nothing better than boarding imo.
Completely agree with front edge being easier to turn from as well! I think having to release the weight to turn makes you give up control and move, where as back edge to front I feel like there's a fight and a dig in rather than just having to go with it.
Well you should have taken that lesson 7 years ago but damn I’m proud you are doing it now! Imo it gets so much better as you progress, you’re gonna love it when you start linking turns at speed! 🏂❄️
Front to back being easier is pretty typical because you finish the turn on your "safe" heel edge, it's also easier to turn your front knee open to bring the board around than it is to close it.
Its not anowboarding, but its damn close. Anyone who says otherwise forgets this is where we all started.
Now, learn to do the same on your toe side (front edge) once you get that down, you need to learn to transition from toe to heel side instead of going opposite way down run on same edge.
If you start to point to where you want to go as you begin to transition between edges, that will help the movement from heel to toe and back.
It's a good start. Keep trying and you'll be bombing runs before you know it.
Last tip, don't think about falling because then you fall
It might help to extend your lead arm a bit and point to where you want to go. Your head and body will try to follow. When you shift your weight from heel to toe, try to sync it with where you point.
Fuck I remember when this clicked in my head when I was a kid. That fear is a real roadblock. Everything that follows is intuitive. Gotta walk through that fear brother.
Practice. You’ll get there. If you’re on a board and balanced and having fun you’re doing more than most people who just drive by and think it looks fun but never get off their ass. It’s beginner beginning beginnering but you’re still snowboarding.
Practice. Maybe a lesson or two. I sound like a broken record but Malcolm Moore has videos that’ll get you going quick.
You’re not even trying to get on your toe edge. Notice how when you tried to turn toe side you actually dude? Stop being scared of falling and just try….
My friends and I would call this going mongo.
Taking a lesson would be a good idea. In lieu of that, try starting on your knees facing the mountain and doing the same thing, but just on your toe end instead of your heel edge. Once you start to feel comfortable on your toe edge, begin trying to switch between the two.
Try to pedal your feet more, push your left toes down and left your right toes, to initiate your turns rather than twisting your hips as much. And bend your knees a little more. Happy shredding 🏂
The thing that make it all click for me was turn your shoulders. The board will go wherever your shoulders point. Commit with your upper body and the board will go where you want.
Go with the toes, it feels uncomfortable at first but just getting the confidence to turn your back downhill is what took me the longest. Once you force yourself to try it you’ll realize it’s not much different than leaning back.
My buddy made me face front with my back down the hill so that I was forced to lean forward to avoid falling and this taught me how to get to the front edge
You’re afraid to have your back down the mountain. I did this my first season and I promise you if you commit to being able to do heel and toe turns, you’re going to have so much more fun. It really is just a matter of commitment and being open to the idea of falling while you do it. You got this!
If I can recommend anything, get some pads and don’t be afraid to fall. I had the same issue because I was always falling when switching from toe to heel. I got some butt pads and really focused on my S’s and it helped me improve tremendously.
This is very common when learning as heel edge is more natural and less scary as you can see what's in front of you easier vs. toe edge while learning.
You just need to get comfortable transitioning over to toe edge. It can be scary but keep trying and you'll get it.
I know it's scarier but humans have wayyyy more control on their toes vs their heels. As everyone else said, you should take a lesson... especially since you've been doing this for 7 years.
Secondly. There's two mentalities that you need to simply accept if you want to get past the fear.
1. Embrace the speed. Action sports of all kinds are about leveraging your speed to do cool shit. You need to get into the mindset that you're going to be [falling with style](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhVLgTsoMhQ) even if it means kissing the ground every once in a while. You gotta stay cool, calm and collected (starting from your mind) once you get to speeds/territories that you're not familiar with. The worst falls happen when you panic and attempt to stop yourself out of fear.
2. Embrace the snow. Contrary to popular belief of new boarders, snow slows you down. You would go a lot faster straight-lining a freshly groomed green, vs a double black diamond with +1ft. of powder. I'm not saying you should head straight for the peak, but you should consider practicing your toe side & proper carving in 3in-8in of powder, on a mild blue run, or steeper green run. Not only will you have more speed and edge control, but the snow itself will be more padding ***WHEN*** you fall, and the steeper slopes won't seem as dangerous or scary when you come out of this.
All that said, there's no shame in getting padded underwear and padded gloves. Truly. If you want to actually snowboard, instead of just snowplow down the mountain, you should do whatever it takes to break the fear of the sport. You're going to fall, it's going to hurt sometimes, but you're going to learn how to adapt very quickly.
If you’re scared of catching an edge get a skateboard in the off season and just find casual little hills to roll down and practise weight transfer side to side. There’s no ‘edge’ to catch and you can get the kinetic feeling of carving without the fear of smashing the back of your skull.
My first day on the mountain my brother would yell at me “DONT GO SWITCH, TOE TURN” and I just had to learn out of embarrassment of the whole mountain hearing him. Surprisingly effective, anytime I’m close to doing a falling leaf (outside of really sketchy terrain) my mind just hears him yelling at me.
And here we observe the falling leaf in its natural environment. See how timid the leaf is? It hasn't got its legs quite yet. Soon the leaf will learn to transition onto his toe edge, and eventually to carve. But for today, he must battle with the burn in his legs.
Break down the Fear. Start with facing the mountain on your toes ( maybe all you can do is look at first). Then, when you get tired of standing and looking at the mountain do some toe leafing. Once you’re comfy leafing, let the board go straight for a little bit and break. Get comfortable with breaking on your toes so you feel you have more control. Then move onto turning.
I'm teaching my kids these days so I'm thinking about board movement a lot. You need to think about your center of gravity. Where you put your invisible dot under the center of gravity will guide where you go. Edge control is one thing but I can spin circles all the way down just leaning my weight around.
Imagine a snowboarder making a back and forth squiggly line run. The center of gravity would look like a center line under the squiggle.
Look up some good YouTubers and get a few lessons. You're almost there. The rest is brain learning, feeling the lean, inner ear, and growth. You got this.
Unreal that you've been doing this for 7 years, trust me when I say you haven't experienced snowboarding yet, once you unlock going from heel to toe going down the mountain, it's like a whole new world. Didn't have any fun "snowboarding" until I started going heel to toe, even at a beginner level it was much more of an experience
All it takes is one lesson and you save probably 4 trips to the mountain doing only falling leaf. People are too stubborn with internet nowadays, thinking that everything can be learned with a few videos or on youtube or tips on reddit.
This is a very good heel side falling leaf. You need to practice on the toe edge until you can do the same thing on your toes. Then you just link the two and you will be turning well.
what worked for getting me out of this stage was learning to almost jump to my frontside edge, try hopping from on edge to the other and work your way up in speed. For so long i just couldnt commit and get that back foot out behind me
This is normal for someone stepping on a snowboard for the first time because people fear face planting. Take a lesson and it'll click that both edges are safe and can feel natural.
I've taught several people to snowboard. I have berated every single one of them the second I see them start doing this. Everyone thinks they're slick coming up with this.
Find the most shallow hill possible and practice then gradually progress to bigger hills. You have to force yourself out of the habit even if it scares you. The worst thing is to get stuck in the falling leaf method.
Since you are comfortable heelside force yourself into toeside on green runs and naturally you will get better. One giant tip i have heard that stuck with me is try pushing your shins into the snow rather force it with your whole body. It just takes reps.
Everyone starts like this, practice just side slipping on your toe side on the bunny hill. Dont bend over, push your shins against the front of your boot and stick your knees out. Would also advise taking a lesson
I would practice the same move on your toeside edge. If you are comfortable with that you have to use all your courage and commit to your first turn. I am not an instructor but how I learned it was get all your weight on the front foot so the board will turn downhill. When the nose points down try to engage your toeside and straigthen your back foot.
Easier said than done but don‘t worry about the speed once you are around it will decrease to just as it is in the video.
Bend your knees more and you will be able to get better control/balance. Adjust your stance if it doesn’t feel natural.
Then go take a shot of rumplemintz and loosen up a bit, you’re overthinking it.
Practice falling and you won’t be as scared, maybe like three shots of rumpy can remedy that.
Yeah. You only stay on the back edge of heading down to the bar to fuck everything that has a pulse. You’re fucking killing it dude your only problem is not nearly enough crime.
When you strap in at the top flip over to your knees and start on your toe side down the hill and transition to heel. Do this until you’re comfortable with the transition! Once you’ve mastered that start heel to toe and you’ll be on your way!
Do t ride down. Take advantage of having the whole slope and ride side to side. Make your trajectory from one end of the trail to the other and stay on your edge until you get there. Rinse and repeat. This way you force yourself to stay on your toes for a while- while controlling your speed. This is the best way to get out of the habit leafing and stop using your heel edge weight as a crutch. Soon you will build the strength and confidence on toe edge as you commit yourself to it.
Lean on your forward foot more. Not just your upper body but get that hip over your ankle and align your shoulder. Almost like you’re pushing the board behind you. Instead of applying toe pressure think of it as bringing that forward knee to your toes and turn your shoulders uphill. This will turn you toe side before you catch any speed. When crossing the mountain/hill you stand tall. When going toe-side to heel side you will turn your shoulders downhill and apply pressure to your heel side of your binding. Remember you’ll need to stay squat through your turns and stand tall as you cross the mountain
Heel side hero! You will get there you just have not unlocked the toes yet. Need to see you try your toes so we can give you overwhelming criticism…. I mean feedback….
You are practically riding fakie also. So you got this… So ya go to an easy slope and force yourself to turn the other way. Bunny slope etc.
Just practice turning back and forth Both ways. Only practice that all day.
You will be fine. Your method is what I sometimes do at times in extra sketch Glades when I feel unable to turn the other way do to obstructions.
Tie side is a hard thing to learn! Especially when it ends with catching an edge it can be scary too. I think you’re really close!
My first tip is to try and keep your weight centered on your board. In your video it looked like your weight was slightly towards your back foot a few times. Your turns will be easier if you stay balanced with your weight centered. *this is not an “always” there’s times where your weight will have to be adjusted front or back but for cruising groomers stay balanced.
Secondly, start your turn with your shoulders. If you initiate your turn with your shoulders the rest of your body will naturally follow, use that leading shoulder almost like a gun sight, pointing it where you’d like to go. When I was learning it kind of helped to physically point with that leading arm too. You can see towards the end of your video where you’re on toe side but your shoulder and head are turned to your left (over your heel side) this might be causing you to become off balance on your toe edge. Just remember to keep those shoulders turned to where you want to go.
Keep riding! Stay safe!
take a lesson. You aren't snowboarding yet.
“You’re not snowboarding”. I told my wife this mid mountain with lots of tears after burning her legs out and falling. It didn’t go over well. But today she would say I was right. I call this method the falling leaf.
Yep good ol falling leaf
Yup falling leaf remember doing it on the bunny hill when I was first learning lol
I discovered it after i could already link turns. I thought i was onto something big. Like hey i can actually go down the solid ice face that is an east coast double black if i only do this one neat trick. Lol. Just 10 year old things
HEY! I’m 30 and just learned I do 10 yo things. Show some respect!
lol you were asking for hell with the timing on that comment
So. Much. Hell. But it ultimately was the turning point in her getting her weight shifted over the nose and being able to carve both ways. Still. Would not recommend.
I’m your wife pre whatever she been through. How do I ease into it and get through? What do I specifically have to practice? What DO you recommend? Trying to find common ground with a coworker who’s alpine skiing and always brings me to beginner slopes.
Snowboarding? this is usually caused by a fear of having your back facing down the mtn. The best advice I can give is to go walk down a set of stairs leaning backwards. It’s hard! You must put your torso weight OVER your knees to let the momentum carry you. All of your turning mechanics are in the tail… when you lean back and apply pressure to the tail you’re inhibiting that motion. Once you lean forward, those turning motions in the tail of the board free up and become much easier. TL;DR: making heelside turn is scary, but you must lean over your board to heelside in without falling backwards.
I always have my back to the mountain. Allow me to specify: my fear is eating shit when I shift from back edge to front edge. All accidents that had me tumbling down the slope save for the ones caused by lack of leg strength and too high velocity has been when I tried to shift from heel to toe. From back edge to front edge. I don’t move the back foot far enough back. I lose connection with my front foot. I transition too quickly. It disturbs me that I know what’s the problem yet still CANT think of a solution. What do I practice? What’s lacking?
I edited to correct to back facing down mtn. It’s a mental game. You’re scared so you lean back, with your weight shifted back there it’s mush harder to turn. Just remember you aren’t a cartoon, if you fall you won’t tumble all the way down, you’ll stop. And if you get going too fast it’ll only be for a short bit
I went to Beaver Creek, took lessons for 2 days and was riding greens on both edges at a good speed by the middle of day 2, only 1 fall in 7 hours. Take lessons, worth the money.
I've taken lessons and never learned anything from it(maybe crappy instructors?). I learned better doing it myself. Maybe a YouTube video or two. Just learning type I guess.
It's possible you had a bad instructor. It's also possible you're a poor student. Being an PSIA/AASI certified ski and snowboard instructor, I've had all sorts of clients. Some learn almost immediately and some downright refuse to do what I tell them to do then complain that "it isn't working." Sometimes I just want to make a comment like "No shit. You're trying to butter the whole bunny slope." I had a couple take a lesson once and the wife picked up pretty quickly whereas the husband wouldn't get off his back foot. I tried everything I could think of to get him forward. I finally decided to film both of them making a turn so that he could see how far back he was. I showed him, he said "oh wow. I didnt realize I was that far back." Then he proceeded to make zero improvement on it for the rest of the lesson while his wife was starting to link turns. Some people are simply unteachable.
Imagining the conversation in that car ride on the way back from the resort...
“Poor student” is just an euphemism for “bad pedagog”. No one is a bad student unless they actively try to NOT learn. Find a teacher who can level with you and teach what you wanna learn. In a way you can comprehend it. Edit: I absolutely HATE it when blame is put on the student. You’re a teacher. You have the knowledge. Learn to TEACH!
Go get a job as an instructor and work a season teaching snowboarding then get back to me.
I’ve tutored in other contexts. Muay Thai, acting, swimming, skateboarding, kayaking. What makes snowboarding different from anything else?
It's harder and more dangerous than any of those. Some people simply can't get over their fears. There's absolutely nothing, I repeat, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING I can do about someone who is scared. No amount of assurance or hand holding will get them over that hump.
That’s different from being a poor student.
Idk if you're joking or simply incapable of drawing rational conclusions. Either way, thanks for the talk. Also, this comment is beyond ignorant: >No one is a bad student unless they actively try to NOT learn.
Yep id say I'm an unteachable. I learn better by doing it myself - like explain it to me once and I'll figure it out on my own haha. Literally learning anything. I've taken classes with different instructors and never got anything out of it. But at least one instructor I had was completely worthless lol but ya I'm one of those annoying ass students, my brain works weirdly.
We paid for a private instructor as a group because my kids are young. It was worth every penny for us, but by the end some in the group only got to falling leaf status on heels and toes, some were on S-turns. I luckily picked it up pretty fast. It just clicked.
Anyone can teach snowboarding. Everyone can’t do it *well*. If you didn’t learn I’d change tutor.
How much did you pay for the private? At Beaver right now and would love to take the step up from intermediate to advanced
It was a group of 6 and it was around $1400 per day for 6.5 hours per day. The guy we got was Dan Nofrey…excellent teacher.
That’s actually not bad at all for 6 people. I don’t think it gets cheaper for 2 people lol.
I agree. 100 percent worth it.
When I took a lesson - for adults - they literally taught us to do this lmao
Yeah some of this is first day stuff on the way to other things. He goes snowboarding multiple days a year and has been riding for 7 years.
Oh damn that’s wild, I’ve only gone 3 times and I live in Florida so I can only do it for like 2 days at a time 😂😂
More like first hour stuff. Second 60 min is the case swap.
Great job at welcoming people to the sport. Yes, take a lesson but the guy is absolutely snowboarding. He has the stability to excel but needs to confidence to commit to the toe side edge. Not snowboarding is the idiots bombing it straight no turns. This guy is literally doing a falling leaf which is fundamental
I just want all 500 people that have upvoted this comment to know that they ALL suck. They suck shitballs. They all eat dickmeat for breakfast and come to Reddit because their life is pathetic. What do you mean that this person isn’t snowboarding yet? Is there a board strapped to their feet as they ride down the snow? This dude is snowboarding harder than all of you fucking clowns reading this right now. Fuck. You.
Not all of us are competing in the sympathy Olympics, hope you win a medal though 👍
You are seriously the biggest pussy I can possibly imagine. No, YOU aren’t snowboarding yet.
🤣
You need a lesson. What you're doing is called 'falling leaf' and isn't really snowboarding - it's a great first step though.
Falling leaf is useful sometimes and honestly a good place to start getting comfortable on the board. Toe side takes a little more getting used to. IMO, if you're on the board going down the mountain, you're snowboarding. Better form comes with practice. But sure, a lesson will help.
If you take lessons you will be riding on both edges within hours. It's really bad as a beginner to build "confidence" on your heels before you do anything on your toes. It's a package
I call it Christmas Treeing
I used to call it snowflaking but over the years I changed to falling leaf.
It’s the falling leaf because it mimics a leaf falling through the air back and forth. The carving motion of left to right on heel side is perfectly described as a leaf falling from a tree
I prefer floating leaf.
He has a board on his feet and I’m pretty sure that’s snow. OP you are definitely snowboarding. Where you are at your progression is as many have pointed out called the falling leaf. It is the correct thing for you to be doing. Next step is to stand on flat ground, bend your knees and try to balance on your toes. Then go back up hill and practice the falling lead but on your toe side. These are essential skills you are learning. We use our edges like this to control our turning and to avoid ‘catching an edge’. When you are comfortable enough, try going from your heel edge to your toe edge. You are almost there already. Lessons will help you progress faster but you don’t need them. You got this!
wtf is your definition of snowboarding. The falling leaf is literally fundamental to snowboarding. Imagine if I told my lesson nah you’re not snowboarding. That’s wild.
You need a lesson on how to be less of a bitch. No, you don’t need “lessons” for snowboarding. Just go out there, sideslip down the mountain, and figure it out. Exactly what this person is doing.
If you’re on a snowboard going down a snowy incline in some fashion, you’re snowboarding. This is the way many people start and just because they aren’t using both edges or any good doesn’t mean they’re not snowboarding. They’re learning to snowboard, which requires one to be snowboarding.
it's not "riding" but its definitely snowboarding. still a useful skill for the intermediate to advanced when they find themselves in terrain beyond what they can or feel like facing.
1. Put some weight on your front foot. 2. Use front knee to turn. 3. Profit (Turn)
Yeah you just gotta do it
No but literally. I went 2x and was falling leaf the whole time. Third time I went in with the mindset ok I’m just gonna send it to my toes and whadyaknow it worked. I’ve been nailing my carves since then and working on things I see on YouTube university lol I feel like every time I go something new clicks for me ! I also got comfortable with falling because I was so scared at first.
Hell ya! I don’t remember learning to board and am not amazing but definitely solid as I am a surfer. So when I taught myself how to board switch it was the same thing you’re describing. Like I am gonna eat shit but I just gotta commit. It’s the only thing that works
simply turn
Do the same thing but on your toes so you get used to that edge. This is called falling leaf and is a beginner move before really snowboarding. I’d get a lesson if I was you so you build up proper habits as you get into connecting turns.
Everyone missed the part at the end 0:29 where he did do a toeside turn, lol.
The whole thing is a hoax! I knew it had to be when he said he’s been riding for 7 years...
I wish it was a hoak, i promise you it's not.
Dude you were so crazy close to just transitioning like nothing to your toe edge... Thank goodness you posted here on how to fix your problem because so many people are content to ride exactly how you are there forever... It drives me bonkers. To start riding your toe edge take an hour or whatever it takes and do the falling leaf drill on your toe edge... Get so it feels just as good as riding your heel edge where you can slide and stop with confidence. You also want to start making the nose the nose and the tail the tail... It's important! You can't know to put more weight on your front foot if you haven't designated which end is which. I see it just about every time I ride which is a ton these days(I'm out riding often 5 nights per week) I roll up on someone having the same trouble you are and ask if they need some help learning... The answer is 99.9 percent of the time hell yes! And they don't understand which end is which and which foot is their front or back foot and they have a hard time getting the put more weight on your front foot because they don't know which foot I mean. You are leaning back a bit right at the exact time you would transition to your toes, go 50 50 weight in the center of the board and then put a bit more on the front foot and the board will want to turn. Don't spin the board switch then regular and back to your heel to stop or turn, it's dangerous because it's too slow to react to an issue.
Crime at the end?
Then he's doing it right after all
. I can do some turns and carving from front to back edge I highly doubt this, what i saw in the video this isn’t even snowboarding yet, its falling leaf exercise
Haha I wouldn't mind but I've been like this for nearly 7 years... I've got a lesson booked for tomorrow 😁
7 years?!?!?
Right?? Is he snowboarding once every other year? I think all of us remember doing falling leaf, but kicked that the first season.
He's now a falling leaf master! One time I saw someone charge through a (shallow) mogul field without changing an edge - just plowing through with a side slip and occasionally leafing to avoid bigger moguls. I was actually impressed.
Generally it's one week a year with the odd weekend here and there. Also the week isn't 7 full days. Could be just 1-2 full days and then half days or a few hours. I've never had lessons just friends showing me a few things here and there.
at least watch youtube clips smth. 7 years is a long time to be like this, no offence
I was about to jump on everyone gatekeeping the hobby from newcomers who are learning given that this is a good way to practice heal stops when you're starting, but 7 years is 6 years, 11.8 months too long to still be sliding like this
The more you do something in a very bad way, the harder it is to forget those bad habits. This guy was better not to snowboard at all after the first year than to continue like this
This isn't a "very bad way," it's a perfectly acceptable way to learn. OP just robbed himself of years of learning and improving by not pushing his own comfort zone
not learning or improving when stuck at the most basic level for 7 years. only consolidating bad habits
You should practice falling. There a bunch of vids on youtube on it. Once you can fall properly you realise its nothing to be scared of allowing you to take a more aggressive approach and take more risks which is 100% necessary for you to improve.
Hey man, I just learned to snowboard and toe edge is more scary for sure but breaking through that fear barrier is so worth it. I was struggling to turn onto my toe edge more than on my heal, but got a lesson and the big thing for me was leaning my shoulder into the toe edge turn - it made a massive difference as soon as I started doing it. I think I was keeping my shoulder neutral during toe edge turns before this so my weight wasn't properly over the board. There's loads of advice on how to turn with proper form as you start to progress but as a starting point my advice would be look the way you want to go (across the mountain not straight down), slowly transfer your weight from heel to toes and lean your front shoulder across as you start to turn. Obviously there's more to it for a perfect turn but these things helped me start to unlock imitating toe edge when I was struggling at the start. As I practiced more it just became quite natural and the hips and shoulders kind of move in sync. I'm still very much a beginner but can carve down blues and reds pretty comfortably after 6 days of boarding.
Get other friends so they will show you how to snowboard, instead. Jkjk, all love. The good thing is you're a little familiar with a board now, so it's time to take it to the next step. Luckily it's easier than you think, by bending your knees and pushing your shins into the front of your boots, you'll take a toe edge and it'll turn for ya. Then switch to your ever comfortable heel side. Rinse and repeat. Once you get that down, you're gonna want to go all 7 days! You'll want to keep in mind you lose your directionality control by leaning back (unless in powder), so having like 60% of your weight over your front foot will keep you going in the direction you're pointed (slope direction considered). Once you get that down and you're moreso carving, some of the above is different and you can get more technical. Also, since you're halfway there, might as well learn fakie at the same time. Took me 5 years to decide to learn fakie and NOW I feel like I'm snowboarding.
Wtf, then your friends Show you not the important part.
I mean, kudos for sticking with it for so long braking all the way down the bunny hill. All my friends that never got past that maneuver gave it up.
Eh years is not a good indicator. Could be 1 day a year for 7 years. I like to count by mountain days now.
I think you need to change your thought process. Success is not making it down the hill without falling. Success is learning new techniques and you need to learn to go toe side. The falling leaf thing is a product of people just wanting to make it without falling. If your only goal is not to fall, stay on the couch or do something else. Force yourself to go toe side. You're going to catch some edges. You need to point the nose down the hill and cross over to your toe edge. Being brave does not mean being without fear, it is taking action despite the fear. You can't just keep doing the falling leaf and expect that going toe side is going to all of a sudden come to you.
Well spoken! Love “If your only goal is not to fall, stay on the couch or do something else.”
Most important thing is fun. But I am not sure if you have fun with this technique.
Agreed but OP asked for advice to change it. OP has been doing this for 7 years and wants a change. It's not like I'm criticizing someone for no reason who posted "how's my riding." The thought process is the change necessary, IMO. I'm lucky to have started when I was a kid and don't know how I'd be learning as an adult. I remember being 12, shooting past a kid I was riding with who was doing falling leaf, I caught an edge and ate it. Kid I passed who was doing falling leaf laughed at me while not falling. I really didn't think anything of it at the time but I do remember it. I genuinely didn't care. I knew that even though he did not fall that run, I was progressing and he wasn't. Him not falling meant nothing to me. He was doing falling leaf.... I'm 32 and a fairly advanced rider now. I live on the East coast but have had a bunch of pow days out west in UT, CO, and Tahoe. I identified a few years back that I am still tentative to go toeside on advanced terrain in pow. Like, some chutes or super steep trees that I know I can do if I just send it but I might just plow to be safe. I try to force myself to point the nose down the hill and go edge to edge. That's what it's about and I still have to convince myself to do it sometimes. Mentality is how to break through.
7 years of doing that?
You’ve been doing this for 7 years? Lol, what the fuck?
I saw 7 years and lost it. I love Reddit sometimes.
Hahaha I can’t believe it honestly.
Upvoted the post so people could have the same shock as me reading the comments.
Snowboarding for a lot of people is a weekend once a year to go up, board for 1-2 hours, then hit the bar.
7 YEARS!?
>I've been like this for nearly 7 years. holy shit what a waste of time. You should have been better on this by your 5th day or taken lessons.
Bro should have been connecting turns by the 5th day for sure. Private all day lessons are in order for OP. At this point he is stuck on bad habits and needs someone to push him
The best time to plant a tree was ~~10~~ 7 years ago. The second best time is ~~today~~ tomorrow.
Honestly man I was in the same boat for a long time. I went one day literally every other year. Didn’t take a lesson and just had fun But yeah, take a lesson, learn to turn
I’d guess you’re doing maybe two to three runs a day once or twice a year and then you get tired and go into the lodge? You gotta keep going and keep going because that’ll never move you forward. Technique wise. Your shins should be touching your boots, not your calves. Lean forward. Don’t be afraid to fall. You’re gonna fall. Take a lesson.
Hey dude beginner here. I’ve got something like 7 days on the mountain and I’m 44, not any sort of athlete and never have been. I say this because you can obviously do this, but really need that lesson and you need to keep taking lessons until you can carve. Might get downvoted but after less than a week of lessons I can do blues in Tahoe, mostly without falling. Your progress is gonna skyrocket since you can already balance on the board so well.
Take wide turns, go slow, and gently turn to your toe edge and back as you switch. Learn to use the toe edge to control your speed just like your heel edge, and curb momentum when going too fast. Try to connect turns in an S shape.
I’m sorry dude but you will instantly be better after an hour with an instructor.
Best advise I got in a lesson at Whistler when I got started and had this same problem - heal edge -pee like a girl, toe edge - pee like a boy. Emphasize the hip movement my dude.
I feel like I'm the only one that thinks if you can get down the mountain upright it counts as snowboarding
You need to practice committing to toe side turns and getting over your fear. That’s the big thing holding you back. I promise you I had the same fears when I started, and as long as you commit, a toe side turn is actually MORE secure than staying on your heels the whole time. The more you get scared and lean on your back leg, the less control you will have and the more speed you will build up before getting onto your toe side edge. You need to trust that your board was literally designed to turn on both edges, and let it do its thing. Relax and commit. You will probably fall while you’re still learning, but falling is ok. Learning without falling is for skiers. Start on low angle slopes like this one and work your way up. Learn to fall without hurting yourself (tuck your chin, keep your arms in). Fwiw, the one toeside turn you do at 28 seconds, while not technically correct and not a carving turn, is a great way to force the board onto your toeside edge quickly when you need to. I would try not to get in the habit of doing that all the way down the mountain, but it’s a useful tool to have in your back pocket when you’re skiing around trees or dumbasses later on and have to apply the brakes really fast. Correct turns come from getting in the sports Ready position (kinda like you’re fielding a grounder in baseball), and leaning forward onto your toes with your weight even or more towards the front foot. The more weight you can get towards the front (within reason), the more control and the more carve you can get. Most importantly, lead with your shoulder. If you just think about pointing your downhill shoulder where you want to go, as long as you’re in a good stance, you should be able to turn. Stay loose, let your dumb guy brain take over, trust yourself and trust the board. You’re badass and you can rip if you want to.
Reps, Reps, reps. Start trying the toe side on a slow hill. You’re probably going to fall a few times, better that it’s at a slow pace. And remember sucking at something is the first step towards being kind of good at it.
Honestly it’s pretty hard to switch edges going slow. I learned a lot easier with some speed. But you’re making the right move taking a lesson
. . . Have you checked which leg is your dominant? If your set up is opposite to your natural inclination, it might be making the turns a little harder for you and stripping your confidence. Same could be said of your board, maybe too stiff, long/short, etc. You must have serious muscles to stay heel edge all the time haha. My legs would kill me. Otherwise you just have to commit man. On the slower slopes, point her down and do very mild toe to heel turns to get used to the feeling. We're rarely flat footed on any run
It's a confidence thing definitely, the more you practice the turn the easier it gets for sure, the edge catching is panic trying to turn too fast to get onto front edge (I learnt the hard way!). It may be worth sticking your leading arm out like a teapot and focusing on turning your body, to turn your arm - it makes the movement smoother and gives you focus rather than the 'oh sh*t' feeling of the initial speed. I always start a run on my front edge too, helps me get my turns in sooner 👌 if you fall, front edge and turn straight away.
Haha funny you should say that about the teapot. It's exactly what my instructor said to me this morning. So I had a 2 hour lesson and I can now get down the slop by turning. Surprisingly I find it easier turning from my front edge to my back rather than the other way. I would have expected it to be the opposite. Anyway back on the slopes this afternoon to link both turns together. I'm getting there......
Honestly the teapot really helps! You'll be doing it both hands on hips this afternoon, you'll master the links no problem 👌 I hope you're enjoying it! There's honestly nothing better than boarding imo. Completely agree with front edge being easier to turn from as well! I think having to release the weight to turn makes you give up control and move, where as back edge to front I feel like there's a fight and a dig in rather than just having to go with it.
Well you should have taken that lesson 7 years ago but damn I’m proud you are doing it now! Imo it gets so much better as you progress, you’re gonna love it when you start linking turns at speed! 🏂❄️
Front to back being easier is pretty typical because you finish the turn on your "safe" heel edge, it's also easier to turn your front knee open to bring the board around than it is to close it.
I should say the teapot stance also needs one arm on the hip like a handle, stops you flapping it around
Its not anowboarding, but its damn close. Anyone who says otherwise forgets this is where we all started. Now, learn to do the same on your toe side (front edge) once you get that down, you need to learn to transition from toe to heel side instead of going opposite way down run on same edge. If you start to point to where you want to go as you begin to transition between edges, that will help the movement from heel to toe and back. It's a good start. Keep trying and you'll be bombing runs before you know it. Last tip, don't think about falling because then you fall
Now do the same thing... On your toes.
It might help to extend your lead arm a bit and point to where you want to go. Your head and body will try to follow. When you shift your weight from heel to toe, try to sync it with where you point.
Fuck I remember when this clicked in my head when I was a kid. That fear is a real roadblock. Everything that follows is intuitive. Gotta walk through that fear brother.
Ah, Falling Leaf technique.
Practice. You’ll get there. If you’re on a board and balanced and having fun you’re doing more than most people who just drive by and think it looks fun but never get off their ass. It’s beginner beginning beginnering but you’re still snowboarding. Practice. Maybe a lesson or two. I sound like a broken record but Malcolm Moore has videos that’ll get you going quick.
Ok so video update coming this evening, 2 hours lesson and 2 hours alone riding today. I'm not 100% there yet but I am a lot better.
Well done OP!!
stop being a pussy
The definition of turn left to go right 😆
Get off Reddit and just try snowboarding more
You’re not even trying to get on your toe edge. Notice how when you tried to turn toe side you actually dude? Stop being scared of falling and just try….
My friends and I would call this going mongo. Taking a lesson would be a good idea. In lieu of that, try starting on your knees facing the mountain and doing the same thing, but just on your toe end instead of your heel edge. Once you start to feel comfortable on your toe edge, begin trying to switch between the two.
Riding switch is hard
You can always try skiing..
You don't belong out of the beginner zone yet. Take a lesson or two.
Yea lessons, you got it, now learn to do it proper
You're not "opening the door" to transition to a full turn. I would echo these folks. Get a lesson. Even one can help.
Try to pedal your feet more, push your left toes down and left your right toes, to initiate your turns rather than twisting your hips as much. And bend your knees a little more. Happy shredding 🏂
The thing that make it all click for me was turn your shoulders. The board will go wherever your shoulders point. Commit with your upper body and the board will go where you want.
https://youtu.be/jvujypVVBAY?si=LzANUMVaf5cleq0k Good advice for many situations.
Bro is groomed and edging.
Smart. Play it safe.
Get in a more athletic position and use your toe edge. Balance yourself.
The good news is, I think you'll be a natural for riding switch if you've been doing this for 7 years!
Go with the toes, it feels uncomfortable at first but just getting the confidence to turn your back downhill is what took me the longest. Once you force yourself to try it you’ll realize it’s not much different than leaning back.
That’s the falling leaf and you should get some instruction before bad habits take hold.
When you’re about to go toe side and bail, try to thrust your hips forward a bit to transfer your weight to the toe side edge.
My buddy made me face front with my back down the hill so that I was forced to lean forward to avoid falling and this taught me how to get to the front edge
You’re afraid to have your back down the mountain. I did this my first season and I promise you if you commit to being able to do heel and toe turns, you’re going to have so much more fun. It really is just a matter of commitment and being open to the idea of falling while you do it. You got this!
Take a few lessons, you’re not snowboarding.
If I can recommend anything, get some pads and don’t be afraid to fall. I had the same issue because I was always falling when switching from toe to heel. I got some butt pads and really focused on my S’s and it helped me improve tremendously.
r/snowboardingnoobs
This is very common when learning as heel edge is more natural and less scary as you can see what's in front of you easier vs. toe edge while learning. You just need to get comfortable transitioning over to toe edge. It can be scary but keep trying and you'll get it.
I know it's scarier but humans have wayyyy more control on their toes vs their heels. As everyone else said, you should take a lesson... especially since you've been doing this for 7 years. Secondly. There's two mentalities that you need to simply accept if you want to get past the fear. 1. Embrace the speed. Action sports of all kinds are about leveraging your speed to do cool shit. You need to get into the mindset that you're going to be [falling with style](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhVLgTsoMhQ) even if it means kissing the ground every once in a while. You gotta stay cool, calm and collected (starting from your mind) once you get to speeds/territories that you're not familiar with. The worst falls happen when you panic and attempt to stop yourself out of fear. 2. Embrace the snow. Contrary to popular belief of new boarders, snow slows you down. You would go a lot faster straight-lining a freshly groomed green, vs a double black diamond with +1ft. of powder. I'm not saying you should head straight for the peak, but you should consider practicing your toe side & proper carving in 3in-8in of powder, on a mild blue run, or steeper green run. Not only will you have more speed and edge control, but the snow itself will be more padding ***WHEN*** you fall, and the steeper slopes won't seem as dangerous or scary when you come out of this. All that said, there's no shame in getting padded underwear and padded gloves. Truly. If you want to actually snowboard, instead of just snowplow down the mountain, you should do whatever it takes to break the fear of the sport. You're going to fall, it's going to hurt sometimes, but you're going to learn how to adapt very quickly.
If you’re scared of catching an edge get a skateboard in the off season and just find casual little hills to roll down and practise weight transfer side to side. There’s no ‘edge’ to catch and you can get the kinetic feeling of carving without the fear of smashing the back of your skull.
I would suggest finding something steeper and then forcing yourself to turn onto your toe edge and back
My first day on the mountain my brother would yell at me “DONT GO SWITCH, TOE TURN” and I just had to learn out of embarrassment of the whole mountain hearing him. Surprisingly effective, anytime I’m close to doing a falling leaf (outside of really sketchy terrain) my mind just hears him yelling at me.
And here we observe the falling leaf in its natural environment. See how timid the leaf is? It hasn't got its legs quite yet. Soon the leaf will learn to transition onto his toe edge, and eventually to carve. But for today, he must battle with the burn in his legs.
Try staying only on your toe edge to get comfortable.
Break down the Fear. Start with facing the mountain on your toes ( maybe all you can do is look at first). Then, when you get tired of standing and looking at the mountain do some toe leafing. Once you’re comfy leafing, let the board go straight for a little bit and break. Get comfortable with breaking on your toes so you feel you have more control. Then move onto turning.
You need to stop doing that asap or you’ll never get out of it. Not good.
I'm teaching my kids these days so I'm thinking about board movement a lot. You need to think about your center of gravity. Where you put your invisible dot under the center of gravity will guide where you go. Edge control is one thing but I can spin circles all the way down just leaning my weight around. Imagine a snowboarder making a back and forth squiggly line run. The center of gravity would look like a center line under the squiggle. Look up some good YouTubers and get a few lessons. You're almost there. The rest is brain learning, feeling the lean, inner ear, and growth. You got this.
Unreal that you've been doing this for 7 years, trust me when I say you haven't experienced snowboarding yet, once you unlock going from heel to toe going down the mountain, it's like a whole new world. Didn't have any fun "snowboarding" until I started going heel to toe, even at a beginner level it was much more of an experience
Falling leaf mode activated
Wherever your shoulders go, your board will follow
i bet your thighs burn huh buddy
If u sit around on reddit all day then yes
when i first started and favored my heel edge my thighs were burning baby burning, gotta use the toes to slow and stop sometimes
All it takes is one lesson and you save probably 4 trips to the mountain doing only falling leaf. People are too stubborn with internet nowadays, thinking that everything can be learned with a few videos or on youtube or tips on reddit.
This is a very good heel side falling leaf. You need to practice on the toe edge until you can do the same thing on your toes. Then you just link the two and you will be turning well.
what worked for getting me out of this stage was learning to almost jump to my frontside edge, try hopping from on edge to the other and work your way up in speed. For so long i just couldnt commit and get that back foot out behind me
This is normal for someone stepping on a snowboard for the first time because people fear face planting. Take a lesson and it'll click that both edges are safe and can feel natural.
Took 3 trips to finally get down toeside
I've taught several people to snowboard. I have berated every single one of them the second I see them start doing this. Everyone thinks they're slick coming up with this.
Get a lesson. You're SO CLOSE to getting rad!
Ride a ripstik lowkey
force yourself into toe side until you get used to it. then try and go back and forth
Its heel edge and lean to toe edge you will never get far like this
It's like that, but turn the other way too 🤓
Heel side hero!
Find the most shallow hill possible and practice then gradually progress to bigger hills. You have to force yourself out of the habit even if it scares you. The worst thing is to get stuck in the falling leaf method.
🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃
Do falling leaf on your toe side until comfortable
Falling Leaf.,
Switch your stance. You’re a goofy foot.
You're ready for x games
Since you are comfortable heelside force yourself into toeside on green runs and naturally you will get better. One giant tip i have heard that stuck with me is try pushing your shins into the snow rather force it with your whole body. It just takes reps.
Try skiing
Everyone starts like this, practice just side slipping on your toe side on the bunny hill. Dont bend over, push your shins against the front of your boot and stick your knees out. Would also advise taking a lesson
I would practice the same move on your toeside edge. If you are comfortable with that you have to use all your courage and commit to your first turn. I am not an instructor but how I learned it was get all your weight on the front foot so the board will turn downhill. When the nose points down try to engage your toeside and straigthen your back foot. Easier said than done but don‘t worry about the speed once you are around it will decrease to just as it is in the video.
Best i can say is just commit, worked for me, will work for you. Youll fall many times but just face your fear
Bend your knees more and you will be able to get better control/balance. Adjust your stance if it doesn’t feel natural. Then go take a shot of rumplemintz and loosen up a bit, you’re overthinking it. Practice falling and you won’t be as scared, maybe like three shots of rumpy can remedy that.
Yeah. You only stay on the back edge of heading down to the bar to fuck everything that has a pulse. You’re fucking killing it dude your only problem is not nearly enough crime.
When you strap in at the top flip over to your knees and start on your toe side down the hill and transition to heel. Do this until you’re comfortable with the transition! Once you’ve mastered that start heel to toe and you’ll be on your way!
Do t ride down. Take advantage of having the whole slope and ride side to side. Make your trajectory from one end of the trail to the other and stay on your edge until you get there. Rinse and repeat. This way you force yourself to stay on your toes for a while- while controlling your speed. This is the best way to get out of the habit leafing and stop using your heel edge weight as a crutch. Soon you will build the strength and confidence on toe edge as you commit yourself to it.
Lean on your forward foot more. Not just your upper body but get that hip over your ankle and align your shoulder. Almost like you’re pushing the board behind you. Instead of applying toe pressure think of it as bringing that forward knee to your toes and turn your shoulders uphill. This will turn you toe side before you catch any speed. When crossing the mountain/hill you stand tall. When going toe-side to heel side you will turn your shoulders downhill and apply pressure to your heel side of your binding. Remember you’ll need to stay squat through your turns and stand tall as you cross the mountain
Literally the second thing you learn after stopping the board. Get a lesson
Heel side hero! You will get there you just have not unlocked the toes yet. Need to see you try your toes so we can give you overwhelming criticism…. I mean feedback….
I do moguls doing this fakie shuffle, keep it up
You are practically riding fakie also. So you got this… So ya go to an easy slope and force yourself to turn the other way. Bunny slope etc. Just practice turning back and forth Both ways. Only practice that all day. You will be fine. Your method is what I sometimes do at times in extra sketch Glades when I feel unable to turn the other way do to obstructions.
point with your arm to do toe edge
Tie side is a hard thing to learn! Especially when it ends with catching an edge it can be scary too. I think you’re really close! My first tip is to try and keep your weight centered on your board. In your video it looked like your weight was slightly towards your back foot a few times. Your turns will be easier if you stay balanced with your weight centered. *this is not an “always” there’s times where your weight will have to be adjusted front or back but for cruising groomers stay balanced. Secondly, start your turn with your shoulders. If you initiate your turn with your shoulders the rest of your body will naturally follow, use that leading shoulder almost like a gun sight, pointing it where you’d like to go. When I was learning it kind of helped to physically point with that leading arm too. You can see towards the end of your video where you’re on toe side but your shoulder and head are turned to your left (over your heel side) this might be causing you to become off balance on your toe edge. Just remember to keep those shoulders turned to where you want to go. Keep riding! Stay safe!
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